Surfers Provide Home For Orphans

Though they'd lived their entire lives in Costa Rica, land of sugar-white sands and ethereal turquoise surf, many of the kids at San Jose's Hospicio de Huerfanos orphanage had never seen the ocean.

In 2002, a group of American surfers looking to give back to the community decided to change that. Buddies Tim McManus, Steve Sanchez, and John O’Toole took some orphans surfing, spending the day teaching them basic skills and generally just hanging out.

Six years later, that day at the beach has grown into a project called Pura Vida No Pro, attracting both American and Costa Rican volunteers, including several pro surfers. About 100 volunteers and 60 kids hit the beach in 2007, and the event is expected to be big again this November.

McManus has seen his surf buddy, Jose, grow from a shy 11-year-old scared of the water to a confident 16-year old dude in a Quiksilver shirt.

"It's kind of fun to see him emerging into the surf culture," said McManus, a 31-year-old publishing company employee from Charleston, SC.

With money raised from the American surf community, Pura Vida No Pro has bought a house in San Jose to serve as a transitional living home for boys aging out of the orphanage. Pura Vida also sells t-shirts emblazoned with the kids artwork.

You should be able to buy one around May 15 on their Web Site.

They will soon have a photo book about the project, and a documentary, "Finding Pura Vida," premieres at the Charleston International Film Festival early next month. The group hopes to share the love of surfing with kids from other Central American countries in coming years.

"Once you work with them you realize that you want to be able to do more," McManus said.

--Emily Matchar