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Not just the Best Surf Destination in the World?

I recently talked about 10 reasons why I believe Costa Rica is the Best Surf Destination in the World.  Peaks n’ Swells runs it’s camps out on the Pacific Coast of the Southern Nicoya Peninsula. Due to it’s consistent year-round warm surf, and the variety of waves that this coastline boasts, make it a perfect surf destination for beginners and rippers alike.

For most people however, when you have a partner who doesn’t surf, kids and only a limited amount of time, a vacation is not just about the surf. Luckily, Peaks ‘n Swells home of the Southern Nicoya Peninsula isn’t just a surfers haven, it’s simply paradise.

Our family surf camps create the opportunity for everyone to get out and follow their passion. We haven’t met a kid yet that didn’t love surf camp and all the activities they got to do during the session. Our surf sessions allow for every member of the family surfing or not can come along to the surf break which can be fun for relaxing, building sand castles, shell hunting, and playing in the water. It’s an amazing solution to a family with lots of interests including someone with a keen interest in surf!

Here are some of the other activities that can be enjoyed during the session. For the adventurous types, there are countless pursuits you can do to earn yourself a cold local beer at the end of the day. Here are a few…

Hike a National Park – Just minutes from the Peaks n’ Swells Camp is the oldest National Park in the whole of Costa Rica – the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve. The best bit – a dip in the warm Pacific Ocean at the secluded beaches.

Go wildlife spotting – We have not one but 2 wildlife filled Nature Reserves bordering our Camp at Peaks n’ Swells. Once you have explored Cabo Blanco, you can head into the Curu Nature Reserve, where you can spot many different species of monkey, bird and maybe even the elusive jaguarundi.

Take a horseback ride – What better way to explore the coast than a horseback ride along the open beaches of Playa Grand and Playa Cocolito, which neighbor the Peaks n’ Swells Camp.

Jump into a waterfall – just minutes away from the Montezuma town center is a set of three waterfalls, which cascade one after the other down into a large pool at the bottom, truly one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful waterfalls. You can go in for a refreshing dip or climb the rock face to jump into the fresh water flow.

Go Zip-lining – Take a tour of the jungle from 150ft up in the air, You may get some funny looks from the curious monkeys though.

Go Snorkeling – Just off the coast from the Camp is the picturesque Tortuga Island. After just a short boat ride you can adventure underwater to find your own Nemo.

Turtle Watch – Right out front of our camp is a turtle sanctuary. You can time your trip so that you get to see the mama turtles lay their eggs on the full moon or the baby turtles hatch at the new moon.

Don’t forget the fishing, stand-up paddle boarding, ATV’s and golf, if you have the time and energy! Or, if you’re a real adrenaline junky, why not sign up for a Mountain Bike & Surf Adventure with Peaks n’ Swells and Big Mountain?

Along with surfing, yoga is the prominent activity on the Southern Nicoya Peninsula. A great way to start the day, energize your body, stretch-out after a surf or a terrific workout in it’s own right, yoga in Peaks n’ Swells home town of Montezuma can be a family activity or a spiritual journey. Classes run daily at many different times in the area, at some of the most beautiful settings imaginable; from secluded yoga decks in the jungle, to overlooking the lush greens and aqua blues of the coastline below from the hills. Peaks ‘n Swells runs daily yoga sessions looking out on the ocean, with some of the best Yoga Instructors in the country.

Of course it doesn’t have to be all adventure and exercise, from relaxing massages by the shore to rejuvenating natural spa treatments, luxury in the jungle is easy to find on the Southern Nicoya Peninsula.

Our little town of Montezuma, is a beautiful jewel on the coast with jungle surrounding the town. With an eclectic International community, there is no shortage of great restaurants, shops, live music and organic markets to keep your senses alive.

Whether you’re trying to please the other-half, want a surf adventure or a relaxing escape, Peaks n’ Swells and the Southern Nicoya Peninsula have got you covered.

 

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Why you should watch the Billabong Pro Tahiti.

Billabong Pro Teahupoo

This week coming sees stop number 5 of the ASP World Championship Tour, the Billabong Pro Tahiti. One of the most anticipated contests of the year, it runs from August 16-27, at the heaving South Pacific reef pass of Teahupoo. This infamous event puts the world’s best surfers up against some of the biggest and most powerful waves on the planet.

At the moment, the top 5 surfers on the ASP World Championship Tour are separated by less than 4000 points (with 10,000pts awarded for an event win), so a win here at the mid-way point of the season could be a great boost into the latter half of the year.

Historically, it’s one of the most unpredictable events. Where we often see the favorites knocked out in the early rounds, broken boards, broken bones and dark horses surprising everyone. This contest is very different from most other events on tour, as the emphasis from the judges is not on performing turns and maneuvers, but on the surfers ability to ride in the barrel. A test of commitment, strength and skill that separates the men from the boys. It’s often the guys who put in the most time surfing this wave that do well at this event. You can find a few tips on surfing this South Pacific monster from local Tahitian surfer Michel Bourez here.

teahupoo under water animationThe reason Teahupoo has it’s fierce reputation of being one of the world’s heaviest waves comes from the interesting bathymetry (the shape of the sea floor) of  it’s coastline. A barrier reef that formed over millions of years surrounds the island, this tropical coral can only exist in relatively shallow water (as it needs to photosynthesize). The reef then descends very fast into deeper water, an almost 150ft vertical drop. The ocean floor around Teahupoo continues to drop even further to more than 1,000ft deep at just 1/3 of a mile offshore. Due to this, any approaching swell meets very little underwater resistance.

