Costa Rica’s Legendary Longboard Wave - Boca Barranca
If you’re a longboarder, then you’ve probably heard about Boca Barranca, a very long left that breaks off a rivermouth just outside of Puntarenas, Costa Rica. This is an ideal wave for longboarding with rides up to half a mile when it’s firing. Boca Barranca takes a bigger S or SW swell to start working, and conditions are usually best at dawn.
Boca Barranca is best know for the Rabbit Kekai longboard contest, which has run every summer for the last 14 years. Rabbit Kekai was born on Oahu, Hawaii in 1920, and spent his younger days surfing and canoe paddling around Waikiki with his mentor, surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku. Kekai continued on to make a name for himself after winning numerous surfing contests back in the 1930s and 40s. Now well into his 80’s, Rabbit is still surfing and nose riding even today and has influenced and inspired us all during his long surfing career. Kekai has witnessed every major development in surfing since 1930.
Anyone planning to compete in the contest should book their travel early. The Fiesta Hotel offers all-inclusive packages through Surf Express which include air travel, rooms, car, food, drink, and entertainment. The Fiesta Hotel is on the beach at Boca Barranca, a short walk from the waves.
If you want to check out what the contest is all about, watch the Toes on the Nose: Rabbit Kekai 10th Annual Costa Rica Longboard Classic DVD. You can find it here in my Surf Guru DVD Picks.
My only word of caution is that the water can get extremely dirty after a rain - exercise caution at these times. Crocodiles, visible from the road crossing 1/4 mile upriver, have been known to swim out into the lineup after rains or on an outgoing tide.
Surf Travel packages to Boca Barranca are available at www.surfexpress.com. I’ve used them before and they offer a great service. Contest entry information can be obtained at www.4surfing.org.
Shortcut to Longboarding Out Now!
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About Lee Ryan
Lee has been competing on the ASP World Longboard Tour for the past 10 years and has no fewer than nine British National titles to his name. He placed 9th in the Oxbow World Championships in Raglan in 2003 and went on to win the European Pro Division of the Biarritz Longboard Festival in France in 2004. Lee is a highly accredited professional surf coach and worked for the British Surfing Association as a Trainer/Assessor for the past 3 years before moving to New Zealand in October 2006 to continue his coaching career. To find out more about Lee visit www.longboarding.co.uk
