Construction has stalled at the Austin Surf Club, a 333-acre private surf park and luxury residential community backed by 11-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater. The project has accumulated more than $16 million in construction liens, halting work on the development located near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Public property filings indicate that the project has been hit with at least an additional $11.6 million in liens, bringing the total amount owed to over $16 million. These liens follow an earlier wave of $4.6 million in claims for work performed in 2025 and 2026. Project leaders confirmed that construction was paused in April.
The Austin Surf Club is being developed in Del Valle, Texas, on the site of the former NLand Surf Park, which ceased operations in 2018. The development is a collaboration between Slater and Scottsdale, Arizona-based Discovery Land Company. Chase Koch, son of billionaire Charles Koch, and local tech figure Jasen Trautwein are also associated with the project's ownership.
Austin Surf Club Venture LP, the project's controlling entity, reportedly raised approximately $66 million from investors. The development was intended to feature a 2,200-foot-long Kelly Slater Wave Co. surf lagoon, surrounded by 178 private residences. Residences were projected to average $2.25 million, with club memberships priced around $1.25 million.
The planned amenities included a wellness spa, fitness centers, pickleball courts, fine-dining restaurants, and a private brewery. The project had attracted notable investors, including actor Matthew McConaughey, skateboard icon Tony Hawk, and former NFL quarterback Drew Brees. Brees had also been involved in efforts to establish a Municipal Management District for the development, which would have allowed it to generate property tax revenue to fund infrastructure improvements estimated at $171 million.
In a December video posted to the Austin Surf Club's Instagram account, Slater promoted the project as a significant step in his artificial wave endeavors. He expressed his long-term commitment to developing communities around his wave technology, stating, "This property was here to be made into this wave... And I think this will be something I spend the rest of my life doing." He highlighted Austin as a desirable location with numerous activities and a vibrant population.
The Austin Surf Club venture faced challenges with local regulations, filing paperwork to remove the development from Austin's extra-territorial jurisdiction to streamline permitting. It remains unclear if the liens have been resolved.