Team USA poised to win ISA World Surfing Games in Costa Rica

 

When the rain cleared and power was restored Thursday after being knocked out by a falling tree, the United States emerged with a commanding lead in the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games at Playa Hermosa on Costa Rica.

With two days remaining in the competition -- waves are 4 to 6 feet today and the event concludes Saturday -- the United States can accumulate 19,080 points. Hawaii is in second place and the best it can do, if its remaining surfers win out, is earn 16,960 points. Next are Australia (16,720 points), South Africa (15,040) and France (14,040). (Note: Hawaii is a separate entity in this competition.)

"We're not there yet," said Ian Cairns, head coach of the PacSun USA Surf Team. "But the team did a great job and we're very well positioned as we move into the final two days of the competition."

Cory Lopez, Ben Bourgeois, Sage Erickson, Courtney Conlogue and longboarders Toni Silvagni and Steven Newton, among others, have helped the U.S. to the top position.

There is a live video link, but good luck; I could not get the player to work. And for a Costa Rican perspective, check out the story in the English-language Tico Times.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Santa Ana's Courtney Conlogue in action at the World Surfing Games. Credit: A.J. Neste / Surfing America

Costa Rica is happiest, greenest place on earth, survey says

Costa Rica is for many outdoors enthusiasts the most magnificent place on earth. The Central American nation is blessed with good surf. It teems with more than 800 bird species. Its fishing fleets ply waters that abound with sailfish and tarpon. Its eco-lodges are watched over by tall green trees and monkeys.

Its volcanoes are sights to behold and with this in mind we share an image captured recently by Zach Smith of Arenal.net, a website promoting tourism to and around Costa Rica's spectacular Arenal Volcano.

Now Costa holds another distinction: happiest and greenest place on earth.

A survey by the New Economics Foundation, a British think tank, made the determination after looking at 143 countries that are home to 99% of the world's population and using an equation weighing life expectancy and happiness against environmental impact.

Costa Rica, whose rich biodiversity is breathtaking, emerged just ahead of the Dominican Republic and well above the United States with its 114th ranking. Australia was third.

The survey found that Costa Ricans, with their pura vida or "pure life" outlook, have a life expectancy of 78.5 years, and 85% of those interviewed said they were happy. That combined with the nation's tiny ecological footprint helped place it atop the Happy Planet Index.

The happy part is somewhat surprising as I've been there many times and witnessed poverty and know that lots of women and even girls there are drawn to prostitution, which sadly is also a primary tourist attraction for some. 

As sociologist Andrea Fonseca said in an Agence France-Presse story about the survey, Costa Rica's rise to the top of the happy list "has a lot to do with social imagination." Not that there's anything wrong with that.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica. Credit: Zach Smith

Honduras earthquake rattles nerves of divers, anglers throughout Caribbean

When the 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Caribbean region at 2:24 a.m. today, scuba-diving tourists near the epicenter on the island of Roatan fled from dwellings and those on the island's low-lying west end ran into the hills.

Residents and employees did too.

"Everybody got out of the house instantly, " said PJ Rowntree, owner of Coconut Tree Divers on the small island beyond Honduras, which received the most damage. "Many of them ran off in their night clothes."

The earthquake, centered offshore beyond Honduras, reportedly killed at least two people and toppled more than two dozen homes in Honduras and Belize to the north. It also collapsed a bridge spanning Honduras' largest river, the Ulua. However, in Belize, which also is a diving and fly-fishing paradise, tourist areas seemed to weather the shaking. 

Jake Sinna, general manager of Turneffe Flats resort on a small offshore atoll, said,  "I thought it was a thunderstorm moving in, but when the house shook for about 10 seconds I realized that it must be something else, like an earthquake. After inspection of my surroundings, I quickly turned to others who might be in need of assistance."

Sinna said, "Everything is back to normal" on Turneffe Atoll (pictured) and seemingly throughout Belize City.

