Bobby Martinez took on the new Wavegarden Lab, and it’s safe to say he loved it. Photos: YouTube//Screenshot
Even though Bobby Martinez left the tour many years ago, his surfing and his generally Bobby Martinez-ness has kept him top of mind. He’s a living legend who quit the tour on his own terms. He surfs for himself. And recently, he and his family headed to the upgraded Wavegarden Lab.
You might be aware of the Lab, but if you’re not, here’s a quick refresher.
“Located in the Basque Country, the original Wavegarden Cove prototype has recently been transformed and extended to provide an increased variety of waves and new design features to ensure thorough testing of the upgraded technology before commercial use,” Wavegarden explained in a release. “The full-sized prototype had been pivotal in modeling the leading wave generation technology that makes waves successfully at eight commercial facilities worldwide. However, its small footprint had placed limits on research and development. Until now.”
The existing demo center was redesigned and rebuilt by lengthening the wave generator in order to produce longer rides on bigger waves. They also improved both the take off and the end sections and threw a seven-second barrel in the middle for good measure.
Bobby, a guy who can surf well in just about any conditions, had his way with the place. And it looks as though his kids are following in his footsteps.
