From The Beginning
Preface
Hello everyone my name is Clay McCutcheon, I am the Author of this Journal and creator of Walk On Water Adventures & Media. I want to start by thanking everyone for your time, interest and support. I’ve had tremendous help along the way from my family and friends, without them this project wouldn’t be possible.
Introduction
When I was nine years old a movie named The Endless Summer 2 was released in theaters. It was the sequel to Bruce Brown’s 1964 surf film The Endless Summer, in which Bruce followed two surfers around the world searching for perfect waves and warm summer conditions. It was and is the ultimate surf travel film, that sparked a fire under ever surfer to go explore the world in search of perfect waves. Bruce Brown introduced his audience to so many unique countries and surf spots around the world. The first time I’d ever seen or heard of Costa Rica was from watching The Endless Summer 2 and I’m certain many people can relate to that. The story below and many stories to follow, were written to share my connection with the movie, the surfers and the incredible place that is Costa Rica. I hope you enjoy reading these stories and please comment below and share your thoughts.
In the late 1980’s Robert August, star of the classic surf film The Endless Summer, began traveling with his family and friends to a little town in Guanacaste, Costa Rica named Tamarindo. Since then, Tamarindo and the surrounding area have become the home base for Robert August, his family and crew. This area of Costa Rica, along with the majority of the country for that matter, was very unpopulated back then and had a very small surf community. Tamarindo had very few accommodations at that time and as luck would have it, Robert was invited by a gentlemen from Texas named Russell who owned the famous Tamarindo Resort. The resort was a rustic assortment of cabinas located in the center of town and walking distance from the beach. This happened to be one of the only places to stay in Tamarindo and coincidently was managed by an old surfing friend of Robert’s named Mike Diffenderfer. Mike was a legendary surfboard shaper in the 60’s and 70’s and helped run the resort. The history of the Tamarindo Resort is legendary, along with the people who stayed there. That story will be told in detail in a future blog post and podcast, for now, let’s continue with the story at hand.
In 1994 I was nine years old and the Bruce Brown’s surf film The Endless Summer 2 was released in major movie theaters around the world. It’s highly unusual to see a surf film listed on a local movie theater marquee, let alone have the financial backing of a company like Newline Cinema. The film is the sequel to Brown’s original 1964 surf film, The Endless Summer. My dad watched the original film in a high school auditorium that same year, narrated in person by Bruce Brown. Times have obviously changed. Since Robert August was one of the stars of the original film and subsequently the surfboard shaper for one of the surfers in the new film. Bruce found it fitting to start the movie by tagging along with Robert down to Costa Rica with the new surfers Robert “Wingnut” Weaver and Pat O’Connell in tow. That decision may have changed Costa Rica forever! In the film, when they fly over Tamarindo, all you can see is jungle and empty beach; no high rise condos or construction cranes or anything related to the current scene in town. They stayed at the rustic little “resort”, surfed insane waves and made friendships that are still strong today. The cinematography was incredible and it captured Costa Rica and its immense beauty in flawless fashion. It’s no wonder that people wanted to travel and live in this lush Paradise.
The movie was a huge success and really helped launch the surf and surf travel industries into what they are today. One of Costa Rica’s top exports is tourism and surf tourism is near the top of that list. When they filmed the movie, the nearest surf shop to Tamarindo was about 4 hours away in Jaco or San Jose. Now, we have a surf shop on every corner in town and businesses that focus solely on teaching people how to surf and surf tourism. The impact of that movie is undeniable. I remember leaving the movie theater after watching Endless Summer 2, so stoked on surfing and dreaming about going to Costa Rica one day to surf those amazing waves. Looking back on those days fills my body with the feeling of nostalgia, now after having lived and traveled to Costa Rica for over sixteen years. I remember as thought it were yesterday, my first time surfing Witches Rock and Ollie’s Point with Robert August, my dad Floyd, brother Ian and two great friends Jon Shelton and Danny Birch. It was an unforgettable experience, we surfed perfect waves with an all time crew in one of the most iconic surf destinations in the world.
Ironically, I now own a professional surf and photography company based in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. I work directly with Robert August Surf Co. and Sam August, Robert’s son, taking people to the iconic waves of Witches Rock, Ollie’s Point and other amazing places in Costa Rica. This country is truly the land of an endless summer and the embodiment of Bruce Brown’s film.
I wrote this small article to briefly share my story and the impressions Bruce Brown’s films left on me, as well as the places in which he traveled. I also wanted to showcase how impactful Robert August was and is to the surf community and culture of Costa Rica. In conclusion, I hope everyone watches The Endless Summer and Endless Summer 2 and discovers the stoked of surfing, adventure, traveling and meeting new people and new cultures. I hope to share my love for surfing and Costa Rica with all of you one day. I would like to leave you with a favorite quote of mine, Saint Augustine once wrote “The world is like a book, and those who do not travel only read one page”.
Thank you for reading