In Honduras and remote areas in Belize, however, residents were being urged not to panic. The earthquake, which was felt elsewhere in Central America as well, occurred four months after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake killed dozens of residents and stranded hundreds of tourists in remote areas of Costa Rica.

Thankfully, the Honduras quake, because it was centered offshore, was not so destructive. Outposts will try to update this item later today.

— Pete Thomas

Photo of Turneffe Atoll courtesy of Turneffe Flats resort

Swine flu hysteria spanning global outdoors realm; is any place safe?

The swine flu scare is now global and some of the world's premier outdoors destinations have become swept up in the hysteria.

So if you're a bird-watcher with plans to visit, say, Costa Rica, you may wonder whether it's safe. Of course it is, but there are no guarantees, just as there are none while staying home.

People are contracting the virus in Southern California and New York and in U.S. points between. The virus reportedly has been detected in Australia, New Zealand, England, Canada, Spain and numerous other countries.

There are wonderful destinations where it has not yet surfaced, among them Hawaii, Cuba and Costa Rica. Oops, check that: Two hours ago the Tico Times reported that "a 21-year-old Costa Rican woman has become the country's first case of swine flu and is in stable condition."

This does not mean that tourists should avoid Costa Rica, just as they should not strike every single location in Mexico off their travel list. But don't step onto the airplane with a cough, or you might be turned away after you land. Seriously. It's happening.

Is Costa Rica becoming a new major theater for drug traffickers?

Costa Rica, one of the world's most beautiful countries and a paradise for all manner of outdoors enthusiasts, is concerned about increased drug trafficking and its ability to effectively deal with the issue.

A story in this week's English-language Tico Times cites a series of recent incidents and arrests and suggests that drug cartels, which may be finding it more difficult to move product into the U.S. via Mexico, are seeking new arenas in which to operate.

Could it be that Mexico's war on drug trafficking is having this unfortunate side effect? Perhaps. Cocaine seizures in Costa Rica, for example, increased from 2,955 kilos in 2002 to more than 32,000 kilos in 2007.

Bruce Bagley, editor of the book "Drug Trafficking in America," and the department chair of International Studies at the University of Miami, told the Tico Times: "Drug traffickers are finding Mexico to be too dangerous, violent and risky, which has caused them to look for other routes through Central America and the Caribbean."

What will this mean for tourism in a land renowned for surfing, fishing, bird-watching and whitewater rafting? It should not be a major issue, but consider what's happened in Mexico. Many have stopped visiting that country because of a perceived danger to tourists.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Costa Rica's Arenal volcano, situated along Lake Arenal, flares up in this 1992 handout file photo.

Jeremy Lusk Foundation keeps memory alive and helps FMX move more safely forward

The period of mourning may not have ended but the Metal Mulisha has been pressing forward since the falling of one of its stars, freestyle motocross rider Jeremy Lusk, who died Feb. 9 as a result of injuries suffered during a crash in Costa Rica.

On Wednesday, the Jeremy Lusk Tribute Exhibit will open at the San Diego Hall of Champions at 2131 Pan American Plaza in Balboa Park. The San Diego-born rider's bike, gear and trophies will be on display. The ribbon-cutting ceremony is at 3 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Lusk Legacy Foundation is accepting donations and has numerous items for sale, including a Jeremy Lusk action print signed by the Temecula-based Mulisha.

The foundation will attempt to achieve a higher standard of safety at freestyle motocross events and "embodies positive values, such as courage, individualism and family."

It "recognizes the value of an involved membership and seeks to encourage that involvement with accurate and transparent communication."

Last among its core values: "The Jeremy Lusk Foundation embraces the values of which it was founded upon in recognition of Jeremy Lusk -- friendship, camaraderie, enthusiasm for each other and the spirit of freestyle motocross."

