First and only Costa Rican surfer to appear on the cover of the defunct Surfing Magazine.

Surfing Costa Rica - Carlos Muñoz on the cover of Surfing Magazine.

In this new installment of the " Behind the Photo" section, we bring you an image that is and will be iconic for Costa Rican surfing, as it is the cover of a 2013 issue of Surfing Magazine featuring Carlos Muñoz, the only Costa Rican ever to appear in this magazine, which ceased publication in 2017. Carlitos will tell us how much this photo has meant to his sporting career.

Where and when was the photo taken?

The photo was taken in Huatulco, Mexico, and I don't remember the exact year.

Who took the photo?

This specific photo was taken by Tom Carey.

Did you ever know before the photo came out that it was going to be the cover of Surfing magazine?

No, well, the contracts said that every time you appeared in a quarter page, double page in Latin or Costa Rican magazines you could earn money, but you dreamed of appearing in Surfing Magazine since the contracts were for even more money.

What was your reaction when you saw the photo on the magazine cover?

Imagine! When they told me I was on the cover, I couldn't even believe it, let alone that there were so many pages of me inside. It was a historic edition for me because it helped me to make myself known in the world of surfing and consolidate the good relationship I had with Volcom and Red Bull.

Surfing Costa Rica - Carlos Muñoz on the cover of Surfing Magazine.

What did it mean to you to be the first and only Costa Rican in Surfing Magazine?

It meant a lot to be the first Costa Rican to appear on the cover and have an article inside the magazine called “ Four Steps From The Third World.” I've always worked hard, surfing for Volcom for years and years, where the company gradually gave me more trust until I made Team A and represented all of Latin America. There are many things that can be repeated in life, but I think this one can't be repeated because the magazine no longer exists, and being the only Costa Rican and one of the Latinos on its cover will go down in history, and I feel very grateful to Jesus and to God for guiding me on my path.

 

How much did your appearance in the magazine generate for you financially?

It generated quite a bit of money for me; the cover alone was worth ten thousand dollars, and divided among the other pages it came to approximately fifteen thousand dollars. And it was the first time I had ever earned so much money from a magazine.

Do you have any anecdotes related to this trip to Huatulco?

The whole Volcom team was there: Ezekiel Lau, Mitch Coleborn, Dusty Pane, Gavin Beschen, Miguel Tudela, Andrew Doheny, and the Volcom bosses. It was one of the first trips where we all went as a team. For me, it was incredible to be with some of my idols. The funny thing is, that wave was the first one I caught on the trip, and I threw down an aerial slob and landed it well. Dusty Pane was coming in at that moment, and when we got back to the lineup, he said to me in English, "Wow, it looks like you've got super glue on you." I was really excited because he'd seen it. The trip in general was great because I shared a house they rented with the whole filming and recording crew, the bosses, and we went surfing some really good waves that were perfect for videos too.

How would you describe the wave on this beach where the photo was taken?

The wave is a right point and so I clicked with the photographer and he himself told me that the photo had turned out incredible because of the color of the water and the position where the photo was taken.

Personally, why do you think this photo was chosen for the cover?

I think it was because at that moment I clicked with the photographer and the way the water comes out, the figure eight that the "leash" is forming, the stones in the background, the color on the boards, it was all a complement and people liked it.

Surfing Costa Rica - Carlos Muñoz on the cover of Surfing Magazine.

Photography by: Tom Carey.

Written by: Enrique Hernández

General Management: Marco Montero