Whenever the world seems out of whack or looks as though it’ll implode, all we really need is someone like Dariel Meléndez Dávila to come along and bring us back to center. Dariel lives on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica in a place called Puerto Viejo. Locals are particularly protective of the surfing there, because, well, it’s good. Dariel’s been surfing for two years in this little gem of a surf locale. And he’s already blowing minds.
“The first time I saw him last year, I could tell the kid had natural talent,” says fellow Costa Rican Kevin Woods. “He’s got a contagious vibe. I was pretty amazed. Eventually, he started getting better and better, riding the barrel and getting super deep.”
Woods runs Gallo Pinto TV, an upstart surf brand and helps sponsor Dariel who lost his leg in a car accident as a child. He obviously doesn’t let that get in his way. As you can see, he’s developed a pretty special technique where he stands low on his back leg and essentially uses one of his front arms to create a balanced stance.
When I showed my fellow staffers at The Inertia Dariel’s clips, there was more than a little awe at his athleticism. But one comment stood out: “The world needs to see this guy surf.” Hard to disagree with that.
You can follow Dariel here and watch one of his edits, below.