Lusk was 24. He'd recently become a Christian and had the words "In God's Hands" tattooed across his chest. You can buy T-shirts stamped with those very words from the foundation and Mulisha websites. The $25 cost, Lusk's thousands of fans will agree, is money well spent.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Metal Mulisha

'Kingdom of the Blue Whale' to air Sunday night on National Geographic Channel

Marine mammal enthusiasts on Sunday can journey to the wintering grounds of the planet's largest and perhaps its most majestic creature: the blue whale.

"Kingdom of the Blue Whale," which will air at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time on the National Geographic Channel, will feature remarkable footage, including what is believed to be the first-ever underwater footage of a newborn blue whale, which is no minnow, measuring 25 feet. (See video below.)

The documentary will chronicle the efforts of scientists as they locate and tag blue whales off California -- where the mammals spend summer months -- and rejoin the graceful leviathans at the Costa Rica Dome far beyond the shore of the Central American nation.

These experts have spent years observing and filming courtship and feeding behavior of blue whales and part of their mission for the documentary is "to find and record the Holy Grail of blue whale science -- the breeding and calving grounds of the biggest mammals in the sea."

Also touched upon are the fairly recent vessel-strike fatalities of four blue whales in one season off California, and what can be done to help prevent these accidents in the future.

The show is a must-see for anyone interested in nature and its many wonders. Below is just a taste:

-- Pete Thomas

Photo courtesy of National Geographic Channel

Fred Hall fishing show opens today at Long Beach Convention Center

Employers throughout Southern California take note: If you have workers who enjoy fishing and have called in sick today, chances are good you'll find them inside the Long Beach Convention Center after 2 p.m.

Today marks the opening of the 63rd Fred Hall's Fishing Tackle and Boat Show, and for anglers it's not to be missed.

The world's largest fishing show runs through Sunday and features more than 3,000 exhibits and nearly nonstop seminars.

For many, it's a place to choose and book their next big fishing vacation, as concessionaires from Alaska to Argentina, and points far beyond, will be on hand.

For others, it's a place to load up on the latest fishing supplies at a time when springlike weather is beginning to beckon them back onto the ocean and to their favorites mountain streams and lakes.

Witchcraft believed by some to be affecting villagers in Nicaragua

I've been to Nicaragua and explored its narrow jungle rivers by night on a jon boat. I got stuck on a sandbar and had to get out and push. A large crocodile came into focus beneath the light of the moon, and I walked on water.

Thankfully, I never contracted grisi siknis, also called "crazy sickness."

Nor had I ever heard of an ailment that is currently affecting Miskito communities along the Río Coco, leading to an influx of doctors and indigenous healers, who are not sure what causes a disease that generates collective hysteria among its victims.

Some are convinced it's a curse or the result of witchcraft, and there are many in the area who believe in such things. When I was there, a local shaman, who lived near the San Carlos River on a stilted house, was said to possess remarkable healing powers.

Economic worries won't stop Fred Hall show from ushering in fishing season

Sales might not be as brisk during this year's Fred Hall Fishing Tackle and Boat Show at the Long Beach Convention Center, but thousands will attend regardless of the beleaguered economy to help usher in the spring fishing season.

The 68th rendition of the show will run March 4-8 and boast more than 3,000 exhibits, and offer almost nonstop seminars. Trucks, boats, kayaks and trailers will be for sale, along with every type of fishing excursion and modern fishing product known to man.

You can subscribe to any of numerous fishing magazines -- Fish Taco Chronicles has nothing to do with Mexican food but is crammmed with stories and photos -- and meet such radio/TV personalities as Pete Gray, Philip Friedman, Dan Hernandez and Ronnie Kovach.

Jeremy Lusk funeral forecast calls for rain, lots of tears and a fond remembrance

The forecast calls for rain Monday, but that's not likely to prevent fans of Jeremy Lusk from attending the freestyle motocross star's funeral.

If reaction to Lusk's death days after a horrific accident last Saturday is any indication, hundreds, perhaps thousands will be on hand for the 1 p.m. service at the Revival Christian Fellowship Church at 29220 Scott Rd. in Menifee, Calif.

