[top photo: The Wave House in Durban, South Africa.]
By Cara Van Miriah
From October, you'll no longer have to fly to Bali or Brisbane to ride the waves. Wave House Sentosa will bring the waves to you. It is a $15-million beachside attraction to open in Siloso Beach on Sentosa.
The sprawling 7,650 sq m surfers' paradise will boast three enormous pools with artificial waves. The 3m-high FlowBarrel produces barrelling waves in a single pool and is suited to seasoned surfers. For novices, The FlowRider has two pools with a sloping gradient and produces gentler waves.
The attraction is part of the Wave House franchise founded by American Tom Lochtefeld. He opened the first Wave House in San Diego, California, in 2005, which was followed by others in Santiago in Chile and Durban in South Africa. The latest venue is the first Wave House to open in Asia.
Set amid a lush tropical landscape, it will incorporate a three-storey complex housing a rooftop bar, a lounge that overlooks the FlowBarrel pool and a chic Mexican-Californian restaurant. There are also two cocktail bars and a Billabong surf shop.
Wave House Sentosa is one of the newest attractions to sprout up along the 1.5km Siloso Beach ahead of the opening of Resorts World Sentosa integrated resort early next year.
Mr Lochtefeld, 56, who is also co-founder of three Raging Waters theme parks in the United States, tells Life! in a phone interview from Dubai that this wave pool concept is different from a water theme park.
"What we have is a skill-based attraction where visitors bring their expertise to the water sport so it keeps them coming back," says the avid surfer, who inked the deal to build Wave House Sentosa in 2007. "Water rides tend to be predictable and people get bored after a few visits."
The attraction, which is now 75 per cent completed, will operate seven days a week.
Despite the recession, he believes it will be an instant hit and hopes to draw a million visitors annually. The father of two boys, aged 21 and 16, explains that while the economy in the US is in the doldrums, Wave House in San Diego saw a 15 per cent hike in revenue in the last few months compared to the same period last year.
"Generally, people perceive the beach as low- cost entertainment," he says.
While Wave House Sentosa's bars and restaurants are open to the public, admission to the wave pools will be ticketed and prices are still being worked out. In San Diego, it costs US$20 (S$30.15) for an hour's experience in The Double FlowRider, and US$40 in The FlowBarrel.
As a safety requirement, all riders have to be at least 1.06m tall. About 20 certified local instructors will facilitate the rides at both wave pools.
Participants in groups of 10 will each have a personal instructor to guide them. But only one person can ride the waves at a time.
Mr Lochtefeld, who has been surfing for 45 years, says: "The Wave House is not just about surfing. It's about experiencing the beach and surf culture. Ten per cent of visitors are there just to check it out."
The venues are also known for beach parties featuring big-name guest performers such as American pop singer Pink, British singer James Blunt and Dutch DJ Tiesto.
Local beachgoer Desmond Chong, 24, a sales executive, is looking forward to the attraction.
The novice surfer enthuses: "This is a good opportunity to hone my surfing skills. Besides the beach parties, it also sounds like a cool place to people-watch."
