CR Surf Happenings for August 2008

COMMUNITY - The Tamarindo Lifeguard Program so far is a success. The three guards are in the tower six days a week, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Last month they rescued 20 people from the currents and assisted in numerous surf-related injuries. In addition there was a Tamarindo Scavenger Hunt which took place at Hotel Pasatiempo that raised $1,300 for them. And the Surf Club Sports Bar in Langosta added another $780 by hosting Lifeguard Bingo.
Dominicals' lifeguard program also is expanding and restructuring. The current captain Matt Haley from New Jersey is taking a leave of absence, and in his place will be Andrew Webster from Encinitas, California. He will have some big shoes to fill, as Matt and his crew handled dozens of rescues every year. Both programs need support, so if you can offer assistance, contact info@crsurf.com.
CONTESTS - The next Puerto Viejo Open Pro surf tournament is set for Aug. 9 at 8 a.m. at the beach break in Playa Cocles. Mark it on your calendars, as these tournaments are always lots of fun. For entry information, contact Beto at 8885-9688, or email reservations@cashewhilllodge.co.cr.
In June and July, the Christian Surfers group from Daytona Florida joined with local non profits to help out in Dominical and Jaco. Titled the Costa Rica Eternal Crown, the contests were open to the entire community as a way to promote surfing and clean living. The visiting surfers brought down trophies and tshirts for the participants, as well as helped out on community service projects like beach cleanups, building, cleaning, and painting. They hope it continues to grow each year in order to attract more surfers from around the globe.
Also in June was the Solstice Open. The annual event was held June 21st-23rd in front of Cabinas Las Olas in Playa Hermosa. In this, the event’s fourth year, it raised $3,000 that will go toward Playa Hermosa’s recycling program, improvements to the local elementary school, efforts to promote the ecological Blue Flag designation, and the Punta Mala-Playa Hermosa Wildlife Refuge. They also held a beach cleanup at Playa Guacalillo, one of the most littered beaches on the Gulf of Nicoya.
Frederico Pilurzo, a former Costa Rica National Champion, is now on the WQS, and doing very well on the tour. Recently he competed in the Honda US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, where he had made it through his early heats. Keep an eye out for him at future WQS contest venues blowing fins out the back as the only high flier from Central America.
ENVIRONMENT – There is a new video out made by CAVU that demonstrates the problem that communities have all over Costa Rica - the loss of water quality and quantity. Copy this link and watch the video to learn about the dilemma that Uvita currently faces - http://www.cavusite.org/assets/view/190/. For more than a decade CAVU's founders have been conducting low-level aerial surveys documenting environmental and social health issues in the United States and throughout Central America. Passengers on these flights have included conservationists, geographers, members of the media, representatives of nongovernmental organizations, policy makers and government officials. In Central America, having viewed nearly the entire isthmus from a thousand feet, as well as having gained an intimate familiarity with many of the issues people face on the ground, CAVU's founders felt uniquely positioned to have a significant impact on the preservation and restoration of the region's biological corridors.
** Waves Costa Rica, a well known surf school associated with Quiksilver /Roxy launched a conservationist campaign called “Por Siempre Hermosa” (Forever Beautiful) The campaign consists on several stages. It uses different resources such as beach cleaning, reforestation, awareness talks, and environmental education for the people to raise a conscience of Playa Hermosa being a Pacific treasure calling the attention of thousand and tourists and locals, looking for Waves, nature rivers, and a cosy environment provided by small hotels and restaurants personally attended by their owners.
“We are giving out free stickers and Quiksilver’s “Blue Book” to all the people interested in disseminating our message by sticking it to their surfboards, cars, or anywhere they could be seen,” said Andrea Diaz, Waves Costa Rica Director. The campaigns’ slogan goes “It is on our hands to preserve it”, there are stickers in English and Spanish. Along with Quiksilver’s’ “Blue Book” which talks about 10 things you can do to protect your beach. Those willing to acquire them can go Waves Costa Rica Surf School located in Playa Jaco, or visit the website www.wavescr.com
TRAVEL - American Airlines offering trips to Costa Rica for $240 RT from Miami and Fort Lauderdale on select dates in August. Lacsa and Spirit Air have flights that low in October. Contact us now at travel@crsurf.com to lock these rates in and avoid paying too much for boards and baggage.
And if you can’t find Dakine travel gear in your local surf shop, the next place to look is online at www.crsurfshop.com. Find boardbags, books, backpacks, and straps- all you need for your next trip. And free shipping, too, anywhere in the continental U.S. Looking for some summer reading?? We have all the latest travel and surf guides to Costa Rica. And for the kids there is the colorful illustrated book All the Way to the Ocean, that presents two young friends learning about pollution and why it’s bad, with a foreward by Laird Hamilton.