"WE WOULDN’T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD. WE WOULD EVEN HITCH HIKE IF WE HAD TOO," reads one of hundreds of comments Metal Mulisha website.

Another reads, "I wish all the boys will fire up their bikes for you one last time and lead you to your final resting place."

This website had more than 200 comments related to the Lusk tragedy, and Lusk items had more than 150,000 viewers from all over the world. An overwhelming majority expressed sympathy, shock and  good  wishes to Lusk's wife, Lauren, his family, and the Metal Mulisha group.

Armageddon? In wake of so many disasters, one can't help but wonder

It feels like Armageddon.

Part of Australia becomes a raging inferno, killing more than 180 people and perhaps millions of animals, and elsewhere Down Under, floods have forced people from their homes and into watery streets they now share with crocodiles.

Costa Rica is still reeling from an earthquake and subsequent landslides last month, which killed more than two dozen people and left hundreds homeless.

In parts of the continental United States, ice storms and tornadoes in the last two weeks have caused death and destruction.

Meanwhile in Alaska, a volcano near the Cook Inlet appears ready to blow its top and threatens to rain smoke and ash over much of the Pacific Northwest.

All of this -- plus a good deal more, I'm sure -- at a time when the economy, thanks to years of corporate greed and consumer naivete, has tumbled into an abyss so deep and gooey it might not climb out for years.

Reaction: What is the cause of all this? Can anyone age 50 or younger recall a more depressing or frightening time on this planet? Are all of these disasters some karmic response to man's blight-like existence on earth, or pure coincidence?

Jeremy Lusk hardly forgotten, still 'on the ride of his life'

In the wake of Jeremy Lusk's tragic death early Tuesday, as a result of a weekend crash during a freestyle motocross competition in Costa Rica, I was asked by a few people if any other top rider had perished at an FMX event.

The answer, which might surprise some, is no, according to memory and experts in a motocross discipline that began to flourish in the late 1990s.

These athletes are meticulous in training and are not reckless, contrary to some comments on a previous blog item.

The grace they exhibit, while performing handstands and seat grabs above and below their flipping bikes while soaring across 100-foot jumps, is a result of countless hours of practice in foam pits and on home courses.

The problem is, execution has to be nearly perfect to avoid serious consequences--and top riders, all of whom have experienced injury and concussion, understand that death is possible. Now a fatality has occurred and the FMX community remains in shock and mourning.

Here's a Metal Mulisha statement making the rounds, and it is inspirational:

Jeremy Lusk still in critical condition as a result of FMX accident in Costa Rica

Action sports fans continue to pull for Jeremy Lusk, who remains comatose after a freestyle motocross accident in Costa Rica that was so painful to watch I refuse to post the video on this blog.

(Anyone who wants to see it knows the process.)

Seriously, all I hope for, as it pertains to Lusk and his family, is a happy ending to this story, which remains possible.

A Monday night update from a spokeswoman for the Metal Mulisha, for whom Lusk rides:

--Jeremy remains in a medically induced coma at Calderon Hospital in San Jose, Costa Rica.

--He's still in very critical condition.

--Doctors have lowered his core body temperature to continue to treat swelling of the brain.

--Thankfully, his brain is functioning.

--Plans remain to transport Jeremy to a U.S. trauma center as soon as possible, perhaps as early as Tuesday morning.

--Jeremy's parents, Chuck and Gina Lusk, are with their son in Costa Rica.

The Metal Mulisha publicist reminds fans that an emergency fund to help defer costs of medical care has already been established and is set up to take donations.

All donations made through this site are earmarked directly for Jeremy's care. Donations are appreciated, but so are good wishes, which can work wonders.

