A Kelly Slater affiliated Austin, Texas wave pool development appears to have hit a snag recently as seven contractors have filed $4.6 million in liens against the project, according to a story in The Austin American Statesman.
Publicly available filings indicate seven companies claim they were not paid for work completed in late 2025 and early 2026. . . That work includes water treatment, plumbing and control systems, HVAC systems, aquatic filtration materials and equipment, engineering, concrete, sand and rock, among other items. . . The claims come as the project’s ownership group, Austin Surf Club Venture LP, confirmed to the American-Statesman that construction work is pausing for now.
The project is a redevelopment of a previous wave pool failure, NLand Surf Park which closed in 2016 due to reported regulatory issues. The new development was said to feature muli-million dollar homes around the wave and has reportedly attracted purchases from Tony Hawk, Drew Brees, and Matthew McConaughey.
Is living by the actual ocean so hard? We never will understand much of the whole wave pool business model, but stay tuned as we continue to stumble along.
If you were planning on a peaceful morning session at Cardiff Reef, California this week, you just might be sharing the lineup with a 15-foot Great White, according to a story on NBC San Diego.
Monday morning delivered a lovely surprise to the Encinitas coast: a 40-foot fin whale carcass floating just 400 yards off San Elijo State Beach. Naturally, because nothing says “beach day” like a bloated, decomposing mammal, local lifeguards were tasked with the glamorous job of towing the “bus-sized” snack further out to sea.
The real star of the show wasn’t the whale—it was the massive Great White shark that decided to turn the towing operation into a slow-speed chase. Witnesses caught the shark casually following its floating charcuterie board as it was dragged away from the surf zone.
Encinitas officials have issued a shark advisory from Swami’s to Cardiff, essentially telling everyone that while the beach isn’t closed, you might want to consider that the water currently tastes like whale soup to every predator in the Pacific. So, by all means, paddle out. Just know that if you look like a side dish, that’s on you.
[Editors’ Note: This post was written by Google’s Gemini. We are doomed. Top photo by Craig Callender, Ph.D.]
After a ridiculous tariff policy that he didn’t even understand, Felon 47 gets to watch as $166 billion of that money goes right back to the importers it was stolen from in the first place thanks to a new online portal from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to a story on Gizmodo.
Now, CBP said in court filings that importers paid roughly $166 billion in tariffs under Trump’s unconstitutional policy. . . The agency says it will process refunds in phases, according to its website. The first round will focus on tariffs that have been paid but not yet finalized because they’re still under federal review, as well as some that are within 80 days of finalization. Later phases will handle older, fully finalized tariffs.
There are so many business owners who voted for the clown. Hopefully, after this they’ll at least think about it before making more bad decisions in the future.
The OC’s favorite surf writer Layland Connelly has the scoop on the latest from the USA Surfing’s battle to administer surfing in the LA Olympics. Yes, USA Surfing is the official national governing body (or NGB as they say) for surfing now, according to the OC Register.
“Surfing is a sport that has deep roots in Southern California, and will no doubt be a highlight of the LA28 games,” Gene Sykes, USOPC chair, said Wednesday during the board meeting briefing. “The obligation of the NGB is significant, and the process by which we determine capabilities in the long and short term is one we take very seriously. USA Surfing’s new leadership and new approach has made this moment possible.”
It really shouldn’t be this difficult, but it’s the Olympics so it is. For all the details, click the link.
Having told Paul Naude no at least once in our past we can say that it didn’t turn out well for us. Obviously, Rip Curl owner KMD Brands has not yet had this experience and they are about to see how it goes now that they’ve turned down Stokehouse’s offer to buy Rip Curl, according to a story on SGB Media.
“This proposed ownership structure is misaligned with the earnings delivered by the Stokehouse and Rip Curl businesses, given Stokehouse’s immaterial contribution to combined EBITDA and would unfairly dilute KMD Brands shareholders,” the Group said in the Monday media release. “In addition, Mr. Naude, the current CEO of Stokehouse, would be Chief Executive of the combined business, and he would lead the business from California.”
Personally, we’d love to see Mr. Naude in charge of Rip Curl in California. But, in the near term it looks like that is not going to happen. Follow the jump for the full release.
Surf appears to be taking another turn on the catwalk as Louie Vuitton creative director Pharrell decides it’s time to head back to the beach, according to a story on Luxury Launches.
After nailing the luxury segment for luggage, handbags, apparel, and accessories, Louis Vuitton is now giving the world a teaser of surf gear. There is no official launch or over-the-top declaration yet, but the 150-year-old maison may already be the reason your surf fins suddenly look sassy. The glorification of the surf kit continues with a wetsuit that features LV embroidery.
Two words come to mind in no particular order: shark and jump. Then again, that Louie fin would be fire on the Catch Surf. . . .
Matt George, a guy who some will remember as an Action Now cover model with his brother Sam, is reportedly in the works to create a surf film (Bali Hai) financed in part by Blink 182’s Tom DeLonge, according to story on Deadline.
Set to shoot in Bali in Q4 2026, the film follows two estranged brothers who travel to Bali for an international surf competition, confronting long-buried wounds while immersed in one of the world’s most iconic surf destinations.
You may remember Matt from his previous surf film In God’s Hands. We’ll watch anything surf related, but it seems the whole “surf competition” thing has been done, redone, and undone. For all the details, please click the link.
Grok, the AI agent created by one of Elon Musk’s companies has been getting a lot of heat lately for creating inappropriate images. Women have complained their likenesses are being used to create explicit images that they did not consent to. Turns out, Grok can do the work of the Lord as well.
The above photo is a great example of how Grok can take images from the Roxy site (that some might find in objectionable) and, without permission from the models, transform them into quality images perfect for viewing in even the most conservative enclaves of America.
The photo on the left is the original. The photo on the right is a more proper version of young women in appropriate dress having a joyful celebration on the beach, all thanks to Grok.
Having told Paul Naude no at least once in our past we can say that it didn’t turn out well for us. Obviously, Rip Curl owner 
Matt George, a guy who some will remember as an Action Now cover model with his brother Sam, is reportedly in the works to create a surf film (Bali Hai) financed in part by Blink 182’s Tom DeLonge, according to story on 
