Description
Book SynopsisPavones, a town located on the southern tip of Costa Rica, is a haven for surfers, expatriates, and fishermen seeking a place to start over. In
The Battle for Paradise, Jeremy Evans travels to Pavones to uncover the story of how this ragtag group stood up to a multinational company and how a shadowy figure from the town’s violent past became an unlikely hero.
Trade Review"Don't miss this uplifting tale of fantastic surfing, saving the environment, and a greedy company's efforts to expand their business at all costs—all in our sleepy little southern town of Pavones."—Carol Blair Vaughn,
Costa Rica Star"A valuable addition to surf historiography. . . . Enjoyable and well-told narrative."—Tolga Ozyurtcu,
Sport in American History“Congratulations to Jeremy Evans for telling the truest story so far about Pavones, the iconic end-of-the-road place where human greed and conflict threatened to destroy exactly what brought people there.”—Drew Kampion, award-winning author and former editor of Surfer and Surfing magazines
“Jeremy Evans tells the true story of surfers, tuna, drug lords, and jungle fever in the backwaters and blue bays of Costa Rica. For anyone who has traveled the surf coast of Central America, The Battle for Paradise is a must-read.”—Serge Dedina, executive director of Wildcoast and author of Wild Sea and Surfing the Border
“The waves of Pavones rifle down a long left-hand point break, and for this reason they have become some of the most iconic waves in Costa Rica. However, as incredible as the waves are, the story behind the town is what will truly leave you gasping for air.”—Kyle Thiermann, professional surfer
“Pavones, Costa Rica, lay in a bucolic slumber until an entrepreneurial American smuggler with a Napoleon complex paid cash for a county-sized chunk of its surf-swept coast and made himself king. Things spiraled out of control from there, subsiding into a tropical stew of escapists, surfers, squatters, greed, and long, clean lefts.”—Steve Pezman, publisher of the
Surfer’s Journal Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. A Fish Story2. Killer Dana3. Paper Chase4. Geckos and Iguanas5. The Pavones Bus6. Red Road7. Danny Land8. Tuna Coast9. Law and Order10. The King’s Exit11. Jungle Invasion12. Pura Vida13. Judgment Day14. Saving Waves15. End of the RoadBibliography
