Surf champion Mick Fanning invests in $300m surf and golf resort on the Gold Coast

Surf champion Mick Fanning invests in $300m surf and golf resort on the Gold Coast

Three-time world champion surfer Mick Fanning has invested in the Gold Coast’s newest surf attraction swapping the famed sands of Snapper Rocks for a chlorinated pool.

The $300 million surf and golf resort, dubbed the Palm Valley Gold Coast Resort, promises to be one of the region’s most significant developments since the arrival of theme parks like Sea World and Dreamworld.

Fanning has partnered with managing director Luke Altschwager to create a sprawling destination featuring a wave pool for amateur and professional surfers, an 18-hole golf course, a high-performance surf centre and gym, a beach club, a brewery, and over 200 apartments.

The first phase of the project, which includes the wave pool and other core facilities, will cost around $120 million and is scheduled to open in 2027.

“Luke is from the golfing world and knows the hospitality side. He wanted credible people on the surfing side,” Fanning told The Australian Financial Review. “He gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

The wave pool will use Endless Surf Technology which Fanning recently trialled in Munich.

The technology can create an uninterrupted flow of waves, allowing surfers to catch hundreds of waves in a single session – a game-changer for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

“It was really exciting to catch 150 waves in four hours,” Fanning said. “Surfers will travel anywhere to catch a wave.”

The development is expected to generate significant economic benefits, with projections of 760 construction jobs, 473 permanent jobs, and up to 900,000 annual visitors.

An impression of the surf ranch on the Gold Coast that Mick Fanning is hoping to build. Supplied

Fanning is no stranger to business. He co-founded Balter Brewing Co, which sold to Carlton and United Breweries for a reported $200 million in 2019 and also has his own softboard company ‘Mick Fanning Softboards’.

“When I start getting for involved in businesses it’s for stuff I’ll use daily … that I really believe in – the [Mick Fanning] softboards is one. I get so stoked when I see people just learning how to surf, or we take my kids down to the beach,” Fanning continued.

“I’m also trying to be a little bit more eco-friendly. I want to look at my kids in future time and be able to say I tried to change a little bit of the world.”

With Fanning’s passion and the Gold Coast’s allure, the Palm Valley Resort is poised to become a premier destination for surfers, golfers, and tourists alike.

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