Who says you can’t surf in the middle of a dusty plain?
In 2015, Doug Coors (of that beer family) invested in a parcel of land 10 minutes east of Austin’s Bergstrom airport with a mission to create prime surfing in a contained environment year-round.
Just over a year later, Nland Surf Park opened to the public.
The park is one part water fantasyland and one part training school with three different wave options – something for every level of surfer.
The “Reef” is a high-performance wave for high-caliber surfers with a 35-second run rate to match. “Inside” is a medium-level option for those with a bit of experience and want to tackle waves with their friends. They also have a “Bay,” which yields easy waves for first-time surfers. Every option comes with a board rental too.
Education is a big piece of the complex. The Nland Training Center hosts a variety of world-class coaches to help improve your game on the waves whether you’re a seasoned veteran or don’t know a “pop-up” from an A-Frame.”
The world-class dynamics extend to their environmental impact too. In a dry landscape like Austin, the park was built to maximize water savings, capturing enough rainwater to be completely self-sustaining. It captures water in a state-of-the-art treatment system that uses two types of filtration, ozone and chlorine. According to the park, it meets or exceeds a variety of international quality standards.
They add that their lagoon system has collected more than 11 million gallons of rainwater so far.
The park was closed for the winter, but will open very soon for spring and summer (no solid date yet as it is dependent on the weather). For more information you visit their site to get pricing and hours information.