Latest news with #EndlessSummer
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
We Evolved From Jiu-Jitsu Strangleholds To Empowering Locals
Costa Rica has been known to surfers for decades, going back to the 60s, but ever since the early 90s, when the country decided to really emphasize the importance of their natural environment and embrace eco-tourism, it has thrived and become a model for countries around the world. Many visitors were so well impressed and taken by the natural beauty and way of life that they decided to move there themselves. In recent years this has caused concern, especially in some communities, as the mostly wealthy visitors have changed the very fabric of the place with extravagant homes and a tendency to think that they have every right to call the shots. Lo siento chicos, no es asi. The following article is the first part of the story of Surfistas Locales by Tara Ruttenberg Ph.D., about a group of local instructors who work together to ensure their own livelihoods and homes are respected. Portraits by Roselle Knaus. Unpopular opinion: "The locals are always right." Costa Rican surf instructor and style master Tavo Rio says it with a broad smile, his lean body tan like cinnamon, and shirtless beneath the breezy shade of the coconut palms. 'Twenty years ago, Santa Teresa was just trees. Now it's full of buildings. It used to be five or ten of us in the water. Now it's a hundred every day, maybe more.' We're at the south end of the stretch of beach break he's been surfing since he was a kid. Before paved roads, electric lines, development. Before surf tourism really became a thing. As we're all uncomfortably aware, Tavo's story is unfortunately not unique. Gringo surfers show up with Endless Summer dreams on their tropical horizon. Sleepy-fishing-village-turns-busy-surf-town seemingly overnight. Bars. Cafés. Surf camps. Yoga resorts. Backpacker hostels. Luxury vacation villas. All predominantly foreign owned. Speculative real estate markets pushing land grabs for the ultra-wealthy. Inflation and inequality. Local cultures marginalized and native families edged out of town. All that fucking trash. Famously, Steve Barilotti named this ubiquitous phenomenon 'surfer colonialism in the twenty-first century.' In Costa Rica, local surfers call it coastal gentrification, where native families are priced out, towns transform rapidly, and paradise becomes a playground for the wealthy. In popular surf towns the fabric has become markedly non-Costa Rican, with the majority of coastal businesses owned by foreigners – upwards of 80 percent, in fact, in the popular northwestern region of Guanacaste, according to the Tamarindo Integral Development Association. In Playa Jacó, one of Costa Rica's original surf tourism destinations-turned-surf city by the sea, gentrification and foreign investment have transformed the coastline and cultural landscape dramatically since the 1990s. Jacó native, Juan Calderón, is an architect, surf instructor, entrepreneur, and newly appointed municipal government advisor whose grandfather was among the original town founders. Juan owns and runs a surf hostel out of his converted family home in the heart of Jacó, where we chat over coffee, roasted right in his backyard. 'As tourism towns grow, the cost of living gets more expensive for the community. Price inflation on rental property displaces native Costa Rican people who find everyday life more and more difficult to afford.' Juan pauses for a sip, cleans the lens on his glasses, fondles his beard. He looks astutely professorial, save for the six fresh stitches adorning his upper lip – a surf accident, he says. 'Sure, tourism brings some jobs and opportunities for a certain sector, but many local people are being affected by the incredibly high cost of rent and property. Since Jacó has become a destination focused on tourists, the international prices here are much higher than the reality of the costs that locals and natives can pay.' Juan's family coffee company, Bohío, borrows its name from the thatched roof mud-floor huts his grandparents built and lived in as farmers and fishermen prior to the arrival of tourism. We flip through the worn pages of a photo book made for his family as a gift from one of Jacó's early visitors, with images of the undeveloped coastline in the 1970s. A far cry from the many high-rise hotels, casinos, condo buildings, and shopping centers lining Jacó's main drag today. Overdevelopment, rent inflation, and an increasingly high cost of living aren't the only impacts of coastal gentrification in Costa Rican surf towns. Livelihood access and job security have become serious issues confronting local surf tourism workers, as many foreign-owned businesses hire other foreigners and pay them under-the-table wages to evade taxes and worker benefits required by Costa Rican law. In the surf tourism labor market, safeguarding jobs for local surf instructors has become something worth organizing for. Enter Surfistas Locales, a national network of Costa Rican surfers and surf instructors promoting the local surf industry and advocating for stronger regulation and enforcement against foreign tourists working in the country as surf instructors without legal work permits. Surfistas Locales co-founder Mauricio Ortega Chaves started the first surf school in Tamarindo in 1996, and celebrates the Costa Rican surf industry as a 'blessing for the community. It's helped the community grow and families feel supported, because before the industry existed here there wasn't much work. It was hard to survive. So, it's an industry that locals have to protect for the benefit of local communities.' It's late morning on New Year's Eve, and peak tourist season slaps hot and heavy across lounge chairs and candy-striped beach umbrellas, migrant vendors pushing five-dollar coconut water. 