This Saturday marked the season’s official kickoff to Atlantic Park Surf’s season-long Next Wave program, which offers free swim and surf lessons for Virginia Beach youth at North America’s first Wavegarden Cove surf lagoon, in partnership with Adidas and VIRGINIA, the creative brand and community platform spearheaded by Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams.
More than 100 participants, ages eight to 18, from Virginia Beach Public Schools, YELLOWHAB and residents of Atlantis Apartments joined for the day-long programming, which included swim lessons led by Shaun Anderson (Norfolk State University, USA Swimming) and surf lessons led by Jason Borte (Atlantic Park Surf, Pro Champion), as family members watched on.
Swim lessons included on-land instruction with a focus on best-in-class safety practices and in-water swim lessons in Atlantic Park Surf’s shallow wading pool. Surf lessons began with a 30-minute on-land session focused on surfboard education, surfboard stance and paddling, followed by a 55-minute surf session on the lagoon’s “Waikiki” wave, a highly controlled, rolling wave ideal for beginners.
“Our team and our partners are committed to leveraging the water as a means to improve health and well-being, promote connection and community and build confident and resilient leaders,” said Nate Stevens, Atlantic Park Surf’s General Manager. “Besides, there’s nothing more fun than riding waves with friends and the feeling of being part of a larger community, and we believe in providing Virginia Beach youth with equitable access to those opportunities.”
Next Wave was announced in October 2025 with more than 100 participants and guest instructors from Los Angeles-based Ebony Beach Club, as part of a series of VIRGINIA-led landmark celebrations. The program was subsequently awarded Surf Park Central’s “Progression in Democratization & Accessibility Award” during the 2025 Surf Park Summit.
The program, which will run weekly through mid-October, welcomes all beginner-level swimmers and surfers from Virginia Beach Public Schools, YELLOWHAB, Atlantis Apartments and Virginia Beach Public Schools across Virginia Beach. Participants receive life jackets, soft-stop surfboards, wetsuits, sunblock and snacks, as they build confidence, safety skills and community in and around the water throughout the year.
Learn more about the Next Wave program at atlanticparksurf.com/next-wave.
About Atlantic Park Surf
Atlantic Park Surf is the centerpiece of the 10-acre, $350-million Atlantic Park development. Centrally located and integrated within an urban environment adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic Park Surf is unlike any other surfing lagoon in the world, offering unlimited wave profiles to cater to all levels. Powered by Wavegarden Cove, the most energy-efficient wave-generation technology in the world, the system can generate up to 1,000 waves per hour and more than 20 types of waves, ranging from one to seven feet in height and tailored to beginners, intermediate, advanced and expert surfers. Learn more at AtlanticParkSurf.com or at @AtlanticParkSurf.
About VIRGINIA
VIRGINIA is Pharrell Williams’ creative pseudonym and cultural platform—a direct connection between Pharrell and his audience, offering a window into his creative world. Rooted in his home state of Virginia and reaching globally, it is a destination for music, community, limited-edition merchandise, live events, and boundary-pushing design. Through his partnership with adidas, VIRGINIA elevates luxury footwear to new heights—fusing expressive, statement-making design with adidas’ legacy of innovation. Each creation reinterprets the brand’s heritage while challenging convention, reflecting a shared commitment to shaping the future through culture, creativity, and experimentation.
