MEET THE IGUANA SURF CREW 2019
They say time flies when you’re having fun, and that is definitely the case here in Tamarindo. Iguana Surf cannot believe that we are already halfway through 2019! So far this year, a lot of amazing things have happened at Iguana Surf in Tamarindo, Costa Rica including the expansion of our team. We have created an awesome mix of old timers and welcomed many new friends to the family! When you book your Costa Rica surf trip or Tamarindo surf camp to come and stay with us, we can’t wait to welcome you as well. We want you to feel right at home, so here is a little bit about us so you can see what we’re all about!
Of course one of the people who has been around the longest at Iguana Surf is Lindsey Gaston, the owner, and our fearless leader.
Profession: Iguana Surf Vacations Head Fire Fighter….I wake up every day and wait to see which fires need to be put out!
Degree: Business Marketing & Management
Surfer Soul: ….more like a Soul Surfer
Goofy or regular: In regards to Surfing, Regular…..in Life definitely Goofy!
Favorite Surfer: Bethany Hamilton
Zodiac Sign: Pisces
Lindsey is originally from the state of Illinois and loves her job because of the amazing people she gets to work with. She said that if she were an animal, she would be a dolphin because of their kindness, compassion, and joyfulness.
Ale is also a long time part of the Iguana Team. Originally from Venezuela, Ale is not only Iguana Surf’s General Manager, but also a very successful dentist in Tamarindo. She does it all!
Profession: General Manager
Degree: Dentist, with a master in Endodontics, and master in Education
Surfer soul: NOT AT ALL… Love watching people surf, love the beach, but I am a runner.
Goofy or regular: regular
Favorite Surfer: Lisa Andersen
Zodiac Sign: Cancer
Ale’s favorite thing about her job is making people happy. A phrase that she always says is “coño”… Which Venezuelan’s or people with a bad mouth will understand 😉
Paris is the Management Assistant at Iguana Surf. Born in Rumania and raised in Greece, he now calls Costa Rica home and loves being able to meet new people, live by the sea, and surf whenever he wants to!
Profession: Management Assistant
Degree: Mechanical engineer
Surfer soul: Yes
Goofy or regular: Goofy
Favorite Surfer: Wingnut
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Three things he is passionate about are surfing, work, and travel.
He was asked, if you were caught by a wave and spit on a desert island, what would you like to have with you?
a)Beers b) the surfboard of your dreams c) your crush
And he answered C, his crush (Kei) which shows you a lot about how much he cares about everyone around him. He is sure to make everyone feel at home!
Downstairs in the Surf Shop, the essence of Iguana Surf is Christian. He has been working with Iguana for 13 (yes, 13!) years and always has a smile on his face.
Profession: Surf Shop Manager
Surfer soul: Yes
Goofy or regular: Regular
Favorite Surfer: Cali Muñoz
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
When asked to name three things he is passionate about, he said futbol (soccer), surfing, animals, and he had to put a fourth thing – cars because he is crazy about them. If you know anything about Christian, you know he will always be asking you to bring him a cafecito “triagame un cafecito!” in Spanish – a small coffee from the supermarket next door. You will rarely see him without one in hand!
Our awesome surf instructors are at the core of what we do. All of them are very experienced, bilingual, and ready to bring all they’ve got to every lesson. They’ll make you feel safe and teach you everything you need to know for the experience of a lifetime, riding waves in the surfing haven of Tamarindo.
Iguana Surf also usually has a few intern instructors to give people from other countries a chance to come and experience Tamarindo, enjoy the surf, and bring a new perspective to our team.
Right now we are happy to have Nate from Montana, USA as part of our crew. He is happy to be with us for the summer as a break from studying at Montana State University. Originally from Puerto Rico, he grew up surfing and has found the waves in Tamarindo to be a blast. He is always stoked to give surf lessons and share his passion!
Our hotel internship program is another big part of how Iguana runs. We usually have two interns at a time who stay in the Iguana Surf hotel and act as our surf camp hosts, hotel concierges, and they also help out by working in the surf shop.
Their friendly faces are always around to answer any questions or show you around town! We currently have Juliana from France, Anna from the states, and Natasha from Canada staying with us and making each day a little livelier.
Anna is also from Montana and is studying at Montana State University. She is also going to be staying in Costa Rica for the summer! Before coming to Tamarindo, she didn’t know much about surfing, but she has quickly been picking it up and is having a blast! She has also been enjoying all of the tours that we have to offer, so she can help you with recommendations for what to do while you are in Tamarindo and the best spots for food and happy hours around town.
Juliana came from the mountainous French Alps to enjoy the beach life in Tamarindo and has loved being able to practice surfing and meet new people. Her guilty pleasure is the chicken wings at Jolly Rogers… Which is the restaurant located right outside on the balcony of the Iguana Surf Beach Hotel. It is a must try – but be careful, because you will probably also find yourself indulging in the best wings in town and also the famous storm fries which are impossible to keep your hands off. They also have dollar beers for 15 minutes every day at 5:15 which is something else you won’t want to miss.
Natasha was working at Iguana Surf for four months starting at the beginning of the year and is now traveling before going back home to Vancouver, Canada. She loved being a part of Iguana and is already looking at flights to come back! Her favorite surfer is Quincy Davis and her guilty pleasure is donuts.
Fio is our rock holding everything together behind the scenes as our marketing coordinator. Although she loves surfing, her passion is Ashtanga Yoga and always mixes it into her routine. Being around amazing people, working with marketing, and working in front of the beach with the ability to watch the sunset every day is what she loves most about her job. She is originally from Heredia, Costa Rica but has loved getting to experience life in Tamarindo and she knows you will too!
It would take a while to give all of our incredible team members the recognition they deserve, and there are even more folks that were not mentioned here. We are so lucky to have such a caring, motivated, and fun-loving crew that we get to work with every day to make sure you have the best Tamarindo surf trip possible. You will see as soon as you walk into Iguana Surf why we all love it here so much. The only worry is never wanting to leave! We can’t wait to meet you and welcome you to the Iguana Family. See you soon!