Trailblazing California surfer-turned-entrepreneur Kurt Van Dyke was murdered the morning of Saturday, February 14, during a violent home invasion at his Costa Rican residence, Us Weekly has learned.
Costa Rican National Police were called about an armed break-in at around 10:50 a.m. on Saturday at an apartment in Cahuita, Limón, a coastal area of the Central American country located about 100 miles east of the capital of San José.
Local news outlet the Tico Times is reporting that Van Dyke, 66, was found strangled and stabbed multiple times.
When investigators arrived at the scene, the hotel owner’s body was found under a bed with a sheet over his face.
Though originally from northern California, Van Dyke moved down to Costa Rica years ago and was an owner of a hostel — the Hotel Puerto Viejo — in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. The Tico Times said the hotel drew tourists from around the globe and bolstered the tourism industry, providing jobs for locals.
Van Dyke’s girlfriend, who was also living in the same apartment, was found zip-tied but survived the attack. She has not been identified beyond her last name: Arroyo.
She was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
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Police believe a pair of armed suspects forced their way into Van Dyke’s apartment and fled the area in two vehicles, including his Hyundai Elantra, which they stole.
They forced Van Dyke and his girlfriend into a room and took several valuable items before violently attacking Van Dyke.
No arrests have been made yet and police did not provide descriptions of possible suspects. They are looking through footage caught by CCTV cameras.
The Tico Times reported that agents from Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Organization did collect evidence at the scene, including possible fingerprints. They also have security footage from cameras set up at nearby properties.
Agents have also interviewed witnesses, though their names have not been provided.
Police suspect the motive was purely financial and have urged anyone who may have any information about the murder or the suspects contact them. No arrests have been made, and the motive appears tied to robbery, though officials explore all angles.
Police said that Van Dyke was a well-known member of the local surfing community, police said. Costa Rica is considered one of the planet’s top surfing destinations.
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Speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle, his brother, Peter Van Dyke, called Kurt “a very benevolent, giving person who would help just about anybody. Kurt would never hurt anybody, and he was always there when you needed him. Everyone that he met knew this about him.”
Van Dyke was part of a famed surfing family. His father, Gene Van Dyke, pioneered the sport in Northern California in the 1950s, according to the Los Angeles Times. His mother, Betty