It’s been an incredible start to the season in Southern Hemisphere hotspots from Tahiti to Oaxaca to Costa Rica and plenty of places in between (if only California was so lucky). My Instagram feed has been pumping with clips of guys and girls getting all time rides thanks to this solid swell bender of the last few weeks.
One wave that I had to watch over and over was this one below by Costa Rican ripper Esteban Chaves, aka StokedChaves, at Pavones earlier this month. Locals were calling it the wave of the day and it’s easy to see why, check it for yourself. Shout out to the homies at Gallo Pinto TV for putting us on to this clip.
While famous for being the 2nd longest left in the world, Pavones is far from being an easy stroll and it doesn’t often barrel. When it’s on, it can be crazy fast and crowded. The minute-long rides and sometimes relentless current make it one of those scenarios where only the strongest survive–and only the most talented thrive. Esteban is clearly well-versed in reading and ripping one of his country’s premier waves.
This gem of a wave came in just before sunset and conditions were still ruffled from the afternoon winds but that didn’t slow him down one bit, he weaved his way through the crowd and the chop with apparent ease. His second turn sent spray clear to the other side of Golfo Dulce and his barrel section elicited cheers from all the spectators.
Most of us could learn from studying this clip for backside surfing inspiration, especially from Esteban’s stance in between maneuvers: you can see his weight centered and ready to shift thanks to his bent back knee, his front arm is relaxed and waiting for the right section to lead his power turns and snaps, with his back arm (looking like the tail of a snow leopard) balancing out his movements and ready to grab rail when needed.
Esteban is based in Santa Teresa and available for surf lessons, guiding, and coaching, if you want to improve your surf skills, I recommend hitting him up on your next trip to Costa Rica.
Related: “Surfistas Locales”: Costa Rican Surfers Confront Gentrification