--Pete Thomas

File photo of Jeremy Lusk courtesy of Metal Mulisha

Jeremy Lusk fund is accepting donations to help pay for injured FMX star's care

The action sports world remains stunned but in support of freestyle motocross star Jeremy Lusk, who remains hospitalized and in critical condition after suffering a horrific weekend crash during a competition in Costa Rica.

An emergency fund to help pay for medical care has been established and is accepting donations. Those able to help can visit the Athlete Recovery Fund website and click on the donation button.

All donations made via this website are earmarked specifically for Lusk's care. As soon as Lusk's condition stabilizes he will be transported to a U.S.-based head trauma center.

Lusk, of Temecula, is a beloved action sports figure and member of the Metal Mulisha team of riders. The latest report posted on the MM website: "Jeremy’s condition is critical and the latest we've heard is that he's out of surgery and they're waiting for the swelling to go down on his brain."

Fans might also wish to visit the Pray for Jeremy Lusk blog for updates.

---Pete Thomas

Photo courtesy of Metal Mulisha

Jeremy Lusk in critical condition after crash during FMX event in Costa Rica

Freestyle motocross fans and anyone with a heart ought to send positive vibes Jeremy Lusk's way. He's in Costa Rica in a coma after enduring a horrific crash during a competition Saturday night in the Central American nation.

Cheryl Lynch, a publicist for the Metal Mulisha team of riders, is sharing what is known so far:

--Lusk, of Temecula, is in Calderon Hospital in San Jose, in stable but critical condition with swelling of the brain. His coma was medically induced.

--He did require surgery immediately after hospitalization "to treat a subdural hematoma on the brain." Surgery lasted more than four hours.

---X-rays to the neck and spinal column revealed no breaks. The hospital "is not reporting other injuries at this time."

--Doctors report that they will know more Jeremy's future prognosis within the next crucial 36 to 48 hours.

Lusk's wife, Lauren, and her father arrived in Costa Rica this morning. Metal Muslisha founder and FMX icon Brian Deegan also has traveled to Costa Rica.

Here's hoping for a happy ending to this unfortunate story!

--Pete Thomas

Photo: Jeremy Lusk in action last year during X Games Mexico event. Credit: Renol/Shazamm/ESPN Images

Costa Rica earthquake aftermath: return to normalcy slow and painful

Tourists have gotten out of Costa Rica safely but residents and business owners are still reeling in the aftermath of the 6.2-magnitude earthquake that shook the Central American nation Jan. 8, killing at least 23 people and destroying more than 400 homes.

Leland Baxter-Neal, a reporter for the English-language Tico Times, wrote a story for the Wednesday edition of the Miami Herald, in which he described the damage and provided a sense of what transpired that day in a country renown for its remarkable biodiversity and natural splendor.

In an email to me he provided the following tidbits:

--About 1,500 people remain in shelters and seven people who remain missing are presumed dead.

--The government is trying to move families from shelters into homes by offering to pay the first three months' rent, plus deposit, as long as rent doesn't exceed $200. "Which isn't much in the city where I live," Baxter-Neal said. "But I guess that might be reasonable in the little villages where they're trying to resettle people."

--A Chilean agency called Un Techo Para Mi Pais, or A Roof for My Country, has begun a campaign to build 200 temporary houses to get people out of shelters, but needs help raising the $1,000 it will cost to build each house.

Costa Rica earthquake: the heart-wrenching aftermath

It has been five days since a devastating earthquake struck Costa Rica, and there are people outside the country who have yet to make contact with family and friends.

Leland Baxter-Neal, a reporter with Costa Rica's English-language newspaper, the Tico Times, has been reading comments on Outposts and this morning sent me a note that might be of interest to those still trying to locate loved ones, and to those who have developed close relationships with residents of the beautiful Central American nation.

From Leland:

I've been covering this disaster for The Tico Times since it struck last Thursday and was in the area walking through some of the damaged towns (Fraijanes and Poasito) and talking with evacuees and officials at a shelter/tent camp/rescue command post. Perhaps I can help your readers get a better idea of what happened, and what is happening.

