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Category: Uncategorized

  • NP #6: The Olo Alaia Story; a conversation with Mr. Robert Vickers

    NP #6: The Olo Alaia Story; a conversation with Mr. Robert Vickers

    Watch Robbie’s story here:

    Everyone has their issues. One of mine happens to be surfboards. My wife Aimee likes them only slightly less than I do… So when Olo Alaia opened up right next to Surfing Nosara it changed our lives. The owner and operator of Olo Alaia (OA), Robbie Vickers, made a commitment to bringing the highest quality surfboards he possibly could with an emphasis on equipment which functions well in Guiones surf. It’s not just surf though… OA is a brew house for coffee and focuses on providing the highest quality craft beer he can find in Costa Rica. So essentially between surf, coffee, and beer Robbie has a pretty good gig going. After all, 2 of the 3 are recession proof and the 3rd is a way of life and his neighbor is a surfboard addict. I sat down with Robbie to have a conversation about his personal journey from Ireland, to New York, and ultimately to Nosara and how his vision for OA formed into what it is today.

    In this episode we discuss:

    Robbie’s life in Ireland and finding surfing then life in New York

    First trip to Costa Rica

    How Robbie met his wife

    His personal business here

    How OA formed

    How OA is an experience, not just a shop

    Surfboards

    Robbie and Rich bicker over his choices of top 3 surfboards for life

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    Robbie on a good wave testing out some new equipment

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    Bing is cranking out mid lengths like this one which is one of OA’s top selling boards

    For those who may not know already, in Guiones our surf is extremely consistent but it is a soft wave which is great for beginners and intermediates but not ideal for high performance surfing. Of course there are local rippers who shred out there and can make any wave look good… But the reality is for 90+% of people in the water are on the wrong equipment.

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    Rich is riding a custom OA Lightning Bolt on this wave

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    Rich’s Lightning Bolt finishing up at the factory

    I like to tease Robbie about he is doing good and bad for the world by crowding surfing lineups with people riding the right boards. Here is what I mean by this: Currently in our area about 90% of everyone out there are riding the wrong board. This is fantastic because there’s lots of waves to be had still even though the lineup in Guiones is crowded. With OA Robbie is now helping everyone get on better surf equipment which is terrific but there’s a whole lot less waves to go around. Of course I’m kidding, but I do think I’m right.

    If you’re coming through town stop in at OA. The experience Robbie has created is top notch, and extremely uncommon in Costa Rica. The coffee is fantastic, the beers are top-quality, and the surfboards on hand are a far higher level than most anywhere else in Costa Rica.

  • Marlin Bill’s: A Nosara classic, but for how long?

    Marlin Bill’s: A Nosara classic, but for how long?

    Everyone needs to go to Marlin Bills. Soon. Bill is again thinking about selling his building. This might be negative even though a potentially lucrative business opportunity. Reason being, Bill is a longtime friend to my family and he’s especially close to my son Elisha. In fact, Bill gives Elisha and I cooking classes sometimes on the weekends on the days that he’s closed.

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    For anyone who doesn’t know, I’m a horrible cook. Unfortunately my son is not so great, either. Now my daughter, Kaiya, on the other hand is phenomenal cook… As is my boss, otherwise known as my wife, Aimee. But the males in my family aren’t so great in the kitchen.

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    Fortunately for us, Marlin Bill is willing to coach and give us some insight on how to maneuver around the kitchen. I’m going to put a couple of photos up from the most recent time Bill took us back into his kitchen to show us what is going on.

    Very few people understand how a restaurant really works and we count ourselves fortunate to have learned the way the game is played.

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    My favorite thing about Bills (besides the staff) is the breeze. There’s a little bit of elevation to it and a nice view. Plus up at Bills you always can find people who are in a good mood with extremely consistent food.

    So if you’re coming into Nosara this season make sure to check in to Bill’s for a meal or 2. It might be one of the last chances and Bill, Angie, Jerusha, and Miss T are hilarious if you get them going. It’s very easy to make friends just about any time you go to this restaurant.

  • NP #5: Nosara Recicla is asking for some help ASAP from Nosara residents

    NP #5: Nosara Recicla is asking for some help ASAP from Nosara residents

    In this episode, President of Nosara Recicla Veronica Monge stops by to fill Rich in about a very pressing matter. They need signatures from Nosara residents on an important document which will help expedite servicing for trash in the Nosara area.

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    Veronica will be distributing the document for signatures at key locations throughout town such as Gilded Iguana, Surfing Nosara, Super Nosara, La Paloma, and hopefully a couple of others to be added soon. Time is of the essence on this one though unfortunately.

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    Her goal is to have the signatures by Monday, November 19. If you can please stop by to sign this document everyone will greatly appreciate it. To learn the details of what’s going on please listen to this episode.

