by Dagmar Reinhard
“El Flaco” (the slim one) greeted us with the shaka, the unmistakable salute with the little finger and 
thumb – which is a symbol of aloha and part of the local culture of Hawaii. It is interpreted as «take it easy» or «excellent». Costa Rica shares the standards of not rushing or worrying with the Hawaiian Islands in the far away Polynesia. Jorge González Rivera, alias El Flaco, is from Pérez Zeledón.
When he was 19 years old he came to live in Dominical unleashing one of his great passions: surfing. Amongst other things, he became a certified lifeguards. Jorge has participated in several surfing competitions, including the National Circuit and the Punto Sur Open Pro Circuit. In December 2015, he participated in the “Metropolitan” category at Playa Hermosa (Jacó) where he won the title of champion.
He is proud to belong to Patron’s surf team that supports its members with equipment, travel expenses, and enrollment fees for the events.
“Now we participate in yoga classes which give us more flexibility on the board, and regularly practice with the renowned surf coach Álvaro Solano of Jaco,” he says. “Even the children of some of the members, and undoubtedly future champions, joined the team.”
El Flaco is in charge of the surf lessons and the board rental at the new Beach Break Surf School next to La Dueña, a nice open-air beach cafe, recently opened in front of Playa Dominical. He also coordinates the dates of the Patron’s Surf Circuit.
