Famous Surfers and Their Impact on the Costa Rica Surfing Scene

Learn all about the famous surfers, foreign and home-grown, who have shaped the Costa Rica surfing scene in the last 50 years.

Costa Rica has enjoyed a long and illustrious relationship with surfing. In our own corner of the Pacific coast, Tamarindo, surfing has become a veritable way of life. That is true of almost every community that has sprung up along the 630-mile-long western coast. Our idyllic year-round climate and epic waves have drawn and grown famous surfers for decades, all of whom have shaped the Costa Rica surfing scene.

Here are the most famous surfers who have helped surfing become integral to Costa Rica’s culture.

Kelly Slater

The GOAT of surfing and the one icon by which all others are (still) measured, Kelly Slater needs little introduction. With 11 World Championships to his name, Slater undeniably dominated the sport – on a pro level – for almost 30 years. Born and bred in Florida but an adopted Tico, Kelly loved nothing more than to head to Costa Rica’s Guanacaste coast to practice in between competitions. Playa Hermosa, Pavones, and Avellanas were among his favorite breaks.  

You could say that Costa Rica was as besotted with Slater as he was with its surf and laidback lifestyle. Over the years, he attended innumerable local surf comps on our shores and became a beloved adopted resident. Slater has always been a vocal advocate for eco-tourism and found that Costa Rica’s commitment to sustainability and environmental protection aligned with his views. His frequent visits, most of which were publicized, really helped elevate the Costa Rica surfing scene to a global audience. 

Robert August

Slater emerged in the digital age, so although he definitely was THE best, he also benefitted from more international exposure. But Robert August came first. The most famous surfer to shape the Costa Rica surfing scene in the 1960s, August starred in the surf documentary The Endless Summer, the first and probably still the most famous surfing documentary ever made. This documentary was what first propelled our surf town of Tamarindo on the international surfing stage.

August was raised in California, but his love for Tamarindo meant he eventually moved there in 2011. He became a Tamarindo fixture and ran a successful surfboard business for over a decade, eventually moving back to California – perhaps to be close to family as he aged – in 2023.

Alvaro Solano

A born-and-bred Tico, Solano was the first of the famous surfers to emerge from Costa Rica, becoming the first local talent to break into the international scene in the 1990s. With a powerful, fluid style, the San Jose native made Jaco his home, where he still runs his surf camp. 

Solano may not have reached the professional heights of Slater or, more recently, Muñoz, but he was the first to confirm that Costa Rica doesn’t just make for great surf breaks – it also makes great surfers.

Gilbert Brown

Brown emerged in the 2000s when he became a multiple-time Costa Rica national champion. He is credited with influencing the Costa Rica surfing scene, specifically that of Puerto Viejo, a lesser-known Caribbean seaside town. While the Pacific coast gets all the surfing credit, Puerto Viejo actually boasts quite powerful breaks. Brown had a colossal influence on the local surfing scene there and has inspired generations of local surfers to “dream big”.

Enchanting Afro-Caribbean culture heavily influences the eastern Costa Rica surf scene, and Gilbert is the embodiment of the region’s richness. He has spent decades supporting local talent and mentoring future professionals like Carlos Muñoz. In 2021, Brown suffered a catastrophic injury in Salsa Brava, shattering his tibia and fibula but, nowadays, he’s back doing what he loves best. 

Carlos Muñoz

Affectionally known as Cali, Carlos Muñoz is one of our current generation’s most famous Costa Rican surfers. He has gotten abundant international attention, mostly due to his stunning acrobatics and aerial maneuvering. 

In 2015, Muñoz became the first Costa Rican to compete on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour, cementing his spot as an absolute surfing legend. He won the Costa Rican National Title multiple times and competed in the international WSL qualifying series. 

Set to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the first time the sport was included, Muñoz endured a series of heartbreaking events (including the worst storms in Central America that year) that meant he missed his qualifying heat. He was still sitting on a plane bound for Tokyo when his qualifying Olympic heat was underway. Never mind, Cali! Muñoz is still one of the most beloved Costa Rican surfers of all time.

Leilani McGonagle 

Born in Pavon to a US/British family deeply embedded in the Costa Rica surfing scene, Leilani is a modern surf legend alongside her equally talented brother, Noe. Leilani was born with scoliosis (like Mick Fanning), a condition that affects the curvature of the spine. Her parents decided to circumvent the problem by throwing young Leilani into the surf before she could even walk, and the rest, as they say, is surfing history!

Leilani has a bunch of titles under her belt, including being named Surfer of the Year in Costa Rica for two consecutive years. She competed in the WSL Qualifying Series and earned herself a wild card at the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games. Leilani also qualified and competed in the Olympic surfing inaugural games in Tokyo in 2020.

Brisa Hennessy

The latest star of our surfing scene was the first Costa Rican surfer to qualify for the 2024 Olympics in Paris – with the surfing heats held in Tahiti. We recently featured Hennessy in a Surfer Highlight Blog and are happy to report Brisa put in a fantastic performance, making it all the way to the quarter-finals. Hennessy may have just missed out on a medal, but she struck absolute GOLD for Costa Rica.

Brisa was born in Matapalo and grew up quite literally in the Costa Rican surf. She is a two-time Olympian and two-time gold medalist at the ISA World Championships. Brisa is Costa Rica’s darling girl and one of its most famous surfers right now. And rest assured, her surfing journey is only just beginning.

Surfing in Tamarindo – the heart of the Costa Rica surfing scene

At Iguana Surf Camp, our passion for surfing is unrivaled. We operate one of Tamarindo’s oldest and most respected surf camps, offering experiences for everyone – from famous surfers to absolute beginners and everyone in between. 

If you’d love to know more about the Costa Rica surfing scene or are thrilled to experience a bit of the surf magic, then check out our Tamarindo Surf Camp Packages that allow you to join our surfing family and come live, eat,  and sleep in the heart of Costa Rica’s best surfing beach. If you’re hesitant to commit to a multi-day camp, then why not opt for a private surf lesson instead? Give us an hour, and we’ll show you how fun and invigorating surfing can be!

Some say it is even life-changing.

Contact us below to learn more.