It’s built. Will they come? Photo: WSL
Professional surfing has the onerous task of generating event revenue without the aid of ticket sales. The NHL, for example, gets a whopping 44 percent of its revenue from fans paying to watch events. However, now that wave pools have become a fixture on the professional world tour, the WSL’s one opportunity this year to charge for the right to view an event is coming at the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro.
Tickets were released for purchase today to attend the first-ever Championship Tour event at the new Kelly Slater pool in the United Arab Emirates, February 14-16. Given how much it costs to surf the wave, the prices are actually reasonable.
A surf session at the pool costs the equivalent of nearly USD $950. But prices to attend the event’s opening day start at $16 and kids under 12 enter free. For a more luxurious experience, you can purchase “hospitality access” for $163. The increased access perks listed on the Ticketmaster page include a prime viewing area, premium dining, access to entertainment, and snacks and beverages (which they highlight includes alcohol, given it can be tricky to obtain in the UAE).
The prices for day two and finals day increase a bit; the general admission costs $27 while the hospitality access costs $217.
For context, 2023 tickets for the CT events at Slater’s California Surf Ranch started at $39 for adults and $19.50 for kids – a reduction from the $199 per person charged when the event debuted in 2018.
For fans not located in the Middle East, the ticket prices are a moot point when compared to the high costs of flying to and staying in the UAE, but for the locals who want to check out the first-ever CT event in the region, the price point seems accessible.
