Surfing v. Climbing... Complimentary Pursuits?

Today
I saw the sunrise while sitting on my surfboard in the ocean.
I surfed with dolphins (less than 5 feet away from me).
I broke a fin off my surfboard with my head (it'll scar).

I love today.... It's a good one

Machete Attack on Surfers at Sea

Please post up as this story develops.

The Judicial Investigation Police OIJ report said that the attacker was attacking the US citizens because earlier in the day they almost ran into the mans daughter while she was also out surfing adjacent to them. The US citizens were also told that the surf break was private and they should leave, multiple times before this happened. In Costa Rica you cannot own the surf of the ocean, so anyone can surf this wake. We think that this was simply a mad local who is tired of having foreigners take over his surfing grounds that he has surfed for years. Which is obviously unacceptable and close minded.


The best way to deal with a situation like this (or avoid it altogether) is to talk it out on the beach with the locals before you go into waves for the first time. No one should ever get attacked over something like this, but common surfer etiquette is to make peace with and get acceptance from the locals before you surf where they do. A community meeting to discuss this event should definitely be in order for Pavones locals and foreigner business owners.

Yeah this place has changed a LOT in the past few years. For every 1 machete attack you see on the news 20 go undocumented. There is a real drug problem developing in Pilon just down the road from Pavones. The area is a key drop spot for drug dealers to fly their stuff into Costa and distribute. Its not uncommon to see needles and other drug paraphernalia laying on the beach near the corner. This past summer the the local landmark the Cantina was burnt down due to some sketchy feud going on in town. The place just isn't the same anymore and its easy to understand why. Once your down there your on your own. Few local people actually make money off the traveling surfers and that has forced them to look for other means to make a living like stealing, selling drugs, ripping people off. There are 2 police officers for the entire area and they are likely paid off to look the other way. All that aside, its become such a popular destination that every swell over 5 ft is ridiculously crowded and INFESTED with brazilians. This place is quickly losing its magic and will be lost forever very soon.

R.I.P. David Lillienfeld

O man,, is that on Maui,