News about Kelly Slater’s wave pool has been all over the place lately. From a recent contest trial run, to the mechanics of how it works, to officially being added to the 2018 WSL Tour, and debates about what this all means for the future of surfing, there’s been no shortage of intrigue. Throw in a Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory type lottery fundraiser and you can enter for a chance to experience the place for yourself.

Kelly Slater’s Omaze Surf Ranch challenge has been up for a while – but as of the timing of this post there’s still time to enter. Here’s the low down – When you make a donation through Omaze to support victims of Hurricane Harvey, and Maria your contribution also counts as an entry fee into the lottery. Kelly’s currently throwing down 250 bonus entries if you use the promo code SURF. Go to this site and choose a donation amount to enter from anywhere in the world.

Your money will be going to Americares and their teams who are “working in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, coordinating shipments of essential medicines and medical supplies like tetanus, antibiotics, chronic disease medications and intravenous fluids to local health centers and hospitals; ensuring affected families have access to care and establishing mental health and psychosocial programming for long-term recovery of survivors.”

According to their mission statement, Americares is a nonprofit that “saves lives and improves health for people affected by poverty or disaster so they can reach their full potential.” Click here to read more about what they do and who they reach.

I just bought my ticket. I know it’s a long shot and I’m still not sure exactly how I feel about the effect wave pools are having on surf culture. Supporting a great cause, though, is enough reason to get involved. Add the possibility of a few perfect barrels at surfing’s ultimate man-made wave factory candyland and all hesitation dissipates.

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Omaze