VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Camden Hoover, a 17-year-old from Virginia Beach, has been in over 150 surf competitions since she was 5.
“My dad taught me how to surf. He had me surfing before I could swim. I had a little life jacket on and he'd just pick me up and plop me right back on the board,” said Hoover.
To Camden, surfing is not just a hobby. It's a way of life.
“You’re flying down the wave and there's water. It's a magical feeling. It's hard to describe it.” said the surfer.
Watch previous coverage: Wave machine in construction for Virginia Beach's Atlantic Park project
So when talk of a wave park at the Oceanfront surfaced, Camden and other surfers, young and old, were excited.
The surf park is Beach native Joe LaMontagne’s baby. He got the idea from surfing at other surf lagoons. He felt like Virginia Beach, with its small and unreliable waves, needed a place like this.
“To have a place where you can train, surf waves on demand, is going to be very important to aspiring surfers in our area, people who want to go professional one day,” said LaMontagne.
Watch related coverage: Virginia Beach officials say Oceanfront music hall 'The Dome' will be 'iconic'
The 2.6-acre wave lagoon is part of the Atlantic Park project, a $350 million entertainment venue backed by singer and Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams.
“It's very gratifying to see this passion come to life. This was always for my kids and all the kids that are aspiring surfers that want to grow up surfing,” said LaMontagne.
Kellam High grad and lifelong surfer Alec Yuzhbabenko is the lead architect on the Atlantic Park project. He says the wave park is for surfers and non-surfers alike.
“It's actually one of a kind in North America. It's the first of its kind in an urban environment capitalizing on the surf culture that's already here,” said Yuzhbabenko.
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He went on to say, "There’s a warming pool on the side, loungers, beach chairs. You can rent a cabana for the day and even if you’re not surfing, you can partake throughout this experience."
Set to open in spring of 2025, the wave lagoon will be operated by Beach Street USA.
“We’ll actually have seven different wave levels, from beginner up to a pro-level session,” said Blake Hess of Beach Street USA.
“It’s the best thing in the world. You can try something over and over until you get it right. You might not get that opportunity on a wave in the ocean because it's never the same wave,” said Hoover.
Made by locals for locals, the Atlantic Park Wavegarden is totally gnarly and positively Hampton Roads.
