That’s Classic: Semana Santa Surf Contest’s Roots Run Deep in Dominical
Despite being the biggest Los Angeles Dodgers baseball fan in all of Costa Rica, Justin Hague is actually a decent dude.
He’s such a good guy, in fact, that Hague’s actively been volunteering in community projects since moving to Dominical from Southern California more than two decades ago.
For the past 14 years, Hague’s most hands-on endeavor has been the Semana Santa Classic, an annual surfing competition at Dominical beach each Easter weekend.
Justin Hague, always helping and always in his beloved Dodger Blue
As some of the nation’s top surfers descend on Dominical to battle it out for cash prizes and clout at this year’s event, to be held Friday and Saturday, April 3-4, the true highlights are the fundraising dollars generated, proceeds that are used to assist the severely underfunded lifeguard programs of Dominical and Playa Hermosa.
“We started this for two reasons,” Hague, 50, said. “Semana Santa was always the busiest week on the beach in Dominical, and there’s always waves. We thought, ‘why isn’t anyone having a surf contest that week?’”
“The other thing is our lifeguard program has always had ups and downs. There’s money and then there’s no money. There’s lifeguards and then there’s no lifeguards.”
Funding Local Lifeguards Isn’t Cheap
According to Álvaro Cedeño, the local lifeguard captain, it takes approximately $200,000 USD to fund area lifeguards each year. Almost all of the money comes from donations, he added.
“For the past three months, we’ve had one really good sponsor from Dominical, but only Dominical, and he’s covered (expenses) at both beaches,” Cedeño said. “He has a very big heart.”
Recently, the lifeguards in Playa Hermosa had to shut down due to a lack of funds. Those lifeguards are expected to be on duty for Semana Santa week, but their availability after that is anyone’s guess.
“We don’t have the economic resources coming in from Bahia or Uvita,” Cedeño said.
Cedeño has spent 23 years as a lifeguard in Costa Rica, patrolling beaches from Guanacaste to the Osa Peninsula. This area has some of the most powerful rip currents and waves in the entire country, he said, adding that safeguarding local families and tourists at popular beaches should be a top priority.
“We’re working at two beaches,” Cedeño said. “There’s insurance to pay, Caja to pay. With gas and maintenance for the 4×4, and with other expenses, the costs are really high.”
Proud of how the program has evolved throughout the years, Hague says these lifeguards deserve major props for the work they do despite constant funding uncertainty.
“They have the best team they’ve ever had,” Hague said. “Álvaro, the captain, is amazing. They’re training hard. They have better tools than they’ve ever had. And this is their busiest week of the year, so it’s important that they get the recognition they deserve.”
During the past few months, the Dominical lifeguards have relocated into a new, updated headquarters, located approximately 100 yards south of their previous location.
Businesses Rally Around Community Surfing Event
These days, running the surfing contest is fairly seamless, Hague said.
About 40 local sponsors have stepped up in 2026, leading to significant prize money for the surfers, as well as several nice donations to assist the lifeguard program.
“We started this before social media,” he said. “We used to have to go door to door to businesses to try and get sponsorships, to get money, and the town was pretty poor back then, there wasn’t a bunch of money. That’s gradually grown to where sponsorships are now easier to get. You post something online and you’ve almost got too many sponsors. And that’s a good problem to have.”
Hague figuratively tipped his cap — yes, he sadly was wearing a blue Dodgers baseball hat during this conversation along the bright shoreline — to a pair of Dominical-based businesses for their longtime, top-shelf support.
“A big shoutout to Mavi Surf Hotel and Fuego Brewery, and all of the other sponsors, but Fuego and Mavi have been our big sponsors for a few years now and we really appreciate it.”
Colotico Surfboards, a shaper, ding repair and retail shop in Uvita, has donated a brand new youth surfboard that’ll be raffled off during the event’s afterparty Saturday evening at Fuego Brew Co. Other surf gear will be raffled as well, and event t-shirts and stickers will be on sale. Presale raffle tickets can be purchased at Colotico Surfboards in Uvita or Costa Rica Surf Camp in Dominical.
The afterparty and awards ceremony is set for 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
Bosque Sound, a heavy-hitting DJ in the region and regular performer at Envision Festival, will be dropping beats and bringing major musical heat all evening long.
Expect Huge Waves and Big Performances at Dominical Beach
The Semana Santa Classic used to be a single-day contest, but that proved to be a tight timeframe for running heats, Hague said. With two days now at their disposal, contest judges can send surfers out in ideal tides and conditions, leading to more explosive surfing performances.
Throughout the years, the Semana Santa Classic has showcased some of Costa Rica’s most radical surfing talent, including two-time Open Division winner Carlos Munoz, the only Tico male to ever qualify for the World Surf League tour. Longtime Dominical standouts Sam Reidy and Josue Venegas are both past event winners. Jason Torres, from Jaco, is the most successful performer in event history, having captured a half-dozen Open Division titles.
This go-around, expect plenty of fireworks in the water from the guys and gals.
Surfline is calling for 6-to-8-foot waves on Friday, April 3, with a very slight decrease in swell the following day. Translation: it’s going to be massive.
“It’ll be a show,” Hague said, “for sure.”
The Open Division first-place prize is $1,000 USD. Other divisions include Local, Women, Junior, Groms, Longboard and Masters.
For more information or to sign up for the surfing contest in advance, visit Costa Rica Surf Camp on the brick beach road in Dominical.
