Origins
Written by URBNSURF | September 24, 2019
Your first surf is rarely your best, but its usually the most memorable.
For our Founder, Andrew, the only competition with his first surf at Lorne Point as a ten year old, was his first surf at Wavegarden’s HQ in San Sebastian, Spain in 2012. After investigating a patent battle between two of surfing’s icons – Greg Webber and Kelly Slater – over wave pool tech, Andrew found himself in a picturesque patch of farmland on the outskirts of Aizarnazabal, a small town deep in the Basque heartland.
Led by the Odriozola family, Wavegarden’s team of passionate surfers and highly-skilled engineers had created a unique inland surfing oasis, miles from the coast. Surrounded by rolling green pastures and shadowed by the Pyrenees mountains, waves were pumping.
He arrived at the remote R&D centre with a sense of scepticism, but that quickly dissolved. “Holy shit!”, Andrew exclaimed, as he saw two-time world champ Gabriel Medina blast blow-tails and pop shove-its into the black-plastic flats of Wavegarden’s prototype Lagoon. After witnessing countless rides, Fernando, brother of inventor Josema, invited Andrew to catch a few. Not needing to be told twice, Andrew grabbed an MR thruster, bolted to the take-off spot, and waited. In that first session he caught 10 perfect waves, and had his mind blown by the most mechanically-perfect waves he’d ever surfed. The next day, he acquired the Australian rights to Wavegarden technology, and URBNSURF was born.
Now, seven years later, we’re gearing up to open URBNSURF Melbourne, Australia’s first surf park, this Summer. We’re stoked to welcome surfers of all walks of life, from Victoria, around Australia and from around the world, to come and score perfect waves with us in Tullamarine later this year.
Nothing will ever top your first surf, but we’re hoping your first with us will be just as memorable.
Yew!
#surfmore
