Urban Surfing at Tokyo’s Downtown Nightclub Hotspot

Have you ever struggled to decide between a night on the town and a surf session while in Tokyo? Probably not, but if so we’ve got great news to share: Now you don't have to choose, you can do both under the same roof.

Over the last twenty years, former freestyle skiing world champions Rainer and Susi Klimaschewski have built a business of developing action sports simulation facilities. According to Citywave, Rainer and Susi began creating mobile water ramps to practice on in any weather and snow conditions. Seeing an empty niche in the surf market, the couple’s next venture was to bring action-sports into an urban setting.

Inspired by Arthur Pauli, the trailblazer of stationary wave riding, the Kilmaschewskis devoted themselves to creating a wave-generating system that could make surfing possible anywhere in the world. Meanwhile, the couple chased the best waves for study in places like California, Hawaii, and Australia.

The result of their hard work, Citywave Tokyo opened in August of 2018. The nightclub/wave pool’s system can adjust to accommodate beginners, experts, and anyone in between. The unique technology makes it possible to reproduce turns and take-offs just like surfing on real ocean waves. It can guarantee a wave of up to 1.8 meters (6 feet) with maximum pressure, instead of maximum water speed, an innovation which allows for greater stability. Japanese surfers and tourists alike come to this downtown nightclub to train, play, and surf to the beat of a live DJ set.