First off, to all the readers that are worried about friends and family traveling, studying or living down here in Costa Rica: there is a 99% chance they are fine. If they were in any part of the country except for a small radius near the Poas Volcano, they did not feel much more than a startling shake, if even that.

The only tourist area that was affected was the La Paz Waterfall Gardens, and the Peace Lodge Hotel, which are right next to each other. I spoke with the manager of that hotel today who said the worst injury was a woman with a broken ankle. He said there were no deaths at the hotel or in the gardens.

Costa Rica earthquake death toll climbs; shaking continues and nerves remain frayed

The search for victims continues in Costa Rica in the aftermath of Thursday's 6.2-magnitude earthquake, which is believed responsible for as many as 34 deaths, according to CNN.

On Saturday, the Judicial Investigation Police released names of nine of the victims: Ana María Rodríguez Picado, Yitsi Tatiana Oliva Díaz, Maricela Argüello Díaz, Miguel Arteta Montoya, Roberto Jara Jiménez, Jeremy Alfaro Arias, Roberto Chavez Solis, Edwin Masis Villegas and Fabián Andrés Díaz Solis.

Forty-three people were still missing in the Vara Blanca and Cinchona areas, which are closest to the epicenter and about 20 miles northwest of the capital city of San Jose. Many residents are without water and there have been reports of looting in vacated areas.

The Tico Times quoted the tourism minister as saying many of the tourists stranded in the Vara Blanca area near the popular La Paz Waterfall Gardens left the area on foot. The newspaper added, "accounts from tourists that made it out described the elaborate and renowned gardens as 'totally destroyed,' and the hotel as seriously damaged."

From his home in San Jose, college student Francisco Quijano said in an interview that there was another aftershock this morning and that residents remained on edge.

Quijano said a large truck drove past his home late last night, causing the walls and floors to shake, "and my mother nearly had a heart attack."

Here's hoping for less shaking and a speedy return to normalcy. Outposts, again, offers heartfelt condolences to those who have suffered losses.

Photo: Fishermen ply the San Juan River in a dugout canoe. Credit: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times

Costa Rica's earthquake death toll mounts; many still missing or stranded

As feared, the death toll in the aftermath of Thursday's magnitude 6.1 earthquake has grown. The Red Cross is confirming at least nine fatalities related to the earthquake, which was centered about 20 miles northwest of the capital city of San Jose and near Poas Volcano National Park.

However, Costa Rica's Tico Times is reporting 17 casualties, and the BBC is reporting at least 14 fatalities, with many people missing or stranded.

The Tico Times lists the number of people stranded at more than 1,000. Allan Flores, head of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute, told a TV news station that 200 tourists and residents were trapped at La Paz Waterfall Gardens Hotel, a luxury resort in Vara Blanca.

Red Cross spokeswoman Fiorella Vilca told the Associated Press the dead include 7- and 11-year-old sisters buried in a landslide, a 12-year-old girl whose home was crushed by falling earth, two men found dead in San Pedro de Poas and three bodies found in a battered truck near the Angel waterfall popular with tourists. One more victim died of a heart attack in San Jose.

The government, naturally, has declared a state of emergency. For what little it's worth, Outposts expresses deepest sympathy to all persons affected. Costa Rica is a special place with special people and will remain so despite this terrible tragedy.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: A snapshot of Costa Rica's Poas volcano and the surrounding countryside, taken by a visitor last January. Credit: Dan Culbert

Costa Rica earthquake leaves residents and tourists on edge

Residents and tourists remain on edge in Costa Rica, a day after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake shook most of the Central American nation. This morning, the Red Cross confirmed that five people died after an initial count of 14 dead; almost two dozen are missing, according to the Associated Press.

It was a rollicking and sleepless night for many in and beyond the capital city of San Jose, which was close to the epicenter, as well as for people abroad concerned about family and friends visiting the outdoors paradise.

