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Jair Pérez tells us how he has spent his days in isolation at home and gives us his opinion about returning to surfing.

Everyone is dedicating their quarantine time to what they want most; some have taken advantage of it to do activities they normally couldn't do, others prefer to dedicate it to their family, and others to expand their knowledge through virtual studies.

In this article we talk to the current National Surf Champion, Jair Pérez, an athlete with roots in Jacoba, where he tells us how he has experienced the quarantine and his thoughts on returning to surfing.

Surfing Costa Rica - Jair Pérez National Surf Champion.

How are you coping with this crisis?

Honestly, it's been difficult for some more than others. Personally, what I've missed most is my wife and son, who aren't with me because the borders are closed. It was also hard not being there for my son's second birthday on March 23rd. But thank God, so far I've had food and shelter. I think this month of May is going to be one of the most difficult in every sense of the word, but I haven't lost faith in the Lord, that He will always provide what I need.

How long have you been in quarantine and why?

I've been here for a total of two months, and even longer since I was in Memphis, Tennessee with my family at the end of February. Then I went to Florida that same month for an event, which placed me ninth. After the tournament, I stayed in Florida for a week, and that week my quarantine began, which continues until today, May 3rd. I arrived here in Jacó at the beginning of March.

Surfing Costa Rica - Jair Pérez National Surf Champion.

What is your opinion regarding the resumption of surfing?

That's a good question, and I don't want to cause controversy with my personal answer. It's just my opinion. Just a personal observation: if there's a protocol and the government allows cinemas and gyms to reopen, they should also provide a beach protocol, but only for competitive athletes.
I know Costa Ricans are stubborn, and since I know many don't have the education to follow a protocol, I'm also worried about them opening the beach with a protocol that many won't comply with. If that's the case, I'd much rather wait until they open the beach to the public and put up with the government letting us practice one of Costa Rica's most prestigious sports, since for high-performance athletes, surfing requires the...
However, I want to emphasize that if the protocol were to be released, I would like it to be released only for those of us who are...
national athletes who need to continue their high-performance training.


What have you learned from this crisis?

I've learned to know myself, I really like being on my cell phone and I'm learning to let go of it without it bothering me.
I have also learned to read more, I have learned to write more, I have learned to spend more time with God, I have learned to value even more what God has given.

Surfing Costa Rica - Jair Pérez National Surf Champion.

Why did you join the “Surfers United for Costa Rica” campaign?

“Surfers United for Costa Rica” was founded by Surfing República, Marco Montero, and the Costa Rican Surfing Federation. As this initiative developed, many other institutions, associations, and individuals joined in. The surfers of Costa Rica came together to bring a little relief to the community of Chira, an island located in the Gulf of Nicoya with difficult access. But honestly, the entire island is in need. There are at least three to four thousand people living there, many of whom depend on fishing for their livelihood, with very little agriculture. We don't want to be put on a pedestal for doing this or called heroes. What we want is for Jesus to receive all the acclaim. We are simply responding to a need, and in this case, this need arose, which we were able to successfully fulfill. We managed to alleviate hunger for a time and, at the same time, bring smiles and tears of joy. God is good; for many families, we arrived just in time.

 Soon you will be able to see the full report about the Surfers United for Costa Rica Campaign .

Surfing Costa Rica - Jair Pérez National Surf Champion.

Written by: Enrique Hernández

General Management: Marco Montero