Help Jairo: An Inspiring Journey to the World Surf League

Please help our friend, community leader, mentor, and local Costa Rican surfer, Jairo Perez, realize his dreams. He is currently in need of finances and support to enter a full 1 year schedule of the WSL (World Surf League) to earn points and advance onto the World Surfing Tour. Your support will fund contest entry fees, travel expenses, coaching, and quality equipment for a year of competitions. Every dollar helps him advance and he will go as far as he is able to, with the funds we're able to raise.

Jairo has an incredible life story, that's copied below in his own words. His dream is to inspire children whose drive, perseverance, hope, and determination prove to be stronger than the circumstances they are born into. He has the ability to change the world in a positive way and spread a message of undeterred hope. Honestly, we could all use a little light right now—and Jairo is it. To know him is to love him. If you're looking for a way to make a positive difference in the world, even a small one, here's your chance. Hope is a powerful thing, especially in lower economic areas, and I implore you to give this local family hope. Investing in Jairo's hard-earned dreams WILL spark a fire that ignites so many other lives. Let's join hands and lift this man up!

Jairo Perez- My Story

My destiny was tied to the ocean from the very beginning. I was born the 8th child of nine, into the neighborhood of Infiernito (Little Hell), just steps from the waves in the center of Playa Hermosa. My family beginnings were humble: dirt floors, rice and beans and a shared wooden bed-frame with a thin piece of foam for all of us kids to sleep. My father was of indigenous heritage, from Puriscal, and my

mother was a native of the Hermosa/Quebrada Amarillio area. What I lacked in peace, provision, and comfort… was softened by the beauty of nature, the sound of the rising tides, and the freedom I felt

watching the waves.

My mother recently remembered an argument with my father when I was tiny. Apparently, I was born for adventure. She said I “escaped like a panther and ran at the speed of light” down to watch the waves.

My dad told her to lock me up and keep an eye on me, so I didn’t get hurt. I don’t have memory of it, but apparently on one of my “escapes,” some local surfers paddled me out at Bowies Point for my first

taste of surfing at the age of 3...much to my parents' dismay when they found out.

The pressures of life weighed heavy on my parents trying to sustain us all. Soon after I turned 4 years old, my mom and dad split up, leaving nine children in the wake of chaos and confusion. I remember

watching my mom load her suitcase into a taxi as I stood by sobbing. I didn’t see her again until I was grown. My dad sunk deeper into despair, turning to alcohol to numb the pain. He was unable to take

care of the youngest of us kids.

I probably would have ended up in a government children’s home, if it weren’t for my 15 year old sister, Mita, stepping in and taking on raising the three youngest kids. I’ve always admired her courage and grit,

especially since she was still so young herself. She gave up her dreams and put her life on hold for us. Keeping up with us was quite the challenge. Her earliest memories of me were similar to my mom’s.

Apparently, I ran everywhere, very fast and often disappeared on “adventures”. As early as sunrise I would disappear from the casita. In a panic, she’d rush to the beach and find me sitting by the sea

watching the surfers, a tiny 5-year-old dreaming of catching waves.

Mita worked at the Backyard Hotel restaurant nearby. Her boss, Timiteo, was a surfer. I spent countless hours watching him and other surfers on the waves, hoping to find my way back onto a surfboard. He

took notice and soon asked my sister if he could take me to surf. Despite my family knowing nothing about surfing, I was blessed by the kindness of those who witnessed my passion and took me under their wing. For this, I am eternally grateful as it propelled me toward my destiny.

During the 5 years that I lived with my sister, I spent countless hours at the gate of the road that now goes to neighborhoods and all the best surf breaks in Playa Hermosa. My brothers, friends, and I welcomed surfers from all over the world through the entryway to the beach we called home. They often tossed us a few coins for access to our local paradise.

At the age of nine, my sister could no longer take care of my siblings and me. She was married now with a little girl of her own and her husband had been injured in a terrible motorcycle accident. The pressure

and stress was too much. So, she sent us to Jaco where my father lived at the time. Though it was difficult to leave Hermosa, doors opened for me in Jaco. Knowing how passionate I was about surfing,

my older brother, Tingi, worked tirelessly for two months on his newspaper route to purchase my first surfboard. It was a broken longboard painted with smiling rainbow fish artwork. Piko, the shaper,

shaped it into a tiny, short board, just my size. This is my first memory of feeling empowered…I was on my way to the waves! What had been an old beat up board, became a beautiful new beginning. The

smiling rainbow fish on the bottom of that board captured my feelings in that moment perfectly.

