Billionaires certainly do love the idea of wave pools even if very few of them have shown the ability to turn much of a profit. A new pool may be going into livable, lovable El Segundo, California if Toba Capital gets their way, according to a story on Costar.com.
A company tied to billionaire Vinny Smith’s Toba Capital has spent $54 million for a 9-acre slice of the former Raytheon Technologies Campus at 100 Nash in the city adjacent to Los Angeles, according to CoStar data. . . The firm is expected to build a surf park, a type of mixed-use real estate that is gaining traction across the globe with improvements in artificial wave technology and consumer demand for experiences in the wake of the pandemic.
You may remember Mr. Smith from his first pool venture, the Palm Springs Surf Club. Again, if a billionaire just wants to throw a couple ten millions around and get not much in return, we know of a great website they could buy. It’s surf adjacent, has a small, dedicated following, and could make those millions disappear in a myriad of fun ways.
It’s official. Kelly Slater has topped Hulk Hogan, Buzz Aldrin, and model Kate Upton as the favorite celebrity of Brevard County Florida according to the readers of Florida Today.
A one-time underwear model for Versace, Slater has graced the cover of many magazines and was once named one of the “100 Most Beautiful People in the World” by People magazine. He’s also appeared in several commercials and TV shows including “Baywatch.”
Congrats, Kelly. Your home town still loves you more than they love that Gawker killer Hulk Hogan. . . RIP.
Neftalie Williams, the director of the Center for Skateboarding, Actions Sports, and Social Change, will moderate the discussions with Steve Van Doren & skateboarder Bryce Wettstein as part of a four-day celebration of action sports and culture at San Diego State University October 9-12, 2025.
“We are thrilled to welcome Steve Van Doren and explore the incredible legacy of Vans across skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, music, and virtually every facet of youth culture,” said Williams. “His insights will help students understand how to build and sustain a culturally relevant business across generations. As the perfect complement Bryce Wettstein will share her journey as an Olympian, professional skateboarder, and college student — offering a powerful perspective that will inspire students and highlight the intersection of skateboarding, business, media, and culture.”
This is a year old interview with Sam McIntosh? Maybe. We’d never seen it. Came up in the feed today thanks to BeachGrit via that Derek fellow. Watch it if you want. Especially if you ever loved putting magazines together. Sam McIntosh obviously did. . . and does?
The developers of a proposed surfpark in Jacksonville, Florida have discovered that new estimates on the park’s construction costs may mean no surf park, according to a story in the Jacksonville Daily Record.
The city is seeking to offer a $4.6 million incentive for the proposed Jacksonville Surf Park after its developer, Aventuur Inc., said new cost estimates have put the overall project in jeopardy. . . . The 5.5-acre park, part of a larger, 45-acre space, is planned in the eTown development in South Jacksonville. It has an estimated capital investment of $100 million.
So nice when City government chip in on private businesses isn’t it? See, socialism works for big business all the time. Would love to get a $5 million incentive from anyone at this point. Sidenote, if you have an example of a sustainable, profitable, stand alone wave pool built anywhere, please let us know.
Ron Jon Surf Shop founder Ron DiMenna died on September 6, 2025, according to a story on Florida Today. He was 88.
“Ron was revolutionary,” said Jack A. Kirschenbaum, a retired Cocoa Beach attorney and avid surfer who was a close friend of DiMenna and last saw him in August. “He turned surfing, which was a nomadic, fringe sport practiced by kids into a mainstream retail juggernaut. He saw what no one else saw. He will be sorely missed,” said Kirschenbaum, adding that DiMenna’s grand vision appealed to hardcore surfers and tourists alike, turning the giant Cocoa Beach store into another must-see Florida destination.
Our thoughts are with the DiMenna family. For the rest of the story, please click the link.
The Black Surfers Collective (BSC), remind everyone that they remain dedicated to increasing diversity and inclusion in ocean sports through strategic partnerships and signature events designed to break down barriers and create pathways to ocean access for underrepresented communities.
For all the details on their mission and upcoming partnerships and events please follow the jump.
Dawn Patrol, the Apple Watch surf tracking app we love to hate, has ruined another feature that almost made it worth paying $28 a year for: they no longer show Surfline wave heights in their surf forecasts. Now, a check of the surf returns a dash with no info (as seen at right).
After thinking it was our fault. We deleted the app, reloaded it. Restarted our phone and watch and still got the dash on the screen. Only after checking in with Dawn Patrol support did we learn the reason.
Before we could show the wave height from Surfline forecasts. However we can no longer do this unless you connect your account with Surfline.
Yes. A feature we had paid Dawn Patrol for has been removed and the only way to get it back is to sign up for an account on Surfline.com and then link it back to Dawn Patrol. Oddly, all of Dawn Patrol’s documentation on the web and in the Apple app store says “Surfline forecasts” are included in their paid “Soul Surfer” feature set. While there is a fix, it does not appear anywhere on Dawn Patrol’s website nor in any of their documentation.
Our experience with Dawn Patrol suggests the developers have a small staff, little funding, and very few people on their team who actually use the app on a daily basis. Because of this the app has had its share of glitches, bad updates, and feature fall out. Yes, it’s hard and tech is complicated. But dropping a paid feature without telling your users about it is pretty weak sauce.
So, about 30 minutes after jumping through all their account linking hoops, the wave height again showed up on our watch. Now, with a “Powered by Surfline” logo in the lower right hand corner. Notice the wind speed that used to be on the bottom right corner? It moved to the upper left to make room for Surfline branding. Is that was this was all about? Creating more Surfline accounts and placing a logo? Looks like it.
Now, after spending three hours sorting this out, please excuse us while we go crush that monster surf that our Apple Watch (and Surfline.com) has finally alerted us to.
Kolby Aipa, 20, the grandson of legendary Hawaiian surfboard shaper Ben Aipa has died after being hit by the car that he was towing beside while on his ebike in Huntington Beach, California on Saturday, August 2, 2025, according to as story in the Los Angeles Times.
“We are completely heartbroken,” read the statement posted to Aipa Surf. “We wanted to thank all the visitors, supporters, food deliveries, donations, flowers, cards, countless stories and photos his friends have shared with us, Drs and nurses that have taken care of our sweet boy. The H.B. community and everyone around the world have touched our hearts in an unimaginable way.
Our hearts are will the entire Aipa family. If you feel moved, please contribute to Aipa’s GoFundMe. And, please, please don’t let your friends hang on to cars while riding anything. It rarely turns out well.
Dawn Patrol, the Apple Watch surf tracking app we 
Our experience with Dawn Patrol suggests the developers have a small staff, little funding, and very few people on their team who actually use the app on a daily basis. Because of this the app has had its share of glitches, bad updates, and feature fall out. Yes, it’s hard and tech is complicated. But dropping a paid feature without telling your users about it is pretty weak sauce.
