Waco Surf has become one of the most surprising tourism and real estate stories in Texas, transitioning from a struggling wave pool to a year-round sold-out destination. In the latest episode of The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie and published May 27, 2026, co-owners David Taylor and Luke Schock detail how they flipped the customer base from 99% professional surfers to 99% Texas families, and unveil plans for Desperado, a 400-acre surf-anchored ranch community.
The episode traces the full arc of the business, starting with a 2018 pilot of American Wave Machines technology at the original Barefoot Ski Ranch under Stuart Parsons. Taylor and Schock acquired the property in 2021 and have since repositioned it as a family-friendly destination. Today, 99% of surfers at the park have never touched an ocean wave, a dramatic shift from its earlier focus on professionals. This change underscores a broader trend: Waco is being repositioned as the heart of a new Texas surf culture, sitting strategically between Dallas, Austin, and Houston.
The Desperado masterplan includes a second surf pool, a 13-hole golf course, a hot springs resort, pickleball courts, and dirt-only roads. Unlike other surf communities opening worldwide, Taylor and Schock refused to copy the private, gated model. As Schock explains, "It's a community for people that want high access but not high walls. That's because we believe that the magic happens when you're sitting on the beach talking to the guy that, you know, it's his bucket list to come there."
Taylor adds that the migration of Waco itself has been just as dramatic. He recounts how Tony Hawk quietly shows up at the local skate park at 7 a.m., films himself, and draws 200 people within fifteen minutes. The pair also dig into Waco history, including the 1952 tornado that derailed the city's run at becoming the financial hub of Texas and pushed that growth toward Fort Worth. They cite the Hippodrome on Austin Avenue, where Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin once performed, as evidence of the city's pre-tornado vibrancy, and point to today's Baylor graduates staying to open restaurants and buy real estate alongside the Magnolia-driven Chip and Joanna Gaines effect.
Deposits on Desperado homes are overwhelmingly from Texas-based families, with one exception: a Hawaii native whose family lives in New York and wants a centrally located meeting place. This reflects the broader appeal of Waco as a central hub for families seeking a unique lifestyle anchored by surf culture. The episode is available now wherever podcasts are heard, offering a deep dive into how real businesses get built across Texas.