The steepness of a breaking wave is determined by the steepness of the ocean floor. For example; a typical beachbreak will have an average steepness ratio of 1:40. Teahupoo on the other hand, has an approximate steepness ratio of 1:2. This means that the swell unloads with all of it’s power, in the form of a gaping barrel, which breaks in about 5ft of water, over the razor sharp reef. There is a reason that the name Teahupoo means ‘…end of the road’. You do not want to fall off here!

Last year saw one of the biggest swells ever ridden at Teahupoo. With the waves over 40ft on the face, the call was made on the morning of August 27th by the contest directors, to put the event on hold until conditions calmed down a little. Enter the big wave free surfers, like the guys you see on Riding Giants. What followed went down in history as one of the most epic days of big wave surfing. As the waves were too big to paddle into, surfers were being towed in by jet-skis. Most of the Tour surfers sat on the side lines and watched as the worlds best big wave surfers stepped up. Billabong put on a live webcast so the World could watch some of the heaviest waves ever ridden, and some of the worst wipeouts ever seen. You can see footage of that unbelievable day in the Billabong video ‘CODE RED‘.

This years forecast, although still a little early, isn’t showing signs of the same epic conditions as last year. Official forecasters for the Billabong Pro Tahiti, Surfline, are calling for a small start to the contest waiting period. Even still, we’ll be sitting back here at Peaks n Swells, tuning in to watch the world’s best surfers battle it out in the South Pacific.

Written by Peaks n Swells Surf Coach Martin Reynolds

 

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The Five “Must See” Surf Movies

Leave a Message

Jaw dropping moves by the current best female surfers

 

For some of you, it has been a few months since you were on your surf vacation here at Peaks and Swells Surf Camp in Costa Rica. Although cruising around on your board in the warm tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean may seem like a distant memory, never fear, we are on hand with a list of our favorite surf movies so that you stay stoked, however far from the surf that you are.

You never know, watching one of these top picks could inspire you to book your next vacation, in which case, you can make the excuse that watching them over and over again is your “Surf Homework”.

We have chosen a mix of genres within the Surf genre so whether you like the arty or adrenaline packed, a documentary or a girlie surf movie there is something here for everyone.

riding giants

1) Riding Giants: Big Wave

Big wave surfing is indeed a sport in it’s own right and this documentary showcases why.

Spilt into 3 parts it tells the story of:

The history of surfing and the anti establishment attitude it inspired, introducing us to the original big wave riders in Hawaii.

It then explores the counter culture it spawned as the sport moved to California, telling the amazing story of Jeff Clarke and the New Breed of surfers who braved the deadly waters at Mavericks.

Finally looking on Maui, showing us how the sport is being brought into the mainstream. With riders such as Laird Hamilton and his jet ski, tow-in techniques make riding even bigger, scarier waves possible, we look at where the future of the sport is headed.

With one of the most adrenaline fueled opening scenes of a movie ever, this one is a must for anyone simply because of it’s feats of human bravery if nothing else.

 

Bustin down the door

Bustin Down the Door

2) Busting Down The Door: Historical

Narrated by Edward Norton, this documentary is a must see for anyone interested in surfing. With amazing personal testimony from the big name icons of back in the day it describes the mass influx of Aussies, South Africans and “Main Landers” to Hawaii and their quest to make a sacred past time, that until then had been considered a gift bestowed upon you, into an internationally regulated, competitive sport. The World’s pioneers of surfing describe their journey, often tear jerking at points, to establish the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) that we know today.

3) Innersection: Innovative

This is the latest surf movie concept by producer Taylor Steele. If you want to see the most progressive men’s surfing then look no further. All the surfers featured in these movies filmed and edit their own “section” and sent it in to Steele to compete for a $100,000 prize purse. Not only did it highlight the emerging young talent in surfing and introduce us to some “unknowns, it also brought our attention to the amazing work done behind the scenes by surf videographers. A great idea that has been so successful you can now also watch Innersection 2.innersection surf film

4) Leave a Message: Girl

Recently Nike 6.0 picked a handful of the best young female surfers in the World to sponsor, flew them to amazing tropical locations and filmed what is the most progressive and innovative Girls surf movie to date.

Showing us that aerials, fin releases and powerful hacks are not just for the boys, 2011 World Champ Carissa Moore and buddies give us a fun, high energy thrill ride. With a great sound track and available free on You Tube, this movie is great to watch whether you are a guy or a girl.