Outposts was happy to provide a forum for those seeking or sharing information, and again invites input.

As I mentioned on the comment board, I spoke to Rishon Wagner, a transplant from San Diego who lives on the slope of Poas volcano near the town of Grecia -- and very near the epicenter.

During the quake, her refrigerator crawled across the kitchen floor. There was concern among the ex-pat community in Grecia that the volcano might blow. There was a smaller earthquake on Wednesday, and before it struck the air smelled of sulfur.

In an interview this morning, Ruth Guzman, who lives part-time in San Jose and part-time in Southern California, said her house became like the fishing boat in the movie "La Tormenta Perfecta," or "The Perfect Storm." Guzman said her floor shook so violently that she couldn't walk.

Costa Rica endures strong earthquake; two deaths reported in national park

Two children who sold candy to tourists inside a national park in Costa Rica were killed today when a 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Central American nation.

The quake, whose epicenter was about 20 miles north of the capital city of San Jose, also injured several others.

The two girls were buried in a landslide within Poas National Volcano Park, Reuters news agency reported.

Several buildings in San Jose were damaged and local television footage showed buildings with shattered windows and damaged walls. There were no reports of widespread injuries.

Costa Rica is known for its natural beauty and abundance of wildlife, luring visitors from around the world. I've been there many times but only once was I concerned about natural disasters: while fishing Lake Arenal while its namesake volcano burped out rocks and rained ash upon my group.

My condolences to the victims' families and good wishes to anyone affected by the earthquake.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Scarlet macaws are among the many beautiful critters found in Costa Rica's national parks. Credit: Ron Magill

A ring of another kind for Olympic medalist Gretchen Bleiler

Gretchen Bleiler, pictured at left after winning a silver medal in the halfpipe competition at the 2006 Winter Olympics, will be tossing a different kind of bouquet and/or a garter in June.

The snowboarder's agent, Amy Stanton, told me Thursday that Bleiler will be married on June 19 "somewhere in Costa Rica" to longtime boyfriend Chris Hotell.

Bleiler, a multiple X Games medalist, and Hotell, a marketing specialist at Oakley, became engaged shortly after buying a house together last year in Carlsbad.

Therefore, when the 2010 Vancouver Olympics roll around, Gretchen Hotell will be among the favorites to win the gold.

Or will the pride of Aspen/Snowmass -- where she also has a home -- keep her name, which is catchier and more familiar to fans?

Or will it be Bleiler-Hotell? I forgot to ask but presume Bleiler will remain Bleiler by profession. And I'm not going out on a limb by predicting she'll end up on the podium again, hoisting another flowery bouquet.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Gretchen Bleiler (left) and Hannah Teter celebrate winning the silver and gold medals, respectively, during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy. Credit: Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times

Costa Rica: Surfline unveils new pocket guide

Picture yourself on the wave in the photograph. But first, picture yourself on an airplane bound for Costa Rica, site of this zipping right-hander, and many others like it.

This is your first or possibly second journey to the sun-drenched, surf-blessed Central American paradise, and your sense of adventure is soaring.

If this is or will soon be you, do yourself a favor and pick up Surfline’s new “Costa Rica Surf Guide” ($14.95, Surfline.com). It’ll help you get more out of the experience.

It’s not intended to be the most comprehensive surfing guide. In fact, it’s pocket-sized and features only a few dozen spots and, as Surfline founder Sean Collins states, “We avoid pointing out the exact locations of some of the more sensitive frontier spots so you may continue on that tradition of surf exploration.”

But the guide does transport you to each prime region and highlights many premier surfing breaks. It notes the best means of access and optimum times for each season and swell direction. It describes what kind of board you’ll want for each spot, and explains which spots are suitable for beginners.

It also touches on the local vibe and hazards to watch out for, in some cases crocodiles!

It will assist greatly during your adventure, but extensive odysseys in rugged realms almost always call for detours and ad-libbing.