Desert Waves, Cloudbreak Glory & Bangladesh's Olympic Dream
What a week to be a wave rider. While most of us were dodging sneaker waves or hunting for parking at crowded breaks, the surf world served up a proper mixed plate: a high-tech oasis blooming in the California desert, a windsurfing masterclass at the world's scariest reef, and a crew of kids from Cox's Bazar chasing a dream bigger than any swell. Grab a coffee, pull up a sand chair, and let's dive in.
The Desert Just Got a Whole Lot Wetter
First up, California just scored its second Wavegarden facility, and it's sitting pretty in the Coachella Valley — about 100 miles from the actual ocean, which feels delightfully wrong in the best way. DSRT Surf officially fired up its engines, and the specs read like a surfer's fever dream: 1,000 waves per hour, a menu of over 60 wave types, and dedicated settings for everything from air training to proper, spit-filled barrels.
Jacob "Zeke" Szekely, who got an early taste, didn't hold back: "I never imagined I would be testing aerial waves in the middle of the desert. Wavegarden has about seven incredible waves for turns, five for barrels, and around 12 variations for aerials. It's the best wave pool in the world." Meanwhile, co-founder John Luff called the barrel "so long that it actually gives you time to take a conscious breath in there." Sessions are rumored to start around $60 an hour — a steep discount compared to the $100-plus entry at Palm Springs Surf Club down the road. No public booking link is live yet, but "late summer" is the target. You can get the full breakdown over at The Inertia.
For photographers, this is a studio session waiting to happen. Consistent light, repeatable sections, and zero crowd hassle? That's a portfolio builder right there.
Maui's Finest Go Large at Cloudbreak
Halfway across the Pacific, Cloudbreak was doing its thing — big, hollow, and unforgiving — and the Maui contingent showed up heavy. Bernd Roediger, nursing a strained ACL and a month off the water, still managed to clinch the Fiji Surf Pro title with an 18.07 final score. His take? "It's like a blessing. So many things have to go your way."
Morgan Noireaux dropped the session's highest single wave, a 9.5-point missile, but inconsistent winds left him third overall. France's Antoine Martin split them in second. On the women's side, Australia's Jane Seman ran the table, winning all three finals and reclaiming the Cloudbreak crown she first took in 2022. The carnage was real: four rigs destroyed, one broken foot (Jaeger Stone), and conditions described as the most demanding in pro windsurfing history. For the full rundown, check the Maui News report.
If you're a photographer chasing heavy-water action, Cloudbreak remains the ultimate studio — just bring your longest lens and a strong stomach.
From Cox's Bazar to the Asian Games
And then there's the story that reminds you why we fell for this sport in the first place. In Bangladesh, where cricket is religion and the beach at Cox's Bazar stretches 120 kilometers, a crew of young surfers is writing their own chapter. Mohammad Mannan, 25, and Fatima Akhter, 16, are headed to the Asian Games in Japan this September — the first time surfing's even on the program.
Fatima puts it simply: "The moment I step onto the board, I forget everything else. When I successfully ride a wave, I feel happy and fulfilled. The feeling is impossible to describe." She's pushed through intense stigma as a teenage girl surfing in a Muslim-majority nation. Mannan, who started selling seashell jewelry to help his family, refused to quit when his parents pushed him toward studies. He studies John John Florence on YouTube, dreams of better boards and bigger travel budgets, and holds onto a simple belief: "Surfing isn't a lucrative sport in Bangladesh now, but nobody can say it never will be."
It's a reminder that the stoke is universal — whether you're pulling into a desert barrel, charging Cloudbreak, or catching your first wave on a 120km beach in the Bay of Bengal. Read the full feature via The Daily Star.
Three stories, three very different corners of the surf world, all proving the same thing: the ride is everything. Which one resonates most? Drop a comment — and if you're shooting at DSRT Surf once it opens, tag us. We want to see those desert barrels.
