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Photo: La Vague
Photo: La Vague
Photo: La Vague
La Vague Grand Paris
The Greater Paris WaveAverage Reviews
Description
La Vague Grand Paris is a large boardsports park that will include two wave pools when it opens in the summer of 2023.
In a suburb of Paris called Sevran, Baptiste Caulonque, the creative mind behind the project, has plans to bring surfing an other boardsports together in a large park. Concept images show a large outdoor Wavegarden Cove wave pool. But according to Baptiste, American Wave Machines PerfectSwell® technology is also on the table. The tech plan for the indoor wave pool is unclear, but there are indications that it will use standing wave technology like Citywave.
Wave Size and Shape
The La Vague Grand Paris wave pool will produce waves of various sizes and shapes, suitable to beginners, professionals and everyone in between. Not much is known about the waves produced by the indoor pool. But, images from La Vague Grand Paris indicate it will be a softer, rolling, standing wave.
Baptiste and his team are planning to start construction before June 2020. The team hopes to open La Vague Grand Paris to the public in the Summer of 2023 if everything goes according to plan.
The indoor pool will be open all year, while the outdoor pool will close during the colder months. The La Vague Grand Paris team expects 150,000 surfing guests out of a total of 500,000 visitors per year.
La Vague Grand Paris will cover 15 hectares (37 acres). In addition to the wave pools, the plan includes a 100-room hotel, skate park, climbing facility, music venue, retail, restaurant space and more. Some of the facilities will be free to the public, such as the skate park and basketball courts. The wave pools and others will require an admission fee.
The La Vague Grand Paris project has sponsorship and support from the French government who hope that the project will inject economic and social strength to the Sevran community. Sevran and the “93” area is famous for producing great athletes, including half of the French national soccer team in 2019. Supporters hope the project will produce some talented surfers as well. La Vague Grand Paris also has the support of the French Surfing Federation and the facility will host a local surf club.
La Vague Grand Paris (“The Greater Paris Wave”) is just one component of a new neighborhood in Sevran called Terre D’eaux (“Water Land”).
History
The idea for a wave pool in Sevran was first circulated in 2016. A real estate development company named Linkcity proposed a plan for La Vague Grand Paris to Sevran City Hall. With a huge youth population and a history of athletes in Sevran, Linkcity thought a board sports park was the best strategy.
In 2107 Linkcity brought in Baptiste Caulonque who has years of surf industry experience. Together, they built the whole La Vague Grand Paris program. They presented the program to Sevran City Hall and won the project. The main reason for winning, according to Baptiste, is the various sports it will make available to the public and local schools. The innovative plan to use rainwater to fill the pools was also a key factor in the win.
In March 2019, Sevran submitted a bid to host Olympic Surfing in the 2024 game. However, in June 2019, Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet made it clear that a wave pool would not host the the event. “We will not be using an artificial wave for the surfing event.” Said Estanguet.
Sources: Inertia, La Vague Grand Paris/Terre d’Eaux
