In a historic turn of events at the Siheung Korea Open, the biggest surfing competition in South Korea’s history, Japanese surfers dominated across four divisions in the World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) 3,000 and Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) 1,000 events. The competition took place at Wave Park, Siheung’s Wavegarden Cove, marking the third WSL event held in a surf park powered by Wavegarden. The unique aspect of this event was the presence of snowfall and 2-degree Celsius temperatures, creating an extraordinary backdrop for the contest.
In the Women’s QS 3000 Final, the Olympic Bronze Medalist Amuro Tsuzuki showcased raw power, securing her victory against Minami Nonaka. Tsuzuki’s aggressive backhand turns earned her a near-perfect 9.5, the highest single wave score of the event. The Men’s QS 3000 Final witnessed a thrilling battle between Keijiro Nishi and Kyan Yang, with Nishi claiming the highest heat total of the event and securing his second QS victory, a significant milestone in his career.
The Longboard Qualifying Series witnessed Natsumi Taoka’s continued dominance, winning her third LQS in a row. Kai Hamase celebrated his first victory in the Men’s LQS, showcasing precise and clean surfing.
Remote Programming from Basque Country Improves Wave Park´s Waves Prior to Contest
In a unique collaboration, the Aventuur team, led by Australian surf veterans Ace Buchan, Glenn “Micro” Hall, and Amercian pro surfer Conner Coffin played a pivotal role in programming the waves for South Korea’s first WSL Qualifying Series events at Wave Park. Just days before the contest, the team’s strike mission to the largest Wavegarden Cove in the world marked a unique experience as they worked tirelessly to develop and refine new competition wave settings. This remote collaboration with the Wavegarden Fluid Dynamics Department proved crucial, ensuring the perfect waves that would be available for an unprecedented event in South Korea.
Josema Odriozola, Wavegarden CEO and Co-Founder, commended the expertise of the trio – Ace, Conner, and Glenn – in refining the contest waves. “The feedback from these surfers helped our fluid dynamics staff in Spain enormously. They learnt the process very quickly, surfing each wave and providing concise info for our team the enact improvements to the waves,” explained Odriozola.
Ace Buchan, reflecting on the trip, talked about his personal experience. “We spent a lot of time in the pool, so I was pretty exhausted at the end of it,” said Buchan, former WSL pro surfer. “The waves were really fun, I especially liked the new Turn and Barrel settings. And, working with the Wavegarden was an interesting experience – I never imagined that in my lifetime that I would assist in programming perfect waves.”
Recognized as one of the world´s top professional trainers, Glenn “Micro” Hall was overwhelmed with the experience of testing the waves and reporting feedback to the team in the Basque Country. “It is nothing short of mind blowing that we can imagine a wave and actually have Wavegarden create it.”
Conner Coffin, thrilled by his first-time experience at a Wavegarden wave pool, expressed his excitement about the growing surf culture in South Korea, having met many new surfers during his trip. “I’m so intrigued by the way surfing permeates cultures around the world and love to connect with new people”
The importance of Wavegarden technology in the success of the event cannot be overstated. It not only ensures optimal surfing conditions, thus securing the event’s economic viability and efficient use of time and resources by eliminating reliance on external factors like the unpredictability of the sea, but it also plays a crucial role in fostering a surf culture in Korea. This enduring impact goes beyond the competition, representing a significant stride in establishing and nurturing a lively surf community in the region.
