Lia Hermosa Díaz’s name is already etched in the golden pages of Costa Rican sports history. It’s not just because of her technique on the longboard or her Pan American medals, but because she’s broken through a glass ceiling: she’s the first Costa Rican to qualify for the World Tour. From her home base in Playa Negra, Guanacaste, Lia is preparing to take on the waves of California, Australia, and the Philippines. In this interview, the North American champion tells us how an early defeat in Virginia failed to dampen her faith, proving that in surfing, as in life, determination is the only board that doesn’t sink.

She was born in San José, and was immediately taken to the beach where her mother lived, in Playa Hermosa.

At age six, she moved to Guanacaste and later lived on various beaches; in other words, her childhood was a journey along the Costa Rican coast. Today, Lia has put down roots in Playa Negra, where she has lived for almost five years, finding in that corner of Guanacaste the perfect setting for her life.

For many, childhood dreams are clouds that dissipate over time. Lia admits that, although other career paths crossed her mind as a child, there was one fixed idea that weathered every storm: to become a professional surfer. It wasn’t a passing whim; it was a constant that accompanied her every time she gazed at the horizon.

That determination is, perhaps, her most distinctive trait. Those who know her well discover in her a genuine shyness—a layer of reserve that shields an unwavering loyalty to her loved ones. Lia isn’t one for many words, but she is deeply affectionate and has an adventurous spirit.

Like any high-performance athlete, the young Costa Rican acknowledges her flaws. She describes herself as “incredibly stubborn,” a trait she admits can be either a flaw or a virtue, depending on how you look at it.

“In surfing, if I fall, I want to get back up,” she said with the confidence of someone who understands that in sports—and in life—victory doesn’t belong to those who never fall, but to those who have the tenacity to face the next wave.

In 2023, Lia fully embraced longboarding, and throughout this time she has come to understand that mastery doesn’t come by chance. Her routine is a testament to her discipline: under the guidance of her coach and a fitness trainer, she takes on the ocean no matter what the waves are like. “I try to spend as much time as possible surfing, in all kinds of conditions—when the waves are bad and when they’re good,” she explained. In her world, every wave, no matter how difficult, is a lesson.

When she steps off her board, Lia takes on the role of a surf instructor. Together with her mother, she has founded Living Pura Vida Surf, a school that not only teaches technique to foreigners but has also become a haven for empowerment through its surf retreats designed exclusively for women.

If there’s one name that defines Lia’s journey, it’s that of her mother, Andrea Díaz. A pioneer of competitive surfing in Costa Rica, Andrea not only gave her daughter her first surfboard, but also coached her from age 8 to 13. She taught her not only to read the currents, but also to read life itself.

More than just a mother, Andrea has been Lia’s most influential mentor, instilling in her a philosophy that today drives Lia: the difference between aspiration and reality.

In conversations between mother and daughter, there’s a phrase that resonates like a mantra every time Lia faces a new challenge: “They’re not dreams; they’re goals.” In the young surfer’s view, this distinction is vital. Dreams can be fleeting, like clouds that dissipate in the wind. Goals, on the other hand, are tangible; you work toward them and achieve them. “Sometimes dreams fade away, but goals are real,” she emphasized with that mental clarity and the backing of a champion’s legacy.

From her perspective, surfing is a passport to the unexpected. Beyond the waves, what truly captivates her about this sport is its ability to bridge geographical distances. “The best part is the people you meet—from all over the world, even from places where you’d never imagine surfing exists.”

There’s a unique mystique to the circuit: while the competitive tension is at its peak in the water, on the shore there’s a sense of camaraderie that she describes as “a really cool way of life.”

However, behind that relaxed atmosphere lies a fierce competitor with a track record that speaks for itself.

Lia doesn’t just participate; she makes her mark. Her record at the Pan American Games has been impressive: out of five appearances, she has returned with medals in three of them. One of her most brilliant moments came at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, where she won the bronze medal, reaffirming her status among the continent’s elite.

The year 2024 marked another milestone in her career as she solidified her place in the world’s Top 10 at the Longboard Junior World Championships. In addition to these achievements, she has won multiple national championships and Latin American titles and has been a constant presence at regional tournaments in North America, where she has often emerged as the champion. Lia has gone from being a rising star to a tangible force on the world stage.

But how does one prepare mentally to dominate the global Top 10? Lia relies on a method that combines introspection with strategic planning. True to her mother’s philosophy of turning dreams into real goals, Lia has a sacred ritual: the night before a competition, she writes in her notebook. “I write down my goals for the next day—what I’m going to focus on—so I’m fully aware of what I need to do.”

When the day of the event arrives, Lia seeks solitude. While others get distracted by the pre-event chatter, she takes refuge in her music, distancing herself from the noise and the people. In that self-imposed silence, inside her own bubble, is where she finds the calm she needs to enter the water and turn those notes in her notebook into another victory for Costa Rica. Qualifying and competing is incredible, but for Lia, the most rewarding part is knowing that every wave she surfs is another goal crossed off her list.

There are moments that mark a turning point, not only in an athlete’s career but in a country’s history. For Lia Hermosa Díaz, that moment has arrived: not only has she qualified for the prestigious World Tour, but she’s done so after being crowned North American Champion, becoming the first Costa Rican woman to achieve this feat. In response, she said she felt incredible: “I didn’t think it would happen so soon either. I started taking this goal seriously last year; it was definitely one of my biggest goals, and it feels incredible to know that I achieved it.”

The tour begins in California, in Huntington Beach, from July 25 to 29. It then heads to Australia, followed by the Philippines, and then El Salvador.

