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How Tamarindo became a surf town in Costa Rica
The year was 1991 and it forever changed a tiny fishing village called Tamarindo, located on the northwest Pacific Ocean coast in Costa Rica.
Robert August, one of the two surfers from the 1966 legendary surf film The Endless Summer and an accomplished surfboard shaper, received a tip from a Texas businessman and real estate developer named Russell Wenrich, who had taken up residence in Tamarindo. He said to Robert, “I don’t know much about surfing, but I’ve seen those things that look like waves to surf in Tamarindo!”
The spark was lit.
Robert had to check it out, so he flew to Costa Rica to explore Tamarindo. Sure enough, Russell was right - there were waves. Peeling, beautiful, empty waves. It was enough to convince Robert to buy property and build a house in Tamarindo - by none other than Russell, who just so happened to have experience in land development and construction back in Texas.
Two years later, knowing that Bruce Brown, the director of The Endless Summer, was scouting surf locations for The Endless Summer II, Robert suggested Tamarindo as one of the locations for Bruce’s sequel.
The rest is history.
With the 1994 release of The Endless Summer II, Tamarindo was now on the map as a perfect surf destination. It didn’t take long for this tiny fishing village to become one of the most popular surf destinations in Costa Rica, and for the rest of the country’s coastline to become a favorite for international surf tourism.
As if by fate, it was Robert, who during my second surf trip to Tamarindo, suggested that I move from New York City to Tamarindo and work for him. The spark inside of me was lit. Like for Robert, Tamarindo and surfing forever changed my life path.
And TODAY just so happens to be Robert's 80th birthday! A very feliz cumpleaños - happy birthday to you Señor Endless Summer Roberto Gallo Pinto!
P U R A V I D A,
Do you have more questions about Costa Rica?
Click here to read more of my Costa Rica tips, check out the highlights in my Instagram stories "CR Tips", or feel free to email me and ask away!
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