California surfing legend Kurt Van Dyke found dead in Costa Rica
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Kurt Van Dyke, a Californian surfing legend, was found dead after an apparent home invasion in a Caribbean coastal town in Costa Rica, CNN and The Associated Press reported.
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An incident was reported at about 10:50 a.m. local time on Saturday, Feb. 14, as authorities responded to a call about a man found dead in a room in the municipality of Talamanca, CNN reported, citing Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Agency. Law enforcement later arrived at the scene and confirmed the death.
Van Dyke's body showed signs of strangulation and stab wounds, and was undergoing an autopsy, according to AP. The news organization, citing law enforcement, reported that two men armed with at least one gun had threatened Van Dyke and a woman, stolen objects from the home and apparently a vehicle.
The woman who was with Van Dyke suffered minor injuries, CNN reported. The case remains under investigation.
USA TODAY has reached out to Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Agency for comment.
Who was Kurt Van Dyke?
Van Dyke, 66, who was from Santa Cruz, California, was part of a prominent surfing family. He later became a longtime resident of Costa Rica and owned Hotel Puerto Viejo in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, a coastal town known for its Salsa Brava surf breaks, according to the Tico Times and CRHoy.
His father, Gene Van Dyke, had pioneered surfing 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 the "fraying thread of Bay Area surf culture."
Kurt Van Dyke's mother, Betty Van Dyke, was also well-known in the surfing community and a member of a cohort of female surfer pioneers in Santa Cruz in the 1950s and 1960s, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel. She was also a fifth-generation California farmer and ran the Van Dyke Ranch in Gilroy before she died 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 respected figure in the surf community, and his dorm-style hostel drew visitors from around the world for decades, according to the Tico Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.
Death shocks surfing community, locals in Costa Rica
Kurt Van Dyke's death shocked local residents in the region, according to the Tico Times. Roger Sams, president of the Southern Caribbean Chamber of Tourism and Commerce, told La Nación that the death could impact the region’s image but noted that the incident appeared to be isolated and unrelated to tourists.
"I am very sorry for the news. Every human loss is regrettable. It is a fact that we do not wish for anyone," Sams said. "We have a lot of time of great calm, of a lot of tranquility, we have the Police delegation in Playa Negra, the cantonal, which is the most modern in the country. We are working hand in hand on security issues. It shocks us and hurts us, because the Caribbean has been very calm."
Kurt Van Dyke’s brother confirmed the death to NBC Bay Area and the Chronicle. His brother said Kurt Van Dyke "loved the ocean, our farm, animals, and his family," according to the Chronicle.
"My brother was a very benevolent, giving person who would help just about anybody," his brother, Peter, told the Chronicle. "Kurt would never hurt anybody, and he was always there when you needed him."
Following the news of his death, members of the surfing community shared tributes for Kurt Van Dyke on social media. Garth Seagrave, a longtime friend, posted a photo on Facebook showing a young Kurt Van Dyke riding a wave.
"My Brother lost his life not too far from this place," Seagrave said in the post. "This is how I will always remember him, doing what he loved, RIP My Brother.”
Bob Pearson, a well-known surfer in Santa Cruz, told the Santa Cruz Sentinel that he grew up surfing alongside Kurt Van Dyke in the 1960s and 1970s. Pearson described him as a "good person" who came from a "hardcore" surfing family, according to the newspaper.
"He was a class act," Pearson told the newspaper. "Just someone who you’d want to hang out with … was passionate about surfing; passionate about life."
Contributing: Charles Ventura, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US surfer Kurt Van Dyke found dead in Costa Rica