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    Many thanks to everyone who supports Nosara Recicla and is paying attention to the trash situation in our area. There are many volunteers donating their time and energy who ask for nothing in return. In fact, there is a group of volunteers led by Bobbi Johnson who go every Thursday to help at the facility. Please join Bobbi and her crew if you’re able to do so.

    This episode is a shortened version of a longer conversation with Veronica so stay tuned for the full episode in the very near future. In the meantime, if you’re a resident and you have a cedula please sign the document to help us. The high season is coming and along with the waves also brings the tourist and we are going to have trash we have to do something with.

  • NP #4: A conversation with Mike Streda: The Beach Dog Cafe Story and sooo much more.

    NP #4: A conversation with Mike Streda: The Beach Dog Cafe Story and sooo much more.

    Recently I had the pleasure of sitting down with my good friend Mr. Mike Streda to dig into his story a bit for your listening pleasure. This is definitely one of the more interesting conversations you’re going to hear from anyone in Nosara and I want to thank Mike for sitting down with me and sharing such powerfully personal information. Most of you know Mike as the owner of Beach Dog Café… However, there is so much to him that most people would never even be aware of.

    Watch & listen here by clicking this link:

    Quite frankly: Mike is a powerhouse of a personality and a constantly evolving human being. We discuss everything from plant medicine to Martial arts to owning and fighting so very hard for success with his business in Nosara. All of this is in addition to a massive, radical personal transformation over the past couple of years.

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    Really fun times at UFC fight night watching Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov battle. Luckily, I picked Khabib and Mike took Conor. This photo was taken in Round 3 and Mike is looking worried 🙂

    We actually had a really tough time editing this because there’s so much… In fact, we actually ignored our entire first recording because the information is so controversial and we’re not sure people are ready to hear it. So we’re probably going to do a part 2 to this episode because the most intense and detailed stuff I’m a bit too chicken to publish just yet.

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    Lori, Mike’s better half, is a driving force in the ‘new’ Mike

    So we hope you enjoy this appetizer of an introduction into Mike. Stay tuned and know there’s a bunch more on the way… Mike is a super interesting guy and there’s more to come in the future. Make sure when you’re in town get into Beach Dog Cafe for a great meal or 2 and enjoy the newer setup.

    PS – After this conversation was recorded, I did take Mike up on his challenge to get into BDC and taste his new vegan, bacon infused mini burgers and now I have to admit it, Mike was actually right… They were really good. So Mike I apologize for the ‘vegan food tastes like a shoe’ comment, Mike. You’re onto something and I’ll be back for more!

  • NP #3: Casa Vida Nosara: A conversation with Daniel Valverde

    NP #3: Casa Vida Nosara: A conversation with Daniel Valverde

    A couple weeks back I sat down with Mr. Daniel Valverde. Dani is the Pastor for Casa Vida Nosara and a very good friend to the Burnam family. Dani has a very interesting story to tell and most everyone agrees he is a high-quality individual.

    In this conversation, we covered a ton of ground ranging from how Dani made it to Nosara from San Jose, the incredible luck he has for high-quality surf each year for the annual ‘Jesus Went’ surf contests, his current ministry activities along with the goals he’s trying to achieve, and how he abandoned his studies in architecture to become a preaching minister plus a ton more. Dani grabs a couple of laughs at my expense as I share the most embarrassing surf story I have while surfing in his contest a couple of years back.

    Check out some waves from the Jesus Went 2018 contest:

    Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of serving the Nosara community with Dani in multiple arenas and I’m proud he is here following his heart at the highest level. One interesting thing about Dani is how committed his wife is to the ministry and following their collective true calling. In fact, most of the children in the area Nosara area know ‘Miss Maria Jose’ from her many years teaching at Del Mar Academy and/or serving the community via the many opportunities Nosara provides.  They have 2 wonderful children and they are easily found surfing many mornings in Guiones.

    If you’re looking for a church congregation of the standard Christian variety in Nosara you should consider Casa Vida’s 2 options: The English speaking service is on Sunday’s at the main beach in Guiones right in front of the parking lot. The Spanish speaking service is at 5pm at the Casa Vida Campus grounds. Dani’s congregation has a 501c3 qualified donation strategy in place to help with Mercy Homes, renovations, education and scholarship programs, plus multiple natural disaster or other emergency situations.

  • NP #2: Nosara Road Update: Is Ruta 160 going to be paved between Garza and Nosara or not?

    NP #2: Nosara Road Update: Is Ruta 160 going to be paved between Garza and Nosara or not?

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    If you’ve been to Nosara then you know we have some serious challenges with our roads. Let me restate it to be a little more clear: Our roads are terrible and cars pretty much come here to die. In fact, our dust problems in the high season make it sometimes unsafe to be on or live near the main road, Ruta 160. The primary victims of the respitory issues are local Ticos who live or work right by the road and as Nosara grows the dust problem continues to grow as well.