Castles in the Sky Surf Film

 

5) Castles in the Sky: Arty/Travel

The un-official sequel to “Sipping Jetstreams”, “Castles in the Sky” incorporates the idea of surf travel as it’s theme. A modern take on Surfing as a lifestyle, this movie focuses on destinations you would not normally associate with surf, places like India, Iceland, Vietnam and Peru. It is an arty, alternative look at the sport with beautiful places, haunting music and indie surfers. Just like a good book, this is one you want in your collection to show your grandkids in years to come.

 

Let us know which of our picks you liked best or if your favorite is not on this list, let us know by commenting below.

 

Join us next week when we talk about where to get the latest and best surf footage online for Free!

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Nike’s Surfing Swoosh

The crowd at the Nike US Open of Surfing

Is Corporate America Stealing Surfing’s Soul?

This week in Huntington Beach, California the Nike US Open of Surfing is taking
place. Although as an ASP Prime Event (one tier under a World Title event) the points
acquired by the surfers do not count directly towards a World Title, it does boast over
500,000 people in attendance. Meaning, that the best surfers in the world have come
from all corners of the globe to compete in front of the biggest crowd of ANY
surfing event.

Nike’s involvement in the surf world has steadily increased since it’s entrance several
years ago, which was greeted with a very mixed reaction. The brand, which is valued
at $10.7 billion (in comparison to Quiksilver at $413.7million), has since proceeded pour
their dollars into sponsoring a stream of events from Junior competitions to the US
Open (but not a World Title event, yet). They continue to sponsor some of the best
young male and female stars of our sport, including: wonder-kids Kolohe Andino and
Julian Wilson, 2011 Womens World Champ Carissa Moore and the current Women’s
World number 6, 7, 8, 9th ranked surfers. They have also produced the most high
performance female surf movie to date, ‘Leave a Message’ (which is available for free
download on youtube).

The surf world is still very divided on the subject of how beneficial /detrimental Nike will be to surfing.

Some people believe that the brand will help to push high-performance surfing into a
more professionally recognized, mainstream sport. Increasing the winners cheque of
the 2010 US Open to $100,000 was greeted very positively as it has been long believed
that there is not enough prize money for our top athletes, take the US Open of Golf’s
$1,440,000 winners cheque as a comparison. Nike’s chief executive and president, Mark
G. Parker, stated that “When we looked at action sports, we saw a unique consumer
segment that was underserved in terms of product innovation,” and in the end a
diversified and competitive marketplace is the very breath of innovation, and hopefully
that always equals a better product for the consumer.

On the other hand, many people believe that Nike is going to steal surfing’s soul. That
their sponsored surfers have ‘sold out’. Although big brands have been involved in
surfing for a long time, the main concern is that Nike is going to monopolize the surfing
industry and push out the little guys. This could mean replacing local surf shops and
small brands with Nike Surfing Mega-stores. Also, by paying their star surfing athletes
huge salaries, other surf companies have already had to cut their teams back so they
can pay less people more money.

Personally, I believe that our beloved sport of surfing is diverse enough to
accommodate Nike. If they can help to push the innovation and progression of high performance surfing then great, just because they flex their financial muscle doesn’t mean that I want to buy one of their t-shirts. Local surfers will always support local surf shops, and I can’t ever imagine a time that surfers will forsake the little unique brands for a pair of shiny Nike boardshorts. Without the innovation that comes from a competitive necessity, we wouldn’t have the wetsuit technology we do today, or the same quality of surfboards, or wax, board bags, board shorts, the list goes on.

What are your thoughts on big name brands like Nike’s involvement in surfing? Or other
extreme/alternative sports for that matter?

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Start your day right

The beautiful thing about peaks ‘n swells’ location is the ability to slip on your flip flops, grab your surf board and run down the beaches and past the nature reserve to the long sandy beach for your surf session.

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Play time and hang time

Peaks n Swells has a killer location- meaning your post surf sessions will have tons of options for where to relax.Peaks n Swells has the most amazing location for the camp.  There are no roads to the camp, only a beautiful beach to walk on!  You’ll love the options of places to relax post surf session.  The beach is right out front, the pool just steps away and the breezy porches to read a good book are just outside your bedroom.  Many of the days of surfing you will just walk out front and along the beach to reach a great beach break to surf on.

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Coaches that Inspire

Coaches that inspire you while they coach you- peaks n swells surf campPeaks n Swells Surf coaches will no doubt inspire you.  They will push you.  They will get you stoked.  A session at Peaks n Swells can provide years of guidance just by watching and remembering what they think you need to watch out for in your own surfing.

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The view from the breakfast table…

view from the accomodations at surf camp in montezuma costa rica is perfect for watching the sur.

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yoga and Pilates at Peaks n Swells

The dark days of fall often get in the way of a healthy mind and body. People often get sick, tired and just lose their energy.  The best way to combat this is some surf and yoga therapy!  Nothing recharges you for winter like a session at Peaks n Swells!  It is great to get your body centered and limber with yoga sessions.  Get fit with a focus on a strong core to charge into winter sports!  Any doctor will tell you that a good dose of vitamin D can only help you at this time of year.

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Meet Coach Billy and his son Anthony

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