ABC’s ‘The Ultimate Surfer’ is a competition series in which top up-and-coming surfers go head to head to show their skills and get a shot at the World Surf League’s World Tour. The show entails individual and team challenges for the participants and features surfing legend Kelly Slater as a consultant and correspondent. But where does the competition that depends on the unpredictable might of the ocean get produced? The answer might surprise you. Here is where ‘The Ultimate Surfer’ is filmed!
The Ultimate Surfer Filming Locations
‘The Ultimate Surfer’ is filmed in California, at a specific location that is, surprisingly, not on the coast. Filming for the show, which was reportedly scheduled for April and May 2020, was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. It was then resumed around August 2020 amidst stringent health guidelines. The production team had to set up several mobile homes and trailers to accommodate the crew near the filming location.
Everyone had to be tested before they were allowed to enter the location, and this was followed by further testing a week later. Reportedly, one of the biggest fears was filming getting shut down again due to the pandemic. However, production seemingly went ahead relatively smoothly. Now let’s get to the part you’ve been waiting for and take a look at the show’s specific filming locations.
Lemoore, California
The show is filmed almost entirely in the city of Lemoore, in King’s County, California, at the Kelly Slater Wave Company Surf Ranch. Created by Slater and designed after copious research and development, the facility is designed to create some of the world’s most technologically advanced artificial waves.
The competition series benefits greatly from this setup as it can create consistent waves, likely making comparisons between contestants a lot more straightforward. The Surf Ranch is located at 18856 Jackson Avenue, Lemoore.
Set in a 20-acre plot amidst the California farmlands, the Surf Ranch can muster up waves that can reach speeds of about 20 mph and a height of 8 feet. The types of waves can reportedly be manipulated by changing the angle of the hydrofoil and raising or lowering the water level in the enclosure, which is approximately 2000 feet long and 500 feet wide.
The massive project took a considerable amount of research to get to where it is today and has reportedly cost about $30 million over the years in development and construction. The facility is open to the public but at eye-watering prices that can run you anywhere between $290-$450 per wave, so you’d best catch all of them!
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