BSR Surf Resort

The BSR Surf Resort wave pool creates waves with the PerfectSwell technology from American Waves Machines, which uses compressed air. Twenty four chambers, each 10′ wide, run 240 feet along the side of the pool and fire sequentially to generate the waves. The 40 wave variations come from controlling if, when and how each of the chambers ‘fire’. Operators use an iPad application to conveniently control everything.

On-Site Experience and Tips

First, book BSR Surf Resort wave pool sessions online. Then, before you go, complete the online waiver. This will save you time when you get there and give you more time to watch the waves before you ride them.

If you sign the waiver online, get there at least 30 minutes before your session. If not, get there an hour before your session.

You’ll want to pack for a beach trip (sun screen, towel, etc.). The water temperatures vary throughout the year, so in summer you can get by in boardshorts but in the spring and fall you may need a spring suite or 3/2 full suit. If you are riding the advanced wave, bring a board that you would use in 4-5′ punchy beach break.

Upon arrival, check in with the pro shop at the main building and get a wristband, which gives you beach access all day. The pro shop offers board rentals for $35 per hour, but it’s a fairly limited selection so if you care, bring your own. The main building also has a nice indoor area to hang out.

Outside the main building they have a grill and tables set up for food. You can BYO food and drinks. A second floor provides an elevated perspective of the wave that you don’t normally see on Instagram or in videos.

Running along the water are covered cabanas with cushioned seating and tanning chairs for the non-surfers. Pack for a day at the beach. Spectators are allowed to hang out and watch with the purchase of a $20 beach pass.

The operator will call you on the PA system about 10 minutes before your session.

During your advanced or intermediate session, you’ll be grouped into teams of 3. The teams get assigned the sets as they are produced in the pool.

Wind tip: for the best rights, you want wind out of the north west. For the best lefts, look for south wind.

There are numbers running along the side of the pool. When its your turn, position yourself at the number 5 (for the left and the right). You’ll want to take off between the 5 and 6.

In an advanced session, the three waves in a set differ:

• Wave 1 starts furthest from to the wall and grows into a barrel and vertical wall for turns.
• Wave 2 starts closer to the wall and opens up a barrel a little quicker than wave 1, so you can set up a barrel-turn-barrel combo if you are quick enough. Some of the second waves barrel all the way through.
• Wave 3 also starts closer to the wall. It’s faster and and has the best ramp at the end for airs. It also offers a barrel if you’re fast enough.

There is always a surfer from BSR in the lineup to help you and provide tips.

A warning from the PA system will let you know when you have 15 minutes left in your session.

Safety tip: don’t fall head first. Most of the time you are going to be fall in water that is waist deep or shallower.

If you get hungry or thirsty, the BSR Bar and Grill on site will take care of you. BSR is also open to outside food and beverages, but no glass beverage containers.

For those who want to take a few days to surf the pool, there are well appointed cabins right on top of the pool available for overnight stays. Their standard 1-bedroom cabins cost between $300 and $350 per night. Their VIP cabin, which has 2 bedrooms, is $1500 a night. And of course, you can enjoy the 3,600-foot long lazy river, a 120-foot tall water slide and America’s number one cable wakeboarding park when you tire of surfing.

History

Stuart Parsons, owner of the BSR Cable Park and Surf Resort, started in planning and design in 2010. After due diligence, Stuart and his team hired American Wave Machines to supply their PerfectSwell technology. They also brought in consultants from the surfing world to help create a great, authentic surfing experience, including Cheyne Magnussen and Jamie O’Brien.

Cheyne Magnussen and Jamie O’Brien turned a lot of heads (and ruffled some feathers) when they dropped the first real public clip of the BSR Surf Resort on May 5, 2018… right in the middle of the WSL Founders Cup at the WSL Surf Ranch.

Since opening in June 2018, the BSR Surf Resort has hosted numerous video shoots and contests like the fun and innovative Stab High contest. The’ve also been selected as the training pool for the surf team selected for the 2020 olympics. Their success is largely due to what Cheyne Magnusson did as the surf architect while at BSR Surf Resort. He kept the experience and image authentic and created a huge variety of waves that were a platform for innovative surfing.

In September 2018, tragedy struck when Fabrizio Stabile, a 29-year-old surfer from New Jersey died from infection by Naegleria fowleri bacteria, also known as the “brain-eating amoeba”. He died shortly after surfing the BSR Surf Resort, so the resort voluntarily shut down the wave pool while the CDC inspected the water. The CDC did not find the amoeba in the wave pool, but they concluded that Fabrizio was likely exposed to it while he was at the facility.

In April 2019, Fabrizio’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the resort seeking more than $1 million in damages.

The BSR Surf Resort installed a new $2 million water filtration system after the tragic incident. The Texas Depart of State Health Services and Waco-McLennan County Public Health District approved the new system. According to Stuart Parsons, owner of BSR Surf Resort, “it’s drinking-quality here.”

The resort also made some improvements to the wave generation technology during the down time over the winter of 2018-2019.

They reopened on March 22, 2019 with the Brian Fillmore skillfully manning the wave shaping controls.

Sources: BSR Surf Resort, Wavepoolmag, Surfer, Stabmag