Dick Nunis always wanted a Wave Machine at Walt Disney World. It took a few years, but he finally got his $400,000 wave machine in the mid-1970s. Surprisingly, this image from a June 19, 1975 Eyes and Ears does exclaim that the wave machine works!
Although, I do believe that is Sasquatch hanging ten. Or is it?
John Keys of our Facilities Division took this shot of a surfer riding a five-foot breaker into Surf Rider’s Beach near the Polynesian Village last week. EYES & EARS was told that the machine is currently being tested for wave configuration and a number of other mechanical aspects. As soon as more information is available on the machine, we will pass it on to you.
I’m trying to remember if I’ve ever heard the term Surf Rider’s Beach in reference to Dick Nunis’ Wave Machine or Walt Disney World.
This is an old photo, not a current one. There was a wave machine on the island off the shore of the Poly. But the waves were eroding the beach, and the machine was also coming off its moorings. It was not on for very long before they realized the severity of the problem. The machine sat out there for several years, a rusting hulk. If you rented a boat on the Seven Seas, you could float right up to it. I think they took it out around 77.
It is a photo from 1975. From what I’ve heard from other people, this might be the only person to ever use the wave machine succesfully.
The wave machine was removed but nit until the mid 80s because it was tested again in the 80s before removed. This was documented in some papers filed at the Polynesian Resort.