Meet the Costa Rican who has surfed the spectacular waves of the Mentawai Islands.

Anthony is a pro surfer from Santa Teresa, Costa Rica and is one of the luckiest humans on earth, as he has spent since the border closures (until now) focused on what is commonly considered the world's richest wave-rich island chain... in its best surf season.

Since early March, Anthony has been stationed on Kandui Island, which is south of Siberut in Indonesia's Mentawai Islands.

Some of the waves in and around Kandui include: Nokandui, Rifles, Ebay, Pitstop, Bank Vaults, Hideaways, Playgrounds, among others.
Due to greed and the subsequent closure of Mentawai, Anthony has been surfing all these waves alone (or with one or two other people) for the past four months.

Excuse the lazy metaphor (alluding to the nearby waves), but this is the best surf park around, and Anthony had it all to himself for almost half a year. Jealousy is the initial reaction, but then you start to feel bad for the kid, since nothing in life will ever compare to this brief, beautiful moment in time. But hey, it'll make a good story when I'm old.

Next, we talked to Anthony about how this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came about and what it has taken away from him (besides 4,000 tubes and a killer tan).

So what brought you to Kandui in the first place? Were you destined to be a surf guide, or were you just going on a trip?

Last year, I took my first trip to Kandui with a couple of friends from Costa Rica. We had some fun surfing but didn't quite achieve what we were hoping for. That only made me more eager to return. Earlier this year, I received an email from Kandui Resort Manager Ray Wilcoxen, asking if I was ready to shoot a quick surf-focused video project during the early part of the Mentawai season. So, of course, I said yes.

Have you been at Kandui Resort all this time?

That's right. My original plan was to stay a couple of weeks until we had the footage we needed and then hop around Indonesia for a couple of months. I decided to take a break from the WQS this year and just focus on free surfing, collecting clips, and I got up the nerve to spend some time in this part of the world. Once countries started closing down because of the virus, Ray asked me if I wanted to stay and surf with his family and try to surf this area with no one around. Ray, his family, and his local crew have gone all out and made me feel like family.

When did you arrive in Kandui? And how did you decide to stay instead of returning to Costa Rica?

I arrived on Kandui Island on March 17th, and after only five days, the Indonesian government announced they would close the border. Costa Rica also recommended that its citizens return home.
It seemed like a very easy decision to stay, but I was a little nervous about what to do, since I had no idea when I would be able to leave Indonesia and return to Costa Rica. After talking with Ray, I made the decision to stay, and I have never been happier in my life! I miss my family, friends, and the town of Santa Teresa a lot, but I can talk to them every day. Knowing they are safe makes all the difference when you are so far away.

Okay, let's be realistic. The Ments issued a surf ban in April, but you weren't actually sitting on the island watching perfect waves all the time, were you?

When Indonesia announced the surfing ban in April, it was quite a blow, as April, May, and June are three of the best months of the year here, and sitting here watching perfect waves would be torture.
This is a delicate situation, and Ray has been in constant contact with the Mentawaian Government the entire time. After Ray spoke with the government, we were able to have a couple of sessions in our immediate area, but we needed to be really smart about how we managed to do it. We're super isolated on Kandui Island, far from the Mentawaian villages, so we don't pose any risk to the Mentawaian community.
It's such a scary time in the world, and Ray has been great at ensuring this island is as safe as possible. The sailing ban was lifted on June 20th, and we've been sailing all day, every day since.

What waves have you been surfing the most? Do you have a surf buddy?

It really depends on the winds, but most are Bank Vaults, Hideaways, Pistols and Kandui lefts when there's swell.

In the smaller days, we'd go to Burger World or Nipussi, and then to 4bobs every night. I've been surfing the bigger waves with Ray, and it's amazing to see how good he is in barrels considering he'll be 62 next week.

His eldest son, Dylan, has really stepped it up this year and is starting to follow his dad on the bigger days. Dylan is without a doubt the best 11-year-old I've ever seen surf, and I've been really excited to help him progress this year and keep an eye on him.
The resort also had a guest, Tomek Niewiadomski, who stayed with me throughout the lockdown. Tomek is from Poland and he's amazing. He's a beginner and it's been great spending time with him and helping him progress.

What's it like to surf these perfect (and occasionally treacherous) waves all alone?

It's an honor and a privilege to surf some of the best waves in the Mentawais with no one else around. It's such a difficult time in the world, and Ray and I talk about what's going on all the time. Ray says it best: "It would be criminal not only not to surf, but not to document what's been happening here."
Like the rest of the world, the Mentawai economy has been crushed, and Kandui has been one of the few resorts in this area that has kept its staff employed. We're working on a YouTube series that will focus on the last two months, and Ray really hopes that people will be encouraged to return to Indonesia so everyone can get back to work. But having said that, surfing alone in this area is something I'll remember for the rest of my life.

Any interesting stories we should know? Surfing-related or otherwise.

I had a scare at Bank Vaults, where I took a tumble and my board ripped a piece off my leg, taking me out of the water for a couple of weeks, but generally less serious than what can happen here.

How has your sex life been? Any suitable partners on the island, or have you been completely celibate during Covid?

[Laughs] My sex life has been pretty quiet on an isolated island like this. It's been great to focus on my surfing, health, and dedicating 100% to progression. But with that said, I'm heading home soon and hoping for some human contact.

What do you do on days without waves? Are there days without waves?

This area is crazy because it never really deflates! But when it does get small, we do some yoga and daily exercises to stay fit and relaxed. I also love sailing, and we play soccer every night with them all.

Overall, are you glad you stayed?

It was the best decision I've ever made. I feel like I've become a better surfer and a better person! I can't even begin to describe how much I appreciate Kandui and everyone else. I really want to thank Ray Wilcoxen and his family. He didn't know me before last year; he had no reason to help me, and yet he treated me like family. I'm so far from my family in Costa Rica, and Ray's family treating me like one of their own is something I'll never forget.

Original article in English from Stab Magazine:

https://stabmag.com/travel/meet-the-guy-whos-surfed-empty-kandui-bank-vaults-hideaways-etc-for-the-past-four-months/