Wave House

The Wave House is the work of Tom Lochtefeld. He wanted to make surfing a year-round sport all over the world and take the sport of surfing from the ocean to a controlled, indoor environment. Wave machines have been popular since the early 20th century, but traditional wave machines were not rider friendly when it came to surfing. While swimming and playing in the surf was fun and kept the sand out of your swimsuit, the wave pools were mild compared to the currents surfers were used to catching. Lochtefeld created sheet waves with multiple, high-energy pumps, which created a better simulation of an ocean wave. The waves at Water House flow between 20 and 30 miles per hour and use as much as 100,000 gallons of water per minute. Wave experiences can be entry level or extreme and riders can choose the FlowRider pool or the FlowBarrel waves, the latter offering a more challenging wave. There are already four Wave House locations around the world and more than 100 FlowRider wave machines across the globe. In addition to offering a great location for controlled, indoor surfing, Wave House hoses a variety of musical acts and special events. It was even featured on MTV's former show, Total Request Live.