Three-time world champion Carissa Moore, who modestly describes herself as a “shower singer at best,” was nevertheless called upon to belt out a few songs at a World Surfing League event over the weekend.

But she also came away singing the praises of the wonder of uniform, man-made translucent waves delivered in a lagoon pool on demand 100 miles inland from the California coast.

“I think it will eventually help to progress the sport of surfing to a whole new level,” Moore predicted in a phone interview from the inaugural WSL’s Founder’s Cup in Lemoore, Calif.

For all the remarkable innovations in fluid dynamics that have transformed a patch of dusty central California farmland into a surfing oasis, the overriding question going into it was: How would some of the world’s elite surfers take to it?

“I really enjoyed the wave pool, it is definitely different than the ocean, but I think it adds a cool aspect to our sport,” Moore said. “It is really fun to look at how a perfect new wave presents itself over and over again.”

Moore said, “It definitely takes some getting used to. It is all about timing with this wave because you don’t really see it (forming), so it is about knowing what that section is going to provide. Whether it is a barrel section or a turn section, it has a lot of power and speed.”

Moore said, “When I first started surfing, I never thought something like this could happen. I never thought I would (be involved) in competition in a wave pool. “

But there she was in 700-yard, bi-directional waves offered in barrel and maneuver sections in a Kelly Slater-envisioned pool in front of several thousand cheering spectators as teams from the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Europe and the world competed.

In that we may have seen a preview of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where surfing debuts as an Olympic sport — and beyond. While the ocean figures to remain the preferred venue, the technology is now available to deliver competition-ready waves on demand if the ocean conditions can’t.

“One thing everybody (on hand) agreed upon was — whether it be Pipeline, Sunset or Waimea or wherever — is that the uniqueness is something that Mother Nature deals out the cards on,” Hall of Famer Randy Rarick said. “And, while this won’t replace Mother Nature, it will supplement her quite well.”

“Forty years ago when Fred Hemmings and I began the pro tour, our dream was to bring pro surfing to the masses,” Rarick said. “And, now, 40 years later, we’ve seen it. I hate to say it, but these were the best waves in California.”

In a speech to the gathering on the WSL website, Hemmings, a former world champion, said, “I was a little boy in Waikiki Beach in the ’50s (and) we made the transition from wood boards to foam boards. And at the time I thought, ‘It doesn’t get any better than this.’ Then I went to the World Surfing Championships in the 1960s in Puerto Rico and the sport was making the transition to short boards. Even then I said, ‘It doesn’t get any better than this.’ I retired from surfing and started pro surfing at the Pipeline Masters and I said, ‘It doesn’t get any better than this.’

“And, now, fast forward to what Kelly has done with this machine, which is something out of some futuristic movie or something. There are beautiful waves in Lemoore. The best surfing in California right now is right here. And you can’t help but think, ‘It won’t get any better than this,’” Hemmings said.

“But it will. It always does.”

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.