    However, we have been promised and repeatedly told asphalt is on the way for Ruta 160 between Garza and Santa Marta in late 2018. Unfortunately, as I type this of late October 2018, we can clearly see there is little to no possibility of the new road going in this year… Furthermore, it seems like the entire project may have been stalled or possibly terminated altogether. As one might expect, most everyone in Nosara is highly concerned about this and wondering what is going to happen on this controversial subject.

    To help provide accurate information on what is going on I sat down with Lucca Spendlingwimmer who is on Nosara’s Ruta 160 committee. Lucca details in this interview the project history of the paving of Ruta 160 and where we are at today.

    ***Please everyone give many thanks to the volunteers on the Nosara Ruta 160 committee who constantly try to help the residents of Nosara.

  • A New Surfboard Shaper is in Playa Guiones, Nosara: Storm Surfboards

    A New Surfboard Shaper is in Playa Guiones, Nosara: Storm Surfboards

    Most everyone around Guiones has already noticed the influx of a new brand of surfboard many of the locals are starting to ride… Storm Surfboards shaped by ‘Wild Bill’ who is originally from Florida. Bill is not someone you automatically assume to be a talented shaper when you first talk to him. He is actually pretty shy at the very first part of your relationship, but once you get to know him and he finds out your passionate about surfboards then he completely opens up. Bill is not your ordinary shaper by any means. He does not care about aesthetics or looking ‘cool’ per se or following the latest cutting edge board off some major manufacturer. Bill 100% understands functionality and fun are the main focus and builds boards for people accordingly.

    Bill moved to Costa Rica full time a couple years ago but stayed very quiet about his shaping prowess until he learned the town, it’s people and the waves. Over the past 6 months or so he’s been dropping boards in the hands of local Tico’s in Guiones then on over to some of us gringos. The proof is in the waves as some locals like Chico Lopez have seen significant improvement since becoming a Storm board rider.  29027275_182743752342870_3362420393571737761_n

    Several other folks are joining as well:

    Luigi from Nosara Tico Surf School
    Steven N is always ripping
    Mr. Federico Prisco all the way from Italy is on a Storm now!
    After becoming friends with Bill he asked me why he only saw me riding longboards in Guiones. I explained to him how I truly love riding shortboards but I have an extreme dislike of sinking or riding a shortboard in waves which you can not actually perform (AKA Guiones 90+% of the time if you’re 6’3″ and well over 200 pounds). Bill asked me if I’d try one of his boards out if he shaped me one and explained how he had a shape in mind he thought would work for me. Of course I happily obliged and jokingly said I’d love to find a ‘daily’ shortboard for Guiones style waves (soft and crowded). This is especially applicable for Guiones’ rainy season (May – Oct) when the waves are too choppy and not clean enough to really enjoy noseriding but they do have some more power and with the right timing and equipment some good wakata’s (Guiones slang for off the lip) and turns can be had.

    At this point I thought Bill was a nice guy and all but by no means did I expect to truly love the board and ride it the majority of the time.  As I type this towards the end of October 2018 I’ve only been riding my Storm for the past 60 days or so. Bill shaped me a fish with a quad fin set up I 100% did not expect to work… But it did.

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    This was my first real turn on a Storm

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    I love 360’s. I only land them some of the time, but I always have fun trying.

    If you’re interested in getting a custom shaped board from Bill I strongly recommend it. He is truly doing it for the love of it and enjoys the happiness his shapes bring far more than any monetary value. That being said… Always support your local shapers!!!

    You can check out a couple waves from Chico Lopez, Nelson Acosta, and myself riding a Storm from a rare sunny day early October 2018:

     

  • When is it going to stop raining in Nosara?

    When is it going to stop raining in Nosara?

    ‘The changing of the seasons is one of the best things about living in Nosara.’

     The above quote is something I say a great deal. What I need to add to this statement is that by the end of the season (whether dry or wet) we’re ready for the change to happen. Like now.

     

    As I type this mid October 2018 we are experiencing our 2nd flood of the month. People have been evacuated from their homes and emergency shelters are supplying food and a dry spot to sleep for the many victims of the flood. As usual in Nosara, people are coming together from most every business and area to help others with significant amounts of food, clothing, personal hygiene products, financial assistance, etc.

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    For those who may not be aware of our seasons: From November through April we have our dry season and May through October is the wet season. September and October are the heaviest months for rain historically and most of the tourist businesses take their much needed breaks and vacations this time of year. Unfortunately, this year there has been a lot of rain in Hojancha which is where the Rio Nosara starts and it has been highly problematic for low areas particularly in Nosara town.

    Many thanks to everyone donating towards and helping with the Nosara flood relief efforts!!!

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