Paul Chutter, President and Co-Founder of Endless Surf & President of WhiteWater, on the evolving landscape of waterpark construction
Endless Surf, developed by WhiteWater, is a cutting-edge artificial wave technology crafted to deliver customizable, high-quality waves for surf parks. It aims to provide a genuine surfing experience for all skill levels, with adjustable waves that cater to beginners, advanced surfers, and professional competitions. Endless Surf is not just about the waves; it’s about the environment, too. It integrates state-of-the-art technology with a strong focus on sustainability, ensuring eco-friendly and efficient operations. This innovation brings the excitement of ocean waves to any location globally, making surfing accessible regardless of geographic constraints.
What was the inspiration behind Endless Surf, and what are your long-term goals for the company?
Creating Endless Surf was a natural step for WhiteWater. Over the decades, we’ve built hundreds of pneumatic wave pools worldwide, many still in use today. While these weren’t initially designed for surfing, some became early ‘surf pools’ offering surf sessions. As surfing gains popularity as a sport and lifestyle, we leveraged our proven technology to innovate Endless Surf. From the beginning, our goal was to shape this growing industry by providing flexible, authentic surf lagoons that enable developers to create world-class surf destinations.
How does Endless Surf leverage technology to enhance the surfing experience compared to other surf parks?
Endless Surf’s operational flexibility and wave customization elevate the experience for operators and surfers. By controlling and programming each pneumatic caisson along the lagoon’s back wall, we can tailor different wave types and settings, ensuring ideal conditions for any skill level and surf style. The lagoon offers stunning views from every angle, allowing even non-surfers to enjoy the waves and feel part of the action.
Moreover, Endless Surf extends the surf experience beyond the water. Our non-industrial, low-profile machinery and the lagoon’s organic shape give developers 360 degrees of waterfront real estate to create an authentic beach, boardwalk, and ‘surf town’ experience.
Can you share some sustainable practices and technologies Endless Surf is implementing?
Endless Surf was designed to minimize impact on both construction and ongoing operations. Its compact footprint reduces the need for extensive excavation, concrete, soil sealing, and water volume. Through our exclusive partnership with Myrtha Pools, we offer a stainless-steel alternative to concrete, providing a more durable and sustainable solution that significantly reduces the carbon footprint. Water conservation is another critical sustainability aspect. Since all of Endless Surf’s machinery is located outside the water, we’ve eliminated the need to drain the pool for maintenance. Additionally, Endless Surf’s operational flexibility allows for optimized energy consumption by tailoring waves to match capacity, ensuring no waves or energy are wasted, regardless of whether it’s a busy Saturday or a quiet Tuesday.
How important are partnerships in your business model, and can you share any notable collaborations that have significantly impacted Endless Surf?
Partnerships are crucial to our business model, enhancing our product and providing critical solutions to developer challenges. Recently, we announced a new partnership with Surfline, the world’s leading surf forecasting and AI-based surf cam technology. Their ‘re-live’ camera capture is launching in surf parks, allowing Endless Surf venues to offer customers photo and video packages with their sessions.
Surfline’s vast audience of millions of surfers worldwide also provides incredible marketing benefits, helping participating venues attract new guests and drive bookings. Our exclusive partnership with Myrtha Pools also stands out by offering a durable stainless-steel alternative to concrete for lagoon construction. This solution addresses common issues caused by ongoing wave action, ensuring a more long-lasting basin with a luxurious finish.
What have been some of the biggest challenges in developing Endless Surf, and how have you overcome them?
Thanks to our proven pneumatic technology, we’ve had faith in our product from the start. However, waiting for our first pool to pump waves was a challenge. With waves at O2 SURFTOWN MUC and the venue opening this summer, we can finally prove Endless Surf’s potential—and it’s just the beginning. This emerging industry has hurdles, especially with the evolving development process. However, our long history in attractions has equipped us to help clients navigate construction and project development challenges.
How has your WhiteWater experience influenced your innovation approach at Endless Surf?
With decades of experience delivering for renowned brands, we’ve gained valuable insights into the attractions and entertainment space, influencing our innovation at Endless Surf. Our extensive experience with large greenfield projects at WhiteWater has equipped us to guide new surf developers through the complexities of large-scale construction. We’ve witnessed industry trends fluctuate, and we confidently believe the rise in Surf is here to stay. Learning from our clients’ challenges in building and operating parks has allowed us to design our product to offer the best surf experience outside the ocean while solving clients’ problems effectively.
Can you discuss some of the most challenging and rewarding construction aspects at WhiteWater that have been undertaken recently?
We thrive on challenges that showcase our problem-solving skills and bring our clients’ ambitions to life. Whether it’s record-breaking projects like the 85-meter Icon Tower at Meryal in Qatar or the upcoming “M100 Waterpark” in Taizhou, China, at 100 meters, every aquatic attraction we build is rewarding. While high-thrill attractions grab headlines, creating memorable experiences for families with young children through gentle slides and play structures is equally fulfilling.
Take the Icon Tower, for instance. It features 3.7 kilometres of unique slide paths, including a 20-ton Abyss funnel slide suspended 40 meters above the ground. We use precise 3D modelling to account for the mass, weight, and wind load from the Arabian Gulf.
We’ve also tackled topographical challenges, like Water World Ocean Park in Hong Kong, which is built on hilly terrain facing the sea. We strategically placed four slide complexes with minimal environmental disturbance and accounted for typhoons and heavy rain drainage.
What are your thoughts on the future of water parks, and how is WhiteWater adapting to changing consumer demands and technological advancements?
With technology integral to our lives, convenience is a necessity. WhiteWater’s SaaS arm, Vantage, integrates various park software to provide a seamless, personalized guest experience. From one platform, guests can access ticketing, virtual queuing, park info, lockers, special offers, and more. Vantage also provides valuable data for park managers to optimize operations and customize guest experiences.
We’re also seeing hybrid venues that offer different activities day and night for diverse demographics. Retailtainment is creating new opportunities, and our range of products, mainly stationary Surf, supports venues like shopping malls and sports bars.
Consumers now demand responsible water and energy use. WhiteWater is integrating sustainability into every aspect of our operations. We’re working towards ISO 14001 certification, designing less energy and water products. As an industry, there’s still much to do regarding sustainability, but WhiteWater is leading the way in changing business practices.