Pro surfers hit artificial waves in the heat of the climate crisis
Kelly Slater (left) and Bianca Valenti test the waves at Slater's surf park in California. The facility is just one of many that have opened around the world to meet the demands of surfing and a quickly changing natural world. (Sachi Cunningham/)Bianca Valenti belongs to a class of surfers that runs down monster waves, including the legendary Jaws break on Hawaii’s North Shore that sometimes delivers 60-foot swells. She’s also shredded waves around the tenth of that size at a popular surf spot in Lemoore, California, 100 miles away from the ocean.Since 2018, the Kelly Slater Wave Company (KSWC) has invited Valenti twice to test out their Surf Ranch, a 2,000-foot-long artificial basin powered by a system of hydrofoils that zip along a track to generate waves. The track replicates the infamous “barrel” breaker that curls over and nearly swallows its rider. It’s a sublime, sought-after surf experience that’s hard...