Surfing In Niagara Falls? It’s Not What You Think

Surfing might soon be added to the list of things you can do in Niagara Falls, not on the Falls though.

An artificial beach and wave pool, that’s big enough for swimming and surfing, encased by a retractable roof is what businessman Michael DiCienzo has planned for the area next to the Sheraton Hotel Third Street in Niagara Falls.

The Niagara Beach and Surf Club is also hoping to serve as a multi use-facility offering space for conventions, concerts, and weddings.

“There’s not very many attractions open at all, during the offseason,” said DiCienzo. “This gives people an indoor year-round climate-controlled 84 degrees tropical paradise year-round.”

The Surf Club is planned to be located in the Third Street area of downtown Niagara Falls.  DiCienzo says they have an agreement with the city to purchase the lot.

Aside for it's ability to be accessed year-round the project could put money in the pockets of seasonal tourism workers in Niagara Falls.

“Tourism is our biggest industry, there’s no doubt about that, and two-thirds of our tourism employment is part-time, that’s a major problem when your largest industry most of their employees are part-time,” said councilman Christopher Voccio. “But, if we could flop that, and there are plenty of folks working on it, but if we can flop that so that two-thirds of those people are full time that would be a game-changer for the city. It would change the whole nature of our economy. So, it’s attractions like this that are going to be helpful to turning that tide.”

(WIVB-TV)