Blake Hess, a surf park manager, shares his experiences running and managing surf parks. He talks about the challenges and triumphs of the early days of inland surf parks in America. The podcast also mentions Lewis Hamilton learning to surf in a wave pool and the positive impact of staff sessions. Hess discusses Beach Street Development's role in creating man-made surf resorts and highlights their projects in Houston and Palm Desert. The revenue drivers for wave pool projects, including the main wave, secondary wave, and food, are also discussed.
Creating an authentic surfing experience and catering to different clientele are crucial for the success of surf parks.
Supporting facilities, such as food and beverage outlets and retail shops, along with excellent customer service, are essential revenue drivers for surf parks.
Deep dives
Wavepool Technology and the Growing Surf Park Industry
The podcast episode discusses the rapid progress of wavepool technology and the growing surf park industry worldwide. The host interviews Blake Hest, an experienced professional in the wavepool space. Hest shares his involvement in the industry, starting with his experience at the first surf park in America, Inland. He then discusses his time working at the renowned Kelly Slater Surf Ranch. Currently, Hest is with Beach Street Development and Operations, focusing on creating surf-focused resorts with man-made surf lagoons. He mentions two specific projects: HGX Surf in Houston, Texas, and Desert Surf in Palm Desert, California. Hest emphasizes the importance of providing an authentic surfing experience and balancing the needs of different clientele, from beginners to experienced surfers. He also mentions the significance of factors such as food and beverage offerings, retail, and excellent customer service in driving revenue for surf parks. The episode concludes with Hest's excitement for the future of the industry and Beach Street's plans to develop more surf parks in the coming years.
Operational Challenges and Triumphs at Surf Ranch and Inland
This section explores Hest's experiences at Surf Ranch and Inland, highlighting the challenges and triumphs of operating surf parks. At Inland, the first surf park in America, Hest describes the early days and the pioneering work of Doug Coors and his team. He explains the learnings and infrastructure improvements they made over time to enhance the customer experience. Hest also mentions the positive impact the surf park had on individuals, including weight loss and improved mental well-being. He then discusses the transition to Surf Ranch, where he witnessed the magic of the wave and interacted with a diverse range of guests, including celebrities like Eddie Vedder and Lewis Hamilton. Hest shares his observation of their surfing progress and the excitement surrounding staff sessions. He concludes by reflecting on the difference in clientele and the challenges of balancing surf time for staff and guests at Surf Ranch.
Beach Street Development's Future Plans and Revenue Drivers
The final part of the podcast focuses on Beach Street Development and its future plans. Hest highlights Beach Street's goal of developing 10 surf parks over the next 10 years. He mentions two projects currently in the pipeline: HGX Surf in Houston, Texas, and Desert Surf in Palm Desert, California. Hest discusses the revenue drivers for surf parks, with the main wave and secondary wave being key attractions. He emphasizes the importance of supporting facilities such as food and beverage outlets and retail shops to enhance the overall guest experience. Hest also emphasizes the significance of superior customer service in creating a memorable journey for visitors. He acknowledges the challenges of finding the right balance between profitability and affordability for guests, while still offering additional amenities for those seeking a higher-end experience. Hest concludes by expressing his excitement for the future of Beach Street Development and the surf park industry as a whole.
Blake Hess is a rare individual in that he is one of only a handful of people who know how to run, manage and develop a surf park. In the few years that wave pools 2.0 have been a thing, Blake has been deeply involved. He helped bring NLand online its first and only year and then he moved on and managed the lucrative ins-and-outs at Kelly’s. Now he is guiding three new American projects as they come on line. In this podcast Blake shares with us what happened at NLand, why Eddie Vedder is a great guest and where America’s next wave pool will be.
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