Three Stories Show Surfing's Wild Range Right Now
One week you're reading about a high-tech wave pool sprouting in the California desert, the next you're watching windsurfers send it at Cloudbreak, and then you stumble on a story about teenagers in Bangladesh fighting cultural norms just to compete at the Asian Games. Surfing contains multitudes, and this week's headlines prove it. Let's dive into the stories that caught our eye.
Desert Dreaming: Wavegarden Fires Up DSRT Surf in Coachella Valley
California just got its second Wavegarden-powered facility, and it's sitting in the Coachella Valley—about 100 miles from the actual ocean. DSRT Surf is officially open, and early reviews suggest the Spanish tech company has seriously leveled up since their short-lived Austin park a decade ago.
The numbers are wild: 1,000 waves per hour, a menu of 60-plus wave settings, and specific modes dialed for aerials, barrels, and turns. Jacob 'Zeke' Szekely, who got an early session, called it 'the best wave pool in the world,' highlighting seven waves for turns, five for barrels, and a dozen aerial ramps firing every 30 seconds. John Luff, co-founder of Beach Street Holdings, was blown away by the barrel: 'I didn't think a surf pool could have such a powerful spit... The barrel is so long that it actually gives you time to take a conscious breath in there.'
For photographers, this is a controlled studio with perfect light and repeatable peaks. For surfers, sessions reportedly start around $60 an hour—half the entry price of Palm Springs Surf Club down the road. Public booking isn't live yet, but 'late summer' is the target. Keep an eye on the DSRT Surf site for the drop.
Maui Windsurfers Rule Cloudbreak at Fiji Surf Pro
Meanwhile, 6,000 miles west, Maui's Bernd Roediger and Morgan Noireaux just put on a masterclass at the Fiji Surf Pro. Roediger took the win at Cloudbreak in 13-foot surf, claiming his third major title of the season despite a strained ACL and a month off the water. 'So many things have to go your way. It's like a blessing,' he said of the victory.
Noireaux posted the single highest wave score of the event—a 9.5—but inconsistent winds in the final left him third overall. France's Antoine Martin split them in second. The women's final saw Australia's Jane Seman reclaim her 2022 Cloudbreak crown, winning all three finals on the biggest waves. The event chewed through four windsurfing rigs and broke Australian Jaeger Stone's foot—a reminder that Cloudbreak doesn't care who you are. Get the full heat-by-heat breakdown from the Maui News.
From Cox's Bazar to the Asian Games: Bangladesh's Surf Pioneers
Perhaps the most moving story comes from the world's longest beach. In Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Mohammad Mannan, 25, and Fatima Akhter, 16, are training for surfing's debut at the Asian Games in Japan this September. Their headquarters is a weather-beaten shack on a 75-mile stretch of Bay of Bengal sand, but their ambition is massive.
Akhter faces intense stigma as a teenage girl surfing in a Muslim-majority nation. 'The moment I step onto the board, I forget everything else,' she told AFP. 'When I successfully ride a wave, I feel happy and fulfilled. The feeling is impossible to describe.' Mannan, who started selling seashell jewelry to support his family, was told by his parents to quit surfing for his studies. He refused, learning technique from YouTube videos of John John Florence. 'Surfing isn't a lucrative sport in Bangladesh now, but nobody can say it never will be,' he said. Their first trip to the Maldives was a shock—better boards, bigger waves, constant travel. 'It's impossible to understand an ocean if you've never surfed there,' Mannan noted. Read their full journey at The Daily Star.
Why These Stories Matter to Us
Three different corners of the surf world, one shared obsession. A desert pool making perfect barrels accessible. Pros pushing the absolute limit at one of Earth's heaviest reefs. And two kids on a Bangladeshi beach dreaming of an Asian Games medal. Whether you're a photographer scouting the next shoot location, a surfer chasing the best tech or the rawest adventure, or just someone who loves the culture—these are the threads weaving our sport forward. Which story resonates most with you? Drop a comment below.
