World-first inland surfing venue in Bristol marks five years

The Wave, an inland surfing facility in Bristol, celebrates its fifth anniversary this year, having braved the pandemic and come out on top.

Loyal and first-time visitors alike will gather this Friday to mark the occasion with food, drink, music – and, of course, surfing.

They’ll be joined by founder Nick Hounsfield and team, who launched The Wave just three months before Covid swept the country.

Hear more about The Wave from CEO Hazel Geary in our September issue

“It was a huge journey to achieve planning permission, secure funding and build The Wave,” Nick recalled.

“Opening in 2019 felt momentous – however, it really was just the beginning.

“Opening into a pandemic that no one could have predicted kicked off five years of what’s been a rollercoaster ride in many ways.

“Looking back, we’ve faced some huge challenges.”

Among them were rising energy costs, the ongoing impact of Brexit and even a rare algal bloom.

“However, all of this is countered by some huge achievements, such as gaining B Corp status, building a solar array to produce all our own energy, welcoming over 400,000 people through our doors and running some lifechanging activities via our Impact Programme.

“We set out to be a triple bottom line business that balances its impact on people and planet, alongside profit.

“This is not an easy task, but we’re constantly learning and improving. I look forward to seeing where the next five years takes us!” 

 One of The Wave’s regular surfers is Phil Williams.

He added: “I’ve been lucky enough to be part of The Wave’s story long before work started to build this amazing facility.

“I often wondered if somewhere with so many visitors could create a sense of community – but in the last five years it’s done just that.

“So many different communities have grown and developed in this amazing blue space.

“It’s a place I absolutely love – and the waves aren't bad either!

“These five years seem to have gone so quickly, and I’m very much looking forward to the next chapter.”