Nick is the Founder of The Wave – an inland-surfing destination where anyone and everyone can surf all year round. It brings the physical and mental health benefits of surfing and nature to people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities – from a child stepping on a board for the first time, to a professional training for the Olympics.
The Wave’s first destination opened in Bristol, UK, in autumn 2019 and was the first in the world to use ground-breaking Wavegarden Cove technology. The Wave has a 180m lake at its heart but it’s about more than surfing. Nick wanted to create a space where people could get active, be in nature, connecting to each other and themselves – and reaping the ‘blue health’ benefits of being in or near water. The project was 10 years in the making and Nick’s journey from osteopath with £500 and a vision, to making it a £25million reality is inspiring.
Nick is Chair of Surfing England and has been particularly involved in supporting and growing the profile of the para-surfing community. This resulted in the English team winning a record number of medals at the World Adaptive Surf Championships – and The Wave hosting the English Adaptive Surfing Open competition in Oct 2020 and July 2021. Nick was also selected to be part of the prestigious UK Sport International Leadership Programme (2019 cohort).
Nick Hounsfield
