TBT: Watch ‘Endless Summer II,’ the documentary that popularized Tamarindo

Robert August is one of the world’s best-known surfers. As a teenager in 1966, he and Mike Hynson traveled the world looking for waves, as documented in one of the earliest and most popular surf films, “Endless Summer.”

When the film’s creator, Bruce Brown, decided to make a sequel in 1994, he presented new upstart surfers Robert “Wingnut” Weaver and Pat O’Connell. August was featured in a segment where he introduced the youngsters to the waves and wonders of Tamarindo and surrounding areas.

By the 1990s, Tamarindo and nearby surf spots — Witch’s Rock, Ollie’s Point — weren’t exactly secrets, but the release of “Endless Summer II” really broke things wide open.

Here was Robert August sweeping down the line on these gorgeous waves at a place called Witch’s Rock. It seemed like an open invitation to the world to join him. Soon, surfers — novice to expert — wanted to go to Tamarindo and Witch’s Rock, some just to say they’d been there.

Watch “The Endless Summer II” on YouTube below. If you can’t see the video player, click here. The Costa Rica segment starts at 16 minutes. 

Want to learn more about Robert August and Witch’s Rock? Click here to read our feature story.