VIP Day at the Surf Ranch

If you missed how we got invited to the Surf Ranch, check out this post.

Our VIP day at the Surf Ranch actually started the night before. We checked into our hotel, the Tachi Palace, and loaded into a bus for dinner with the rest of the Golden Ticket winners and others who were invited to go!

Dinner was at Reyna’s Restaurant in downtown Lemoore. If you are ever in Lemoore, you have to eat at Reyna’s! Arguably the best spot in town. We enjoyed margaritas, great Mexican food, and meeting everyone who would be surfing with us the next day.

After dinner, we headed back to our hotel room to prep our boards and get some rest.

We arrived at the Surf Ranch at 6 am the next morning. It was surreal to be there again, and this time to drive through the gate and park inside.

The Locker Room

We walked in to find that each locker had a name on top. Ours was right next to Kelly Slater’s!

Thanks again for the swag bag, Hurley!

Breakfast & Briefing

Shortly after we loaded our stuff into our locker, it was time for breakfast. The food at the Surf Ranch is SO GOOD. There was an assortment of fresh fruit, avocado toast, yogurt parfaits, and lots of warm coffee.

Briefing started promptly at 7 am. The lifeguards gave us a rundown of how the day would run, safety information regarding the wave pool, and what to expect during our heat. There would be 4 surfers in each heat with 5 priority waves each. You can pick off any waves if the priority surfer misses or falls.

The Surf

Everyone gathered outside to watch the first wave of the morning. It was so fun to watch! Since our heats were in the afternoon, we had all morning to try to stay relaxed and enjoy the grounds.

First, we went up to the control tower to see them launch the waves. During your heat, the lifeguard on the jet ski will ask you which wave you want to surf. We had the option of CT 2, CT 3, or CT Intermediate. The CT Intermediate wave is very much a beginner wave, so everyone was surfing either CT 2 or CT 3. The ski will then radio in which wave to the control tower. The control tower then calls out the wave with a 30 second count down.

After watching some of the others get to surf, we took the opportunity to ride some foam boards at the end of the pool in the “Waikiki” of the Surf Ranch. It felt great to get into the pool and start to get used to the sound of the foil going by. While you can hear it from anywhere around the pool, it is much louder when it is right next to you as you are surfing!

After our time riding the foam boards, it was time for lunch. We had our choice of a turkey burger or black bean burger, with sweet potato chips and salad on the side. Lunch was great! Although, I (Heather) could barely eat because I was so anxious for my heat. Haha.

Our Heats

Although we were originally bummed we were surfing in different heats, it was actually great because we got to watch each other surf! Heather’s heat was first.

Finally it was Huy’s turn in the water, as he was the last heat of the day.

One thing you don’t realize is how powerful the wave is until you actually experience it. The wipe outs are pretty intense!

With both of our heats done, it was time to relax, eat dinner, and enjoy the sunset with our new friends. We had grilled chicken or fish, with veggies and a nice cold beer to celebrate the day!

Xx Heather & Huy

P.S. Special thanks the Pat Nolan for capturing all of the photos of us in the pool! Check out his IG and give him a follow.