In a sports world obsessed with stopwatches, strict diets, and ironclad routines, Lia Díaz is a breath of fresh air. Her philosophy on life

“I really enjoy food, so I don’t have any dietary restrictions or anything I’m not allowed to eat.”

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In sports, as in life, there are days when the script seems to come to a close before its time. Days when the scoreboard or the waves say “no,” while the heart insists on a “maybe.” The talented Costa Rican surfer knows that feeling well; she experienced it recently in the waters off Virginia Beach, during the decisive World Tour qualifier.

That day, the outlook was bleak. Lia lost early in the competition—a setback that for many would have meant the end of hope and time to pack her bags. However, in that moment of uncertainty, Lia decided to cling to something stronger than an immediate result: her faith and conviction in the work she had put in.

“Sometimes things don’t go the way you want them to, but they happen,” she emphasized.

In Virginia Beach, as time ran out and her chances dwindled, she kept the flame alive. She knew she had worked with determination and that, as long as there was a chance—no matter how small—she couldn’t give up.

History ultimately proved her right. Against all odds at the time, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, and Lia secured her spot on the World Tour. It wasn’t a conventional victory—it was a lesson in resilience.

Her connection to the sea isn’t a career choice—it’s a cellular memory that dates back to her first months of life. Before she could walk steadily on land, Lia already knew how to move through the water: she learned to swim at six months old, and before her first birthday, she was already braving her first waves with floaties, held up by her mother.

“My connection to the sea is immense. It’s the only thing that’s been there my whole life, constantly,” she added. For the surfer, the ocean is much more than a sports arena; it’s her confessional and her therapy. When her thoughts weigh her down or her spirits flag, the remedy is always the same: to dive in. The sea has the power to relax her and restore her balance, reminding her that, in the vastness of the blue, everything finds its course.

Regarding her connection to nature in general and her contribution to conservation…

In addition to beaches, Lia loves trees and seeing a lush jungle or a beautiful forest.

“If I go for a walk on the beach, I’ll most likely try to pick up trash, and I’ll try to use as little plastic as possible. I’ve participated in tree-planting projects, beach cleanups, and things like that,” she explained.

Despite her constant travels, Lia’s heart is deeply rooted in the land where she grew up. For her, Costa Rica is a phrase you can feel in your skin: Pura Vida. That essence—which encapsulates the warmth of its people and the explosion of biodiversity that paints everything green—is her greatest inspiration. “It’s something I definitely miss when I travel,” she confessed. She feels blessed to have been born in this Central American country.

For Lia Hermosa Díaz, success is not a destination, but a starting point. Although her name is already making waves after winning the North American championship and securing her spot on the World Tour, the Costa Rican surfer maintains an ambitious humility that defines great athletes. “I feel like this is just the beginning of my career.”

In her view, the path she’s traveled so far is merely the prologue to a story that has much more to offer and prove.

Lia doesn’t allow herself to drift aimlessly; her roadmap is charted with the precision of someone who knows how to read the most complex currents. Her goals are clear and organized according to urgency.

In the short term, the goal is clear-cut: to solidify her place in the World Tour’s Top 10. She isn’t content just to participate; she wants to belong to the elite that sets the pace for global longboarding. But her vision goes much further. In the long term, the dream that occupies her thoughts and her notebooks is a single one: to be crowned World Champion.

However, there is a dream that goes beyond her current titles and links her passion to the highest honor in sports. With surfing gaining ground on the global stage, Lia has her sights set on the five rings: “I hope longboarding becomes an Olympic sport.” For her, becoming an Olympic surfer would represent the culmination of that journey that began when she was just eleven months old on a board, carrying the Costa Rican flag to the biggest event on the planet.

While she waits for that future to arrive, Lia remains focused on the present, knowing that every wave on the tour is an opportunity to reaffirm her talent.

That said, no one reaches the top alone. Behind every perfect maneuver by Lia Díaz on the World Tour lies a trail of figures who have served as a compass throughout her career. For the surfer from Playa Negra, inspiration isn’t something abstract; it has specific names and career paths that have defined the history of surfing, both in Costa Rica and around the world.

The first person she admires is, inevitably, her mother, Andrea Díaz. Beyond their biological bond, Lia recognizes her as the pioneer who opened the doors to surfing in a country that now lives and breathes the sport. But her thirst for learning is also fueled by the global elite. Lia deeply admires her coach and partner, Kristy Murphy, who was the 2009 World Champion.

However, there is a longing that

“She’s one of the best I know. I love her style, but above all, that overflowing passion you can see when she surfs.” In Kristy, Lia sees a reflection of what she wants to achieve: the perfect blend of impeccable technique and pure love for the sport.

Lia’s inspiration also has a cinematic touch. She speaks with special respect of Robert “Wingnut” Weaver, the charismatic star of the legendary film *The Endless Summer II*. For her, Wingnut is not only a longboard icon but the man who helped put Costa Rica on the global surfing map. “She’s someone who has so much love for this country, and I admire him immensely.”

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After recounting her story—from her first months in the ocean to her remarkable qualification for the World Tour—Lia Díaz doesn’t want to say goodbye without planting a seed in the hearts of those who read her story. Her message is direct, stripped of embellishments, yet weighted with the wisdom of experience: “Never give up.”

For Lia, the difference between what you want and what you have is hard work. “I truly believe that with determination, goals can become a reality.” Her recipe is simple but demanding: have clear goals, know exactly what you’re after, and fight tirelessly until your vision becomes a reality.

Follow surfer Lia Hermosa Díaz on social media to stay up to date on everything she’s doing: Instagram @lia_hermosa_diaz and @livingpuravidasurf; you can also find her on Facebook as Lia Hermosa Diaz.

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