'Tis the season. Between fielding phone calls and slinging surf lessons, Mauricio spills the tea on Surfistas Locales' origin story, complete with jiu-jitsu strangleholds and neighborhood vigilante visits intended to remind disrespectfully loud-mouthed tourists that localism is very much alive and well in pura vida-landia. 'That's how the engine of the movement started. To tell people that when you enter a country, you need to respect [the locals]. We created a mission and a vision for Surfistas Locales so it wouldn't become a nation-wide gang, because that would have been very dangerous.' As it's evolved over the past few years, Surfistas Locales has become an informal organization, network and movement to connect and empower locals in surf towns across the country. They've sponsored the installation of 'Our Rules' signs at popular surf spots to communicate acceptable norms of surf etiquette, including 'respect the locals' at the top of the list, as well as 'hire a local guide if you don't know how to surf' and 'be humble, don't destroy our pura vida'. Visiting surfers: consider yourselves forewarned.
Cision Canada
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Cision Canada
Canadian Olympic Champion Summer McIntosh Launches Specially Formulated Hair Care With Po Athletic
Endless Summer is all-natural gentle shampoo and conditioner that is made for the demands of athletes TORONTO, May 15, 2025 /CNW/ - Po Athletic, Canada's first natural skincare company with products formulated for demands of athletes and the active, has officially launched Endless Summer, a new all-natural athlete's shampoo and conditioner. Co-developed by Olympic and world-champion swimming sensation Summer McIntosh, both products are made in Canada using the highest quality, pure ingredients. "There are so many ways athletes, like me, are hard on their hair, whether that's sun, sweat, daily washing or chlorine," said three-time Olympic champion swimmer, Summer McIntosh. "It has been fun to work with Po Athletic to develop a shampoo and conditioner that is gentle enough to use daily and gives me smooth, shiny, healthy hair no matter what I'm doing." Endless Summer uses all-natural, gentle ingredients, along with the addition of two ingredients clinically proven to strengthen and thicken hair: ChomaVeil TM and caffeine. Other active ingredients include glycerin, sodium lauryl glucose carboxylate (derived from sugar cane) and lauryl glucoside (derived from coconut) and jojoba esters. "Summer brought incredibly valuable insights into the development of Endless Summer shampoo and conditioner," said Chris Brachman, co-founder of Po Athletic. "Her experience helped us create a product that athletes of all levels can use to have great hair while protecting it from the elements." Endless Summer is developed and made in Canada. The shampoo and conditioner both come in recyclable 100ml aluminium tubes in a recycled kraft box. Po Athletic's line of products currently include a facial cleanser, after workout wipes, muscle recovery gel and natural deodorant. Now adding Endless Summer, all products are formulated to support the skin, hair and body care needs of the people who enjoy an active lifestyle and spending time outside. Whether outside or in the gym, Po Athletic formulates products protecting against high UV index, dust, pollution, sweat, chlorine and other elements in mind. For more information about Po Athletic and Endless Summer, including to purchase, visit Photos can be found here. About Po Athletic Po Athletic is a Canadian company dedicated to developing high-quality, high-performance skincare products designed to meet the unique needs of athletes. Their formulations prioritize natural and scientifically proven ingredients to enhance performance and support recovery. About Summer McIntosh Summer is a once-in-a-generation athlete. She was Canada's youngest Olympian in Tokyo at 14 years old. At 17, she captured the world's attention and the hearts of a nation winning 3 Gold Medals and 1 Silver Medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Just months later, she set 3 World Records and won 3 Gold Medals and 1 Silver Medal at the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest. She was the winner of 2 Gold and 2 Bronze medals at the 2023 World Championships in Japan, and 4 Gold, 4 Silver and 2 Bronze at the 2022 World Championships and Commonwealth Games. In 2024, Summer was named the World Aquatics Female Swimmer of the Year. She also won the Northern Star Award as Canada's Female Athlete of the Year and was named the 2024 Canadian Press Female Athlete of the Year.
