Hurricanes all around. Billionaire building a wave pool by the beach. The Wipeout Weekly is 200 days old.

Hurricanes go wild all around

Two active hurricanes in the Atlantic — Humberto and Imelda — stirred up hazardous surf and rip currents along the U.S. East Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. While neither storm was expected to make direct landfall, both systems generated dangerous coastal and ocean conditions throughout the week.

Five homes in Buxton, North Carolina, collapsed into the ocean on Tuesday during high surf triggered by these storms. Since 2020, a total of 17 homes on the Outer Banks have been lost to the sea.

Meanwhile in California, Hurricane Narda has been sending powerful south swells toward SoCal beaches. The National Weather Service issued a Beach Hazards Statement for the entire coast from Santa Barbara to San Diego, including Catalina Island.

In Newport Beach alone, lifeguards performed over 80 rescues, many involving people knocked down in shallow water and pulled into rip currents.

Beachgoers and surfers are urged to stay close to lifeguard towers and follow guidance if entering the water this week.

But did they listen?

Billionaire buys land for Los Angeles surf park near the beach

Vinny Smith, billionaire tech entrepreneur and surf enthusiast behind the Palm Springs Surf Club, just dropped $54 million on a 9-acre site in El Segundo, formerly part of Raytheon’s campus. The plan? Build LA’s next big wave-pool-powered surf park — just minutes from the beach and next door to the Los Angeles Chargers’ new HQ.

Smith’s Toba Capital is aiming to replicate his Palm Springs success, where he turned a defunct water park into a state-of-the-art surf destination featuring 1,000 waves per hour, a lazy river, and restaurants.

If you’re like: but why oh why? Well, developers argue that despite LA’s endless coastline, crowds, pollution, and access issues make wave pools appealing — especially for beginners and families.

Can’t charge for the real waves, right?

No timeline has been announced. And like most big LA projects, this one could face construction delays, permitting snafus, or community opposition.

Globally, surf parks are booming — now a $4 billion industry with 20% annual growth. But in the U.S., only a handful currently operate. If all goes to plan, El Segundo could become a major surf destination.

️ Ocean Kamp wave resort finally moving forward in Oceanside

After years of delays, construction is set to begin in spring 2026 on Ocean Kamp, a massive 92-acre resort in Oceanside’s San Luis Rey Valley that will feature San Diego County’s first surf lagoon, a 300-room hotel, retail shops, and up to 667 homes.

Developers have already spent $10 million raising the site above the floodplain, but progress was slowed by lawsuits, Native American artifact discoveries, and years of grading work.

The wave pool is expected to be prioritized ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with hopes it will attract visitors, boost the local economy, and secure financing for the resort’s hotel.

While some residents have raised concerns about traffic and the logic of building a surf lagoon so close to the ocean, the project has broad support from local businesses, civic groups, and surfers who see it as a major housing and tourism win.

Fine. Have it your way. More ocean for the rest of us.

The Wipeout Weekly hits 200 days — and 28 weekly newsletters later

Who would believe it — it’s been 200 days since we launched The Wipeout Weekly, powered by Girls Who Can’t Surf Good and yours truly. That’s 200 daily podcast episodes (including 12 guest interviews) and more than 200 stories on surf culture, history, skills, etiquette, and surfer profiles.

Oh, and who’s counting, but… 28 Weekly Newsletters Later, too. Girls Who Can’t Surf Good hit 80k+ members.

What’s next for our wee surf media empire?

Ok, ok… we’ll spill.

By the end of this year, we will have launched our flagship All Things Surf Directory. Imagine being able to find anything and everything surf-related—based on your location or desired destination: surf coaches, rentals, lodging by famous surf breaks, jobs, and surf retreats scheduled for the week you magically got some time off for.

️ Wee Surf Shoppe coming soon!

Next up—Wee Surf Shoppe. A curated collection of Surf Pantry items, Surf Indulgences (for you), and Surf Giftables (for those you love, and who love to surf). Plus, of course—The Wipeout Weekly merch, including hats and stickers.

2026? We have two other big things in store. One practical. One fantastical. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.