Kelly Slater is undoubtedly the greatest surfer in the history of the sport. His trophy cabinet is full of accolades and championship medals, which include the 11 World Surf League titles. Along with this, the surfer also takes a keen interest in merging technology with his beloved arena. Hence, the 11x WSL champion has ‘Kelly Slater Surf Ranch’ in California which generates technologically operated waves for enthusiasts to paddle in a simulated environment. Interestingly, the 51-year-old surfing demigod once again took the spotlight as he has masterminded a genius plan with one of the world’s wealthiest cities.

Abu Dhabi is known for its untold riches, which the city has used to build many architectural marvels. Now, Kelly Slater has partnered with Modon Properties, one of the biggest developers in the UAE, to design a wave pool unlike any other. Named Surf Abu Dhabi, it is the largest wave pool of its kind in the world. It contains Kelly Slater’s trademark technology, which the surfing ace wanted to try out before the facility opened for the public in 2024. On 7th November, he visited the wave pool for an exclusive behind-closed-doors event and brought along with him some of his peers to test his latest innovation in wave technology.

Kelly Slater and surfing legends put Surf Abu Dhabi to the test

Surfer Today uploaded a video of Kelly Slater riding the waves in Abu Dhabi with the title, “Surf Abu Dhabi: Kelly Slater Tests the World’s Largest Wave Pool”. Slater even enjoyed the barrels and performed impressive maneuvers.

Among the starry cast in attendance were legends such as Caroline Marks, Filipe Toledo, Stephanie Gilmore, Gabriel Medina, and Ramzi Boukhiam. Kelly Slater was bowled over by the praises he received from his peers. After all, the ‘Kelly Slater Wave Company’ (KSWC) had done the unthinkable by building a pool with the capability to produce the largest man-made wave, the largest barrel, and the longest ride.

Up until now, surfers had to depend on the weather conditions to quench their thirst for the thrill. Surf Abu Dhabi is getting ready to change that for once and forever.

Kelly Slater still finds it hard to “believe that this thing exists” despite being the architect of the plan. His purpose for this mammoth task was to bring surfing on par with the basketball league in the United States. Slater was satisfied with the “spectacular wave” in the ranch, but he wanted to take it a step further.

Kelly Slater revolutionized surfing

Kelly Slater praised the ranch, saying, “I’ve surfed hundreds of incredible waves across the world, and this wave in Abu Dhabi stacks up well against some of the best waves on earth”. After testing out the pool and surfing to his heart’s content, Kelly Slater had some feedback for the designers. He does not want to leave anything to chance and wants to curate the best surfing experience for the visitors when the ranch opens next year. Even the chairman of Modon Properties, Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Al Zaabi, took his feedback to heart. He said, “The preparations are near completion”.

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Now, the developers will optimize the wave pool according to Kelly Slater’s instructions. The Chairman is confident of success, saying, “Staging our first-ever test wave with Kelly Slater and legends of the sport is a testament to the progress we’ve made to bring this vision to reality”. If the developers are able to capitalize on the expert advice of the surfing champions, Surf Abu Dhabi will be a surfing mecca for all watersport lovers.

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