Chris Antao is a man on a mission… And it’s a great one. Gnome Surf is already doing amazing things in the US and they are close to getting started in Nosara. Gnome Surf is a 501c3 which focuses on children with autism, down syndrome, ADHD, depression and anxiety to help their happiness and self confidence.
Gnome Surf is is part of the International Surf Therapy Organization and is gaining popularity quickly due to their 100% success rate in improving the lives of their athletes. Celebrities such as former professional quarterback Doug Flutie (yes, that Doug Flutie) as well as larger organizations are starting to support Gnome Surf and Chris plans to keep this momentum rolling right into Nosara in 2021.
2020 is off to solid run of clean surf with offshore winds in the mornings and occasionally all day. Early January was pretty small size wise but later in the month the size picked up a bit. So far February has been really fun.
The footage in this video is from a small day and features lots of locals and visitors enjoying a beautiful day on the beach.
Pulling up to main beach… Guess who is under the shirt?Jayson from Get HookedIncoming missile… Duck!!!Mr. Rick Lambert CR Champ Dorian styling 10 on the noseNelson from Living Stoked cutting backFernie!!!!Chico Surf spreading good vibesMatteo putting his head into itMr. QuinnMiss ClementineMrs. Sullivan Marq figuring out which peak he is about to dominateJumbo enjoying his fishLouis ‘Deez’ Michael BOwen came back through townElisha and I finishing our session and heading to workRick Wilkins is an Olo Alaia staple most every morning
Carlos, Jayson, Prado, Rick L, Chico Surf, Costa Rican Longboard Champion Dorian, the Sullivans Little Quinn, Clementine, Heather, Brian, Fernie, Marq, Natalie, Jim, Alejandro, Luis ‘Deez,’ Owen, and a bunch more all make an appearance in this video. After surf is a quick walk through of Olo Alaia to see what Robbie and Team are up to.
Hope you enjoy this video and see you in the water!
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
Robbie on a good wave testing out some new equipment
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.
Rich is riding a custom OA Lightning Bolt on this wave
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.
Marco Pacheco is a Costa Rican surfer and shaper based out of Tamarindo. He’s made a couple different boards for me and I know he shapes for some of the other guys around here in Nosara like Seekret Spot Gelato Steffano, Secret Spot Fishing & Surf tours Vibert & Prove Nothing Zacc. The first board he made me is the green SUP in the lead in photo which I’ve ridden lots of different places in Costa Rica. I wanted something I could paddle to the outer reefs in our area with but still turn and noseride some. Marco didn’t want to put in a ‘sissy handle’ as he calls it and, to my initial surprise, wanted to utilize a quad setup. I quickly learned Marco has a very interesting take on fins, boards, and life in general.
Marco moves to his own rhythm and makes cool stuff happen. This is my favorite photo of him. He’s riding switchstance on a nice little Right at Boca Barranca… Which happens to be very, very long Left and Marco’s a goofy foot. Marco’s never been one for conformity 🙂
The great thing about having a local shaper who knows the specific wave(s) you surf is they can build it specifically for you and what you need. Furthermore, if you’re like me and you fluctuate in weight a bunch it makes things very different for board performance. I’m pretty heavy at the moment so I asked Marco to make me my ‘Fat guy Guiones’ board and the only thing I asked was that it fit the wave style at Guiones… That’s just what Marco did for me on this one. This one ended up being a 10’9 with Marco’s hatchet fin system.
Marco is putting the finishing touches on ‘Big Red’
Here’s a couple of Rich giving Big Red a go at Playa Guiones:
Sorry for the leash Marco, it was crowded and I’m out of shape right now 🙂
I spend a good amount of time on Red dodging crowds while looking for noseride opportunities and linking up the outside to inside sections in Playa Guiones.
I’ve actually taken this one into some barrels too and ridden a bit. I don’t have pictures of many but I remember riding in this one for a little while. I was very surprised how it handled in the tube. It can handle speed and hold a rail pretty good.
A rare Guiones section big enough to fit Big Red for a little cover up
One of my favorite things about Marco is he’s always trying to help people out when he can. The lastest example of this is his project “Building Cundino’s Wall” which you can contribute to at Go Fund Me. Cundino is one of the original Costa Rican surfers who lives right at the point at Boca Barranca. If you’ve been there you probably have already met him. He is a classic guy and his location is worthy of being honored especially after all it has given to Costa Rica and those of us who surf here. Costa Rican surfing was born right in front of his house and Marco is trying to help keep this spot alive for Cundino and future generations.
One section of the wall needing repair
Although our backgrounds and life experiences are extremely different, both Marco and I share a love for surfing and experimentation in riding waves. For this I am extremely grateful. Hopefully you get a chance to connect with him at some point and enjoy his wealth of knowledge not only in surfboards but participating in the ocean and giving back to others.
