Surfing is one of the world’s most popular cultural phenomena. While the number of actual surfers is relatively small, the sport’s reach has historically extended far beyond the wave-riding community, with surfing influencing fashion, music, film, photography, tourism, and even corporate marketing. Wondering how surfing got to be so popular? We’ll spend a couple of weeks in Costa Rica, a premier surf destination nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, exploring the history of modern surf culture. From nineteenth-century Hawai'i to twenty-first-century Central America, we'll take a deeper look at how this pastime has driven and been changed by a number of major global developments. As part of the program, you'll learn to surf! We'll spend two weeks in a number of coastal destinations (Nosara, Ostional, Playa Negra, Playa Avellanas, and Playa Grande). In addition to surfing, you'll visit a turtle reserve, learn about local sustainability efforts, and take a stand-up-paddleboard (SUP) river tour to a deserted black sand beach. You'll also have the option of doing the world's longest zip line.