I attested to the fact that this Costa Rican luxury resort is home to some of the world's best surfers.

"Pura vida. Pura vida." An legendary surf break on the northwest coast of Costa Rica, Witch's Rock, is seeing a large influx of waves after an extended period of calm. Out of the blue, the roughly twenty ticos in the water have begun chanting the national mantra, which means "pure life," as if offering gratitude to the surf gods for sending us waves. Hurrying to be in the best possible position to grab a ride, we all paddle furiously toward the horizon.

 I usually sit back and let the locals have priority since I'm one of the few gringos in the water, but when Jair Pérez is on my side, everyone treats me like surf royalty. I am fortunate to have as my guest surf instructor today Hanna Storrosten, a 28-year-old co-founder of SurfX, a new women-run surf school at the Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo, and the 32-year-old reigning national surf champion of Costa Rica, who is also a local hero.

I get a little carried away and start paddling towards the first wave, but Pérez swiftly seizes my leash and pulls me back. "Patience," he says, his smile betraying his emotions. Being able to read the water has been my surfing ace card throughout the years. When I'm at a new break, it helps to ride alongside someone who knows the waves like the back of their hand. Two riders are caught in the initial wave, as predicted by Pérez. 

"Start paddling hard now," he shouts, "and go left." 

With Storrosten paddling alongside me, I am reminded that the board will track my eyes. "Look down, you'll go down," she instructs. "Look left, you'll go left." 

My knuckles dig into the murky depths. When I sense the wave's momentum under my board, I quickly stand up, set my edge, and look left toward the shore as I soar down the wave's face. More and more, the other surfers yell "pura vida" to encourage me. As I continue my journey, I will eventually reach Santa Rosa National Park and the beach at Playa Naranjo. 

Roja Bruja, often known as Witch's Rock, is a mysterious rock that stands tall behind the surfers as I paddle back out. The surf break can only be reached by boat because the national park is still closed owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Storrosten and Pérez are familiar with almost every face on the lake, and this morning is peaceful, with only four boats bobbing by the formidable rock. 

Offshore winds are increasing the size of the swell. The reason Pérez is called "the Little Giant of Latin America" is demonstrated when he attacks a huge wave and gracefully carves up and down its face. Underwater, he's a monster despite his little stature (only 5 feet tall). On the wave behind him, the lanky blonde Storrosten takes off, almost barreled. 

As a youth, I fantasized about surfing Witch's Rock. Thanks to Bruce Brown's iconic surf documentary "Endless Summer II," the A-frame wave has become a global phenomenon, attracting surfers from all corners of the globe. 

Two world-class waves are right outside the Four Seasons' doorstep. Just twenty more minutes on the water will bring you to Ollie's Point, a world-renowned right-hand point break. "If one wave isn't working, we go to the next," Storrosten explains and continues. "It's rare that we can't find surf." 

Diaz Coto quickly gained fame and admiration for her courageous, hard-charging surfing style once she figured out how to let her board do the talking. Once she made history by being the first woman to appear on the cover of Surfos—the most popular surf magazine in Latin America—Rosy signed her as a team rider, and she went on to win the Costa Rican surfing national championship. 

At 46 years old, she is a single mother of three who instructs instead of competing and is widely regarded as one of the best surf educators in the nation. "Women have a different teaching style," according to her. "We take more time to break down technique and help [surfers] find the sweet spot of a wave." 

I'm aiming to improve my surfing abilities on larger waves at SurfX. Storrosten guides me in the proper way of thinking and explains the technique. 

"A big part of surfing is learning to believe in yourself," I hear her say. 

Storrosten, a Norwegian native, missed out on college to pursue surfing after riding her first wave in Costa Rica when she was 19 years old. 

"I had never felt more alive," she remembers. "I was immediately addicted to that feeling." She went back to Costa Rica with a biology degree, and the surfers there welcomed her with open arms. By hiring national stand-up paddleboard champion Valeria Salutsri and local sensation Pérez as guest coaches for SurfX, she intends to promote and nurture local talent. 

Pérez had to find a way to get money when the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to tournaments. Full-time employees at SurfX receive a salary plus perks, while freelance teachers in the surf hamlet of Tamarindo earn six times as much as they would at competing organizations. And there's more than just surfing that guests pick up from the experts. In addition, they get a front-row seat to the local surf culture. 

Pérez shows me pictures of jaguar prints on Ollie's beach and a popular social media snapshot of a real jaguar relaxing on the sand while a surfer paddles a short distance away as we return to the Four Seasons via boat. Storrosten and Pérez are streaming the Billabong Pro Pipeline event happening on the North Shore of Oahu while I'm there, so we can root for Brisa Hennessy and rookie Carlos Munoz of Costa Rica, two competitors I had completely overlooked. They argue about the top taco joints to hit after a surf session, as we talk about local surfboard shapers. 

Diaz Coto has previously stated, "our waves are great, but the best thing about Costa Rica is the people." What she said was spot on. The greatest part of surfing in Costa Rica is mingling with the people, so don't come to surf and ignore them. Have a look at the Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica in Peninsula Papagayo's hotel options and SurfX program details here.