Virginia Beach will host the first ever Wavegarden Cove in the United States, opening in the early summer of 2025.
A wavegarden is a surf park that uses an electromechanical system, a system with a mechanical device that is electrically operated to generate man-made waves.
“Oftentimes we are waiting for a swell. When the conditions are not right, it will be difficult to catch a wave, but with the wave park, there will always be good conditions and provide a swell,” five year surfer and Spanish teacher Amber Moore said.
The project is titled “Atlantic Park,” with expenses totaling over $300 million dollars. The construction began in January 2021 and will be scheduled to finish during the early summer, according to WTKR.
Atlantic Park was backed by American singer and songwriter Pharrell Williams, born and raised in Virginia Beach. He decided to build the park in Virginia Beach not only because its where he grew up, but also because he believed in the bright future of the city.
The project is a partnership between the city of Virginia Beach, Venture Realty Group, Pharrell Williams, W.M. Jordan Company, Bishard Development and Priority Title/H2O Investments, according to Wavegarden.
The creation of the wave generator and the Atlantic Park was from Priority Title & Escrow Visionary Joseph LaMontagne.
“It provides greater and better waves for the Virginia Beach community; however, a downside that may exist is citizens avoiding the beach and prioritizing the wave generator,” previous junior East Coast Surfing Champion winner Skyler Smith said.
Wavegarden Cove has the ability to generate at most 1,000 waves per hour, inevitably allowing up to 40 surfers to enjoy the waves at once purely for practice and entertainment.
“The Wavegenerator Cove will be a huge benefit for the Virginia Beach Community from the constant revenue and capability for surfers to consistently surf year round,” freshman Nathaniel Pearce said.