Surfing was my escape, and the ocean was the one place I felt like I belonged; it was home. Despite my father being trapped in his addictions and unable to be present, I was blessed with people in Jaco who

took me in and gave me places to stay. They helped me with school and took me to surf contests. They encouraged me to stay away from drugs and alcohol and planted seeds in my heart to work toward

goals and success. People like Juan Calderon, Chappie Bunch, Jean Carlos, and many others were angels along my path. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their support and encouragement. Surfing was second nature to me and I quickly advanced. The dreams I had as a tiny boy in Hermosa became reality. I loved competing and this is when I felt the most like myself. The thrill of it propelled me to work harder and dream bigger. As I won national titles in my age group, doors opened to expand onto participating in a few international events. But even with success, I still felt like something was missing.

Many of my friends’ parents and families came to cheer them on at the contests. Sadly, I did not have a cohesive family, and I often felt alone chasing my purpose. My victories and newspaper features should

have given me a sense of accomplishment and joy…but they felt empty. At the age of 15, I sank into depression and a feeling of hoplessness. One day as I walked toward the beach in Jaco with tears streaming down my face, I thought about ending my life. Miraculously, a voice called out to me asking if I needed help. This voice belonged to Alex, a local leader with Christian Surfers. He saw my despair and asked if he could pray for me. I felt love and genuine compassion from him. Many people offered to help me with food or a place to stay as a kid, but very few thought to ask or know how I felt internally. Alex became a friend and mentor. Being a translator, he encouraged me to learn the English language.

Tragically, the following year, Alex was killed in a bicycle accident. However, his kindness completely changed the trajectory of my life. His legacy lives on through me in how live my life, day in and day out -

seeking to bless people and pray for them in their time of need. In that way. Love and kindness never die.

By the age of 20 I won my first Junior WSL Qualifying Series event in Virginia Beach and made the semifinals of the men’s pro event. I was hopeful and dreamed of competing more regularly to make the WSL

World Tour. I was approached by several corporate surfing sponsors and was promised resources to help make my dreams a reality. Unfortunately, I was mostly on my own trying to navigate contracts and offers. I didn’t have family or anyone who could help me with the business end of “making it,” and I ended up discouraged with a string of broken promises. Some of it was my fault, I didn’t know how or who to ask for guidance and help. I was the kid trying to make the adventure on my own, with a smile on my face and a dream in my heart, but I lacked understanding from my humble upbringing. I competed when I could but never had the budget to partake in enough contests to move up the points standings in

international circuits. Despite those roadblocks, I continued competing in Costa Rica and became the Men’s Open National Champion in 2013.

After that championship I felt fulfilled, but also a bit discouraged. My real dream was to compete internationally, but it was a tremendous weight to navigate securing the resources to do so. Costa Rica is a tiny nation and the opportunity for sponsorship to compete against the best from around the world is very limited. So, I decided to take a break from competition; I couldn’t see a viable path forward. I still had the dream in my heart but felt like was at a dead end on the journey to my destiny.

In 2016 I met my wife at a coffee shop in Jaco and we were married soon after. Our son was born two years later, and I finally had a complete family of my own. They encouraged me to surf and do what I love again; I found a new inspiration. I finally had someone in my corner, a family of my own cheering for me. I felt there was a promise for my life and our family and I had hope to achieve it. There were many ups and downs but over the next 4 years, I competed, won, and created goals to keep advancing. I’d never had an actual surf coach before, so I asked Jim Hogan for his help and guidance. After working hard, I was selected to the national surf team once again along with the Olympic Process. In 2019 I set the goal to become men’s open national champion again and accomplished national records on the way to achieving my goal. With the Olympic qualification on the horizon and several successes, I felt it was

finally time to take flight and compete a full schedule on the WSL Qualifying Tour.

In March of 2020 I was in Cocoa Beach, FL for the QS 1000 event with several other events to follow, when the COVID shutdowns began. Everything we planned for, saved for, and dreamed of was put on

hold. The rest of the season was cancelled as the entire world stood still. During that time, we had to move out of our home and stayed with friends. The life and goals we were working toward came to a

screeching halt and we had to shift our focus. The sustained economic hardships from the lock downs forced us to decide to move to Guanacaste so I could work at the Four Seasons surf school in 2021.

Taking care of my family was priority and I wasn’t sure if I would ever compete again. During our two years in Guanacaste, my wife became very sick with black mold poisoning and several health issues.

