Here’s episode three of the second season of the Inspired Surfers podcast, presented by Jimmy’s; a series of conversations with surfers who’ve been inspired by their love of the sea to make grand, impactful changes in their own lives and the lives of others.

Today Jim is in conversation with Nick Hounsfield, Blue Health researcher and founder of The Wave. In the episode, the pair discuss Nick’s ten-year journey to achieving his dream of creating England’s first inland surf facility, how the reality married up to his expectations and the ramifications of a life-changing stroke he suffered last year. 

The pair go into depth on the importance of purpose when striving to build something, exploring the experiences that allowed Nick to refine his vision for The Wave, including his past career as an osteopath and the seismic impact of a conversation with his father just before he passed away. 

More than just an inland leisure resource, Nick has always strived to create a facility that enables people from all background’s to access the social and health benefits of surfing and spending time in nature, with his current role in the organisation dedicated solely to bringing that further to fruition. 

Listen below or wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe now to ensure you never miss an episode:

Episode summary:

• Suffering a stroke; the role stress played, Nick’s rehabilitation and his current state of health. 

• The 10-year journey of creating The Wave; the excitement, the build-up and the reality. 

• How two surfing swans and a Spanish engineer scuppered plans to capture Nick’s reaction to seeing waves rolling in Bristol for the first time. 

• Opening up in the face of pent up demand and anticipation and the realisation that they were at the end of one journey but the beginning of another. 

• The good, the bad and the ugly of doing something for the very first time. 

• Jim describes his experience of camping at The Wave. 

• How Nick’s first-ever visit to the Wave Garden test facility and a conversation with Eden Project founder Tim Schmit lit the initial fire. 

• The health and social agenda that underpinned the project.

• Learning a love of water from his dad and weekend’s spent at his grandmas place surfing, fishing and sailing as a youngster. 

• Making a promise to his dad on his death bed that he’d do something to create a positive impact and the important sense of purpose that instilled in the project. 

• Teaching his sons to surf and the possibility of passing the business on to them. 

• Bringing in the benefits of Blue Health and his aspirations to create accessibility to The Wave for people of all ages and abilities. 

• The sense of perspective offered by his stroke.

• Nick’s favourite wave on earth.

• His favourite setting at The Wave.

• Ruminations on the best boards for artificial waves. 

Cover photo: Nick & his son watch one go unridden. Photo: @lugarts