The Abridged version:
- The Placer County planning commission recently approved plans for the Alchemy Surf Resort, a 25-acre outdoor recreation destination in the Placer One community north of Roseville.
- The resort will include a 5-acre artificial surf lagoon, a 100-room hotel, a wave pool, a skate park, spas and other activities and amenities.
- Northern California surfers are excited for the new surf spot closer to home, which they hope will make the sport more accessible for people.
When one thinks of Northern California surf destinations, places like Santa Cruz, Sausalito and Half Moon Bay likely come to mind. Placer County may soon join the list, thanks to a recent vote approving a new giant surf resort north of Roseville.
The 25-acre Alchemy Surf resort could bring a massive surf lagoon, a wave pool, a skate park, spas and other activities to the growing Placer One community. Plans for the surf destination also include a 100-room hotel, which planners say will help make it a major regional tourist destination.
Northern California surfers told Abridged by PBS KVIE that they are excited to catch waves closer to home, where a more controlled surf lagoon environment helps make the sport accessible. They also hope it will draw surfers of all experience levels from near and far.
“The resort is going to bring a ton of people the opportunity to learn how to surf without having to go to the ocean, and that’s something that we’re seeing more and more,” said Scott Bronson, owner of Auburn’s North Fork Surf Co. shop. “It’s a gold mine in the middle of Gold Country.”
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The Placer County planning commission voted unanimously to move forward with Alchemy Surf Resort in late September, following years of planning and proposals by Inland Surf Co.
The project is being spearheaded by Roseville residents Chris and Andrea Gallardo, who have lived in the region for over three decades. They said that they chose the area specifically to bring surfing to their community in Placer County, with a goal to make the resort “uniquely Northern California.”
“We came to find that there’s a lot of people like me, that have had a surfing background at some point in their life, but had to move away from the coast and never lost their desire or love for the sport,” Chris Gallardo said.
Alchemy’s centerpiece, its 5-acre surf lagoon, will feature Wavegarden Cove technology that generates artificial waves. It will cater to a variety of experience and skill levels with 20 different wave types, according to Inland Surf. Gallardo said that he hopes to inspire would-be and aspiring surfers with the activities offered at Alchemy.
What surfers say
Surfers from around the area told Abridged that distance and water conditions in the ocean and river can make the sport daunting to those who lack experience. In a more controlled environment without potential debris or wind hazards, beginners will have a safer environment where they can fall in love with the sport, surfers said.
“It is really fun to get something that you can count on and be consistent because in the ocean, conditions are super variable,” said Redding-based surfer Christian Mercill, who works with surfers around the area as a physical therapist. “I think most people are pretty stoked to have something close that you can count on. It’s pretty family friendly, and it’s rad that you could get really good waves.”
Surfers said that since Alchemy will also have a skate park, it may also help skateboarders who are familiar with board dynamics transition to the water.
Alchemy will be the first inland surf destination in Placer County, but in recent years, similar spots have opened across the country. Rocklin surfer Justin Kessler said he recently visited a surf destination in Waco, Texas, that also used Wavegarden Cove — something he called a hit among his friends and plenty of others drawn to that site.
“I think it’ll be great for people like me, and others around the area and people who want to learn,” Kessler said. “We’re two hours from the Bay here, and it’s such a unique experience, I think it’ll draw people from all over.”
Inland Surf hopes to break ground on the resort in late spring 2027, with a potential open date in 2029 if financing and design approvals are successful.