Those were some truly dark times, but we didn’t give up hope and we used the challenges to work on inner healing. It’s funny how hardships can turn a life for the better, though it is painful at the time. In

2023 we left Costa Rica to seek help for my wife’s medical condition in the US. At this point, surfing seemed like a distant dream, and I resolved to be ok if I never surfed again. All that mattered was my family.

One day, while waiting for one of my wife’s doctor appointments in Memphis, TN (her hometown) a car parked next to us. On the back bumper there were two stickers. One said Surf’s Up Costa Rica and the

other was the Costa Rica national surf team sticker. Memphis isn’t exactly the home of surf, so this was an odd place to see those bumper stickers. We took it as divine providence, a message we couldn’t ignore. I didn’t know how it would come to pass, but deep down I knew my surfing career wasn’t finished yet. Soon after that, we received a call from Surf Dojo in Playa Hermosa, asking if I would consider a coaching and mentor position with their non-profit organization. My wife healed enough to

travel, and we returned to my childhood home in Costa Rica.

In January of 2024, I began a journey to inspire and lead kids toward a better future through the values and discipline I found in surfing. While training alongside the youth, they often inquired as to whether I

would ever compete again. Their questions felt like divine nudges, awakening my passion for competition. Those kids and my team members at Surf Dojo encouraged me to reignite the dreams and

goals I assumed had long passed me by. I felt I was called to be like a player-coach, someone who still competes and trains for their sport, while encouraging and coaching others.

I entered the Virginia Beach WQS event at their prompting and made the semi-finals this past August, securing seeding points for upcoming events. I wrote down a 3-year plan including my goal of making

the WSL Tour and tracked my daily metrics. With accountability practices in place, I work diligently to heal emotional wounds and faulty beliefs that previously hindered attempts to achieve my dreams. Today I am a much stronger person, surfer and competitor than ever before. I possess the wisdom of experience, with the physical strength of my prime, and most importantly my purpose for competing is

much greater. Through the ups and downs of life, I’ve gained resiliency, character, and a story that will inspire others.

This story will open paths for the youth in my community and nation. A dream fulfilled becomes a tree of life, and I pray the fruit from that tree feeds a multitude. I will continue to pay it forward and keep alive

the legacy of those who blessed me, took me to contests, and helped me find boards as a kid. As I continue realizing my personal dreams, I will create scholarships and programs to encourage the dreams

of others, especially the youth of my nation.

Currently, I am in need of finances and support to enter a full schedule of WSL contests to earn points and advance onto the World Tour. Qualification is a marathon, but my life experience has taught me

perseverance - one of my greatest assets. Your support will fund contest entry fees, travel expenses, coaching, and quality equipment to showcase my years of experience and natural talent. Every dream

realized is backed by supporters and people who helped make it possible. We are all connected in this life, and no one can make it alone. I surf not just for personal fulfillment, but for the youth I mentor, and

people who desire to do good in this world.

Surfing is a gift; it’s also a vehicle to touch lives and pass on the lessons I’ve learned and the kindness shown to me. It provides connection to many cultures and people from all over the world…beautiful

people who have given me encouragement, love, and support along my journey. What I lacked in stability as a child, I gained from countless kind individuals who saw me and extended a helping hand. I

thank you in advance for joining me on this journey and opening the gate to a future of hope. When you empower the right individual, doors open to empower a community and even an entire nation!

Thank you for taking the time to read and share in my story. I know everything is possible for those who believe in and work toward their dreams. The story isn’t finished yet; the best is yet to come!! Many

blessings to you and pura vida!!

Jairo Perez- Surf Achievements:

NATIONAL SURF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

*Boys and Junior National Champion (multiple years)

*Costa Rica Men’s Open National Champion 2013

*Costa Rica Men’s Open National Champion 2019/2020

*Member of National Olympic Process Surf Team 2017-2020

*ISA World Championship Team Member 2017/2018/2019/2020

INTERNATIONAL SURF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

*2007 Central American Junior Champion Guatemala

*2009 5th Place Men’s Open Pan-American Games Brazil

*2010 ECSC Vans Pro Junior Pro Champion Virginia Beach and

*Semi-Finalist Men’s Open ECSC Vans Pro

*2012 Central American Open Champion Guatemala

*NKF Open Champion Cocoa Beach, Florida 2016/2018

*2018 3rd Place WSL-QS Essential Costa Rica Pro

*2019 Top 25 at ISA Championships Japan (137 competitors including all top WSL Pros)

*2024 Semifinalist at WSL-QS ECSC Vans Pro Virginia Beach