The Citizen
22-04-2025
- The Citizen
Living the dream
From corporate communications to conservation champion For 40 years, Matt Gennrich gave his life to Volkswagen South Africa, rising to the position of general manager in charge of communications before his retirement in 2018. Waving goodbye to Uitenhage, he moved to Cape St Francis where he owned a holiday home. Few people know anything about Cape St Francis, which is just over 100km from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), other than that it is home to the 'perfect wave' immortalised on film in the classic 1966 surfing documentary Endless Summer. It is in fact one of three villages – the others being Port St Francis and St Francis Bay – that make up Greater St Francis with Seal Point constituting the southeasternmost tip of Africa. The coastline is dotted with shipwreck sites with over 60 vessels foundering between 1690 and 2024 over the 110km stretch from Storm's River Mouth to Shark Point. There are also four small nature reserves that together cover 250ha of coastal habitats that range from beaches and salt-stunted vegetation to fynbos, thickets and small patches of true dune forest (milkwood and candlewood. They are the Irma Booysen Flora Reserve and the Seal Point, Seal Bay and Cape St Francis Nature Reserves. ALSO READ: The stuff of nightmares Restoring nature, One reserve at a time Gennrich, by his own admission, has 'always loved going to the bush' and over the years has owned a series of fully kitted-out Volkswagen California camper vans. However, it was only with retirement that he came to appreciate the natural gems on his doorstep. Gennrich made contact with the perennially cashstrapped Friends of St Francis Nature Areas (known as Foster, He suggested they up their communications game if they wanted to attract the funding to turn the reserves into local and tourist attractions. 'They told me to put my money where my mouth was,' he says wryly, 'and I became actively involved… so much so that I've been the chair for the past three years.' The organisation gets no funding from government but donations from the private sector and individuals have increased to the extent Foster has been able to employ members of the local community to maintain facilities such as pathways and remove alien vegetation. The latter includes rooikrans (coastal wattle) and bitou bush, which is an aggressive – albeit attractive – coastal weed that effectively chokes other plant life. 'It's amazing how quickly these species return when the bitou is removed. Many of them leave bulbs in the ground and, with just a bit of rain and sunlight, they start sprouting. Thanks to Foster's efforts, which include regular beach cleans, the St Francis dune system flourishes and the exquisite beaches are pristine.+ NOW READ: Waves, walks, wrecks and wine St Francis is an Eastern Cape gem
Chicago Tribune
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
One for the Books: Sometimes short and sweet is what you want when you're reading
Start the year off with a fresh, new reading challenge! The Amazing Book Challenge returns for 2025 with 12 new themes designed to take readers on an unexpected literary adventure. This year's challenge invites adult and teen readers to step outside their comfort zones and explore new topics, authors and series they may not have chosen otherwise. For each category completed, participants will earn a button or magnet. If they complete all 12 categories, they will receive a special Naperville Public Library tote bag and be entered into an end-of-year drawing. To start things off, we're highlighting the category 'Short & Sweet' — read an anthology or a collection of short stories and call it a day! Here are a few we suggest. To see a full list of recommendations and the other Challenge categories, visit 'Endless Summer: Stories from Days That Last Forever' by Elin Hilderbrand Elin Hilderbrand revisits her most treasured and iconic characters in this magical collection of stories. Collected in a single volume for the first time, 'Endless Summer' ranges from fan favorites to original, never-before-seen works. 'MatchUp' edited by Lee Child 'MatchUp' takes the bestseller pairings of its prequel 'FaceOff' and adds a delicious new twist: gender. Eleven of the world's best female thriller writers from Diana Gabaldon to Charlene Harris and 11 of the world's best male thriller writers, including John Sandford, C.J. Box and Nelson DeMille, come together for an unforgettable anthology. 'A Place in the World' by Frances Mayes Though Frances Mayes is known for her travels, she has always sought a sense of home wherever she goes. In this poetic testament to the power of place in our lives, Mayes reflects on the idea of home, from the earliest imprint of four walls to the startling discoveries of feeling the strange ease of homes abroad, friends' homes and even momentary homes that spark desires for other lives. From her travels across Italy to the American South, France and Mexico, Mayes examines the connective tissue among them through the homes she's inhabited. 'One More Thing' by B.J. Novak A boy wins a $100,000 prize in a box of Frosted Flakes — only to discover that claiming the winnings might unravel his family. We meet Sophia, the first artificially intelligent being capable of love, who falls for a man who might not be ready for it himself; a vengeance-minded hare, obsessed with scoring a rematch against the tortoise who ruined his life; and post-college friends who try to figure out how to host an intervention in the era of Facebook. Along the way, we learn why wearing a red T-shirt every day is the key to finding love, how February got its name and why the stock market is sometimes just … down. 'Florida' by Lauren Groff The stories in this collection span characters, towns, decades, even centuries, but Florida — its landscape, climate, history and state of mind — becomes its gravitational center: an energy, a mood, as much as a place of residence. Groff transports the reader, then jolts us alert with a crackle of wit, a wave of sadness, a flash of cruelty, as she writes about loneliness, rage, family and the passage of time. 'Mouthful of Birds' by Samanta Schweblin Unearthly and unexpected, the stories in 'Mouthful of Birds' burrow their way into your psyche and don't let go. Samanta Schweblin haunts and mesmerizes in this extraordinary, masterful collection. Schweblin's stories have the feel of a sleepless night, where every shadow and bump in the dark takes on huge implications, leaving your pulse racing, and the line between the real and the strange blur. 'The Way Madness Lies' by Dahlia Adler 'West Side Story.' '10 Things I Hate About You.' 'Kiss Me, Kate.' Contemporary audiences have always craved reimaginings of Shakespeare's most beloved works. Now, some of today's best teen writers take on the Bard in these 15 whip-smart and original retellings. 'Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment and Growing Up Female in America' This collection of 21 essays from major young adult authors — including award-winning and bestselling writers like Amy Reed, Ellen Hopkins, Amber Smith and more — touches on a powerful range of topics related to growing up female in today's America, and the intersection with race, religion and ethnicity. Sure to inspire hope and solidarity within anyone who reads it, 'Our Stories, Our Voices' belongs on every young woman's shelf. 'Black Love Matters' edited by Jessica P. Pryde Romantic love has been one of the most essential elements of storytelling for centuries, but for Black people in the United States, it hasn't been easy to find Black romance joyfully showcased in entertainment media. In this collection, revered authors and sparkling newcomers, librarians and academicians, and avid readers and reviewers consider the mirrors and windows into Black love as it is depicted in the novels, television shows and films that have shaped their own stories.
