In the latest episode of The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie, Waco Surf co-owners David Taylor and Luke Schock detail how they turned a struggling Central Texas wave pool into a year-round sold-out destination and reveal plans for Desperado, a 400-acre surf-anchored ranch community. The episode, published May 27, 2026, highlights a dramatic shift in the customer base: 99% of surfers at the park have never touched an ocean wave, reframing Waco as a surprising tourism and real estate story in Texas.
Taylor and Schock trace the business's evolution from a 2018 pilot of American Wave Machines technology at the original Barefoot Ski Ranch under Stuart Parsons to their 2021 acquisition and current expansion. The customer demographic flipped from 99% professional surfers to 99% Texas families, a change that underpins the park's success. The Desperado masterplan includes a second surf pool, a 13-hole golf course, a hot springs resort, pickleball, and dirt-only roads, positioning Waco—located between Dallas, Austin, and Houston—as the heart of a new Texas surf culture.
Schock explains why they rejected the private, gated model used by other surf communities worldwide: "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 Waco's transformation is equally dramatic, noting 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 delve into Waco history, including the 1952 tornado that derailed the city's run at becoming the financial hub of Texas and pushed 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. Today, Baylor graduates stay 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.
The episode is part of The Building Texas Show, which profiles founders, operators, and developers shaping the future of Texas, with candid conversations about strategy, capital, and culture. The full episode with David Taylor and Luke Schock of Waco Surf and Desperado is available now wherever podcasts are heard.
