--Still not open yet!! December 2007--
And you thought Orlando didn't need another attraction.
But the family vacation capital of the world is by no means done piling on the fun; and now it has the world's first wave pool dedicated to surfing and bodyboarding.
"Ron Jon" is a legendary name in surf shops, with flagship stores in Long Beach Island, NJ and Cocoa Beach FL, plus other locations big and small. Now the company's launched the Ron Jon Surf Park, opening at the Festival Bay Mall on International Drive in Orlando; opening date has been pushed back until mid-2008.
A day at the Surf Park offers family fun and perfect conditions for beginner-surfers: as anyone who's ever tried to stand up on a surfboard knows all too well, Mother Nature can be pretty fickle in sending those waves. The wind changes, the tide changes, and newbies are outta luck. Surfing is growing hugely in popularity -- participation rates have been increasing 20% a year-- and now Orlando offers an easy way to start.
The Surf Pools
Three surf pools offer different levels of waves for surfing and bodyboarding. At center stage is the Pro Surf Pool: big as a football field, waves up to 8 feet high, and a ride that lasts 60 to 100 yards.
The Training Surf Pool, for beginners and novice surfers or bodyboarders, has 3 to 4 foot waves, and rides from 30 to 35 yards long. And the Body Boarding Pool has 3-foot waves and rides 20 to 30 yards long.
Other features
Also at Ron Jon Surf Park:
photo courtesy of Ron Jon Surf Park.
