California surfing legend Kurt Van Dyke has been found dead in an apparent home invasion in a town on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, CNN and the Associated Press report.
The incident was reported at around 10:50 a.m. local time on Saturday, February 14, when authorities responded to reports of a man found dead in a room in the city of Talamanca, CNN reported, citing Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department. Police later arrived at the scene and confirmed the death.
Van Dyke’s body had strangulation marks and stab wounds, and an autopsy is currently underway, according to the Associated Press. Citing law enforcement, the news agency reported that two men armed with at least one gun threatened Van Dyke and a woman and stole items from the home and an apparent vehicle.
A woman who was with Van Dyke suffered minor injuries, CNN reported. This incident is still under investigation.
USA TODAY has reached out to Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency for comment.
Who is Kurt Van Dyke?
Van Dyke, 66, from Santa Cruz, California, was part of a prominent surfing family. He later became a longtime resident of Costa Rica, where he owned the Hotel Puerto Viejo in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, a coastal town known for its Salsa Brava surf break, according to the Tico Times and CRHoy.
His father, Gene Van Dyke, was a surfing pioneer in Northern California in the 1950s, according to SURFER and the Santa Cruz Sentinel. In 2021, the Mercury News described Kurt Van Dyke’s father as “a frayed thread of Bay Area surf culture.”
Kurt Van Dyke’s mother, Betty Van Dyke, is also well known in the surfing community and was part of a pioneering group of female surfers in Santa Cruz in the 1950s and 1960s, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel. She was also a fifth-generation California farmer who operated the Van Dyke Ranch in Gilroy until her death in 2021.
CRHoy reported that Kurt Van Dyke traveled to Costa Rica in the 1980s and was known as “The King” among the local surfing community. He was a well-respected figure in the surfing community, and his dorm-style hostel drew visitors from all over the world for decades, according to the Tico Times and San Francisco Chronicle.
Death shocks Costa Rican surfing community and locals
According to the Tico Times, Kurt Van Dyke’s death shocked local residents in the area. Roger Sams, president of the Southern Caribbean Chamber of Tourism, told La Nación that the death could affect the image of the region, but noted that the incident appeared to be isolated and unrelated to tourists.
“This news is very unfortunate. Any human loss is unfortunate. It’s true that we would not wish that on anyone,” Sams said. “We have had many very peaceful times and we have a police delegation in Playa Negra, the most modern state in the country. We are working together on security issues. This shocks and hurts us because the Caribbean has been very peaceful.”
Kurt Van Dyke’s brother confirmed the death to NBC Bay Area and the Chronicle. According to the Chronicle, his brother said Kurt Van Dyke “loved the ocean, his farm, his animals and his family.”
“He was a very compassionate person and would help anyone,” his younger brother Peter told the Chronicle. “Kurt never hurt anyone, and was always there whenever you needed him.”
Following news of his death, members of the surfing community shared tributes to Kurt Van Dyke on social media. Longtime friend Garth Seagrave posted a photo on Facebook of a young Kurt Van Dyke riding waves.
“My brother lost his life not far from this location,” Seagrave said in the post. “This is how I will always remember him doing what he loved, rest in peace my brother.”
Bob Pearson, a famous Santa Cruz surfer, told the Santa Cruz Sentinel that he grew up surfing with Kurt Van Dyke in the 1960s and 1970s. The newspaper said Mr Pearson described himself as a “good person” who came from a “hardcore” surfing family.
“He was a class act,” Pearson told the newspaper. “The person I wanted to spend time with was someone who had a passion for surfing and a passion for life.”
Contributor: Charles Ventura, USA TODAY
