A California surfing legend has been brutally killed while his girlfriend was tied up and robbed at their Costa Rica home.

Kurt Van Dyke, 66, who owned a hotel in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, was found dead under his bed Saturday with a sheet over his head and a knife next to him, authorities and local reports say.

His 31-year-old girlfriend, identified only as Arroyo, was in the shower when two armed men suddenly stormed into the home, forcing the couple into a room at gunpoint.

Portrait of Kurt Van Dyke smiling and wearing a hat.
US surfer Kurt Van Dyke was a longtime resident of Costa Rica and owner of Hotel Puerto Viejo.Courtesy of Van Dyke family

Kurt Van Dyke surfing on a green wave.
Van Dyke was found dead in Cahuita, a town on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, on Saturday morning. Per local news, his body showed signs of asphyxiation and multiple stab wounds.Courtesy of Van Dyke family
Arroyo said the intruders zip-tied her hands and feet, assaulted her, and made off with several valuables — including the couple’s 2013 Hyundai Elantra — before fleeing.

Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department said in a statement that Van Dyke’s girlfriend was not seriously injured.

The town where the killing occurred is mostly considered safe, and the incident sent shockwaves through the community.

Kurt Van Dyke, an expat surfer, owner of Hotel Puerto Viejo, and resident of Costa Rica.
Van Dyke spent decades running a modest hotel in Puerto Viejo and built a reputation as a standout surfer.Facebook/Kurt Van Dyke
“I am deeply saddened,” Roger Sams, president of Costa Rica’s Southern Caribbean Chamber of Tourism and Commerce, told Costa Rican newspaper La Nación in Spanish, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.

“We’ve had a long period of calm and tranquility. … This shocks and saddens us because the Caribbean has been so peaceful.”

The California Post is here. Sign up for Morning Report.

Get the perfect blend of news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post

Van Dyke was well known both locally in Costa Rica and in California.

He spent decades running a modest hotel in Puerto Viejo and built a reputation as a standout surfer after arriving in the early 1980s to chase the thunderous Salsa Brava break — a run that earned him the nickname “King” along the Caribbean coast.

Aerial view of Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica, a Caribbean town along a coastline of lush green forest.
Puerto Viejo, where the killing occurred, is considered safe. The incident sent shockwaves through the community.cris – stock.adobe.com
Surfing was in his blood.

His father, Gene Van Dyke, was a Northern California pioneer of the sport, while his mother, Betty, helped blaze a trail for women surfers in the 1950s and ’60s.

What do you think? Post a comment.

Beyond the waves, the Van Dyke family name is rooted in agriculture, operating the longtime Van Dyke Ranch near Gilroy, known for its apricots and cherries sold at local farmers markets.