Five Costa Rican surfers remain in contention at the Garabito Surf City Pro after advancing to the round of 32 at the World Surf League qualifying event on the country’s Central Pacific coast. Jason Torres, Darshan Antequera, Maykol Torres, Carlos “Cali” Muñoz and Sam Reidy made it through Friday’s competition at Playa Hermosa in Garabito, keeping alive the chance of a Costa Rican victory as the event heads into its decisive weekend rounds.
The QS 2000 competition, which runs through Sunday, marks the return of the World Surf League’s Qualifying Series to Costa Rica. Surfers from 19 countries entered the event, including 23 Costa Ricans, with valuable ranking points at stake for competitors trying to move toward the Challenger Series.
Reidy produced one of the strongest Costa Rican performances yesterday, winning his heat with a score of 13.05. He is scheduled to face Chile’s Manuel Selman, Mexico’s Jhonny Corzo and fellow Costa Rican Maykol Torres in the next round. Maykol Torres also won his previous heat, scoring 10.90 while eliminating fellow Costa Ricans Óscar Urbina and Axel Castro along with American Hayden Rodgers.
Muñoz, one of Costa Rica’s most experienced international surfers, won his heat with 12 points. Antequera advanced after finishing second with 11.05, while Jason Torres also moved forward with a second-place finish. The remaining Costa Rican surfers have strong connections to communities along the Pacific coast. Jason Torres and Antequera are from the Garabito area, Maykol Torres and Muñoz represent Parrita, and Reidy comes from the Dominical area in the canton of Osa.
That local presence has added another dimension to an event designed not only as an international competition but also as a showcase for one of Costa Rica’s best-known surfing destinations. Playa Hermosa, just south of Jacó, has long been known for powerful and consistent waves that draw the attention of experienced surfers. The beach was named a World Surfing Reserve in 2020, the first such designation in Central America.
The Garabito Surf City Pro is part of the WSL Qualifying Series and offers 2,000 ranking points to the winners. The competition carries a total prize purse of $24,000 and includes men’s and women’s open divisions. The event also comes as Garabito works to strengthen its identity as a sports and surf-tourism destination. The tournament coincides with the canton’s inclusion in the Surf City Network and is backed locally by tourism and municipal organizations.
For the five Costa Ricans still alive in the men’s competition, however, the goal is to keep advancing and give the home crowd here a local surfer to support deep into the final rounds. Competition continues today at Playa Hermosa, with the event scheduled to conclude Sunday.
