Promising surfers from Jacoba dream of a national title and shining abroad.

Two brothers who share a love for surfing, born in Playa Herradura but who later moved very close to Playa Jacó, known nationally and worldwide for its waves.

In this new section called “Super Groms”, brothers Jorge and David Monge tell us all about their short career and their aspirations for the future of their sporting careers.

How old are they now, and at what age did they start surfing?

Jorge: I am 16 years old and I started when I was 7 years old, when I began to stand on the board.

David: I am 14 years old and I started when I was 6 years old and little by little I got the hang of it.

Surfing Costa Rica - David Monge surfing in Marbella.

How did you get involved in surfing?

Jorge and David: We found surfing to be a very beautiful sport because it's outdoors and offers great contact with nature. We started surfing with a board that belonged to my dad, a bit big, but we gradually got the hang of it and improved, until we managed to get our own boards after a lot of effort.

What sponsorships do they currently have?

Jorge and David: We could say that together we have the sponsorship of Gustavo Castillo who helps us in the “coaching” part, in addition to the support of ACOS, who have supported us since we were little and helped us to compete in their tournaments and we are very grateful.
David also has the help of the All Merick store, which gives them the boards at a very good price, and he also has the help of Nativa Dental Care of Dr. Yuliana Umaña.

How do you feel about working with Gustavo Castillo?

It's been great, he's helped us a lot. This year we had the goal of going to all the dates of the National Surf Circuit, but unfortunately the pandemic hit. But working with him is very good, both with tactics in the water and exercises out of it.

How do they manage to surf at Playa Hermosa or other beaches?

Jorge and David: We've always had surfer friends since surfing is a very social thing, and most surfers are Pura Vida, it's like a culture. So sometimes we'd ask friends for rides when my dad was working and couldn't take us. Other times we'd all chip in and go by taxi, leaving our things with locals who knew us.

Surfing Republica - Jorge Monge surfing.

Where are they originally from?

Jorge and David: We are Costa Ricans and were born in Playa Herradura and lived there throughout our childhood until about 7 years ago when we moved very close to Playa Jacó.

What do you find most exciting about surfing?

Jorge and David: What we love most about surfing is that we can express ourselves however we like on the wave. Everyone has their own style and their own flow, and there are different types of conditions because it's a sport that requires a lot of harmony with nature, and we've always loved that.

Surfing Costa Rica - David Monge surfing in the National Surf Circuit.

Do you have any idols or surfers you admire, either nationally or internationally?

Jorge: Internationally I have many idols, but I greatly admire Wade Carmichael for his style, and nationally I admire Gilbert Brown's career and surfing, and my coach Gustavo Castillo, who has a lot of trophies at home, and I want to one day make history like he did.

David: I admire Filipe Toledo internationally, and nationally I admire Noe Mar McGonagle for his "backside attack".

What are your short and medium-term goals?

Jorge and David: We share the same goals, which are to increase our national recognition since we recently started competing at a competitive level. We want more people to know us, and next year we're aiming for a national title.



Surfing Costa Rica - Jorge Monge surfing.

Do they have any dreams for the future?

Jorge and David: The dream is shared since we have always talked about it, we want to be able to surf all our lives, have unforgettable experiences, travel, represent our country in a world championship hopefully and enjoy what we love to do.

How do you see the current state of surfing in Spain in terms of achieving these international dreams?

It takes a lot of money and a lot of support to succeed in surfing these days, because it requires a lot of investment to have the right conditions and not have to make so many sacrifices and focus more on the competition.

Jorge and David have demonstrated their high level in different competitions at the national level and are currently in eighth and eleventh place respectively in the Night Surf Championship courtesy of Surfing Republica, in addition in the National Surf Circuit, Jorge is fourth in the Junior category, while David is eleventh in Boys and second in the Groms category.

Written by: Enrique Hernández

General Management: Marco Montero