Swatch Nines Making Surf Debut In Waco, Texas

Fresh off an incredible mountain biking event in Sölden, Austria, Swatch NINES just announced that for the first time in 16 years they are going aquatic.

Self-described as a “friendly antagonist to the world of competitive sports” Swatch NINES has made a name for themselves in the world of action sports by creating experimental playgrounds for athletes to test the limits of progression. In the past they have put together groundbreaking terrain parks for skiers, snowboarders and mountain bikers and they just announced their first foray into the world of surfing.

Swatch NINES is headed to Waco Surf in Texas from October 15th through 17th and we can’t wait to see what they have in store. Top surf pros will be joined by skateboarders who will be shredding a poolside ramp designed by Zenga Brothers. Read the full press release below:

Waco, Texas, October 1, 2024– After a decade of pushing the needle in skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking, Swatch Nines is dropping in with a new surf event that offers a creativity-fueled alternative to traditional competitions.

From October 15-17, 2024, Swatch Nines Surf will take over Waco Surf in Texas, marking a double first: the first Nines surf event and the first to be held in the United States. For 16 years, Swatch Nines has built an unparalleled reputation for crafting unique progression sessions and features, allowing athletes to unleash their full potential in a supportive atmosphere.

The inaugural Swatch Surf Nines will provide riders the freedom to try new tricks in a non-competitive format. EVENT SET-UP Waco Surf will serve as a fitting backdrop for this unique event, featuring skate installations in and on the edge of the pool to bridge the worlds of surfing and skateboarding. This innovative setup promises to elevate the event experience, showcasing a blend of disciplines that reflects the diverse nature of modern surfing.

The skate features designed by Zenga Brothers, will be featured along and inside the pool for a unique blending of the sports. Join the Nines crew, riders and creatives as we celebrate innovation in surfing and redefine the way riders experience waves. Daily content will be dropping on the Swatch Nines Instagram, and a full highlight edit will premiere on the Swatch Nines YouTube channel on October 21st.

Dates: October 15-17, 2024
Location: Waco Surf, Texas, USA
Concept: Developed in collaboration with surfer Coco Ho and friends
Event Format: Three-day event focused on creativity
Participants: 28 invited pro surfers and skaters
Note: The event is closed to the public.
The event edit premieres October 21: Swatch Nines YouTubeChannel

Collaborative Concept

The Swatch Nines event is truly the product of collaboration, with athletes, partners, and designers coming together to shape this playfully innovative concept. All Nines events are created by riders, for riders. Coco Ho, Balaram Stack and Noah Beschen along with skaters Andy Andersson and Mami Tezuka, creatives and the Nines crew gathered in the spring at Waco Surf to dream up this event. Six months later that dream will become a reality.

Coco Ho shared what makes this event special, “We haven’t had anything like this in surfing, yet. To meet with like-minded people, with fresh ideas, a new vision and a new way to approach somewhere like Waco will be a new twist on a surf event. I’m really looking forward to what everyone comes up with to surf and seeing everyone there.”

Event Set-Up

Waco Surf will serve as a fitting backdrop for this unique event, featuring skate installations in and on the edge of the pool to bridge the worlds of surfing and skateboarding. This innovative setup promises to elevate the event experience, showcasing a blend of disciplines that reflects the diverse nature of modern surfing. The skate features designed by Zenga Brothers, will be featured along and inside the pool for a unique blending of the sports.

“Having skaters there doing tricks next to surfers doing airs in the pool will be cool. It’s a progressive event where everyone will get to go for tricks that they want to make and film with cool cameras, but with none of the pressure of a contest,” said pro surfer Noah Beschen. “We can do this just for the love of it, and because it is cool and fun. For a surfer to be invited to a setting where the whole point is just to freely progress is just what we need.

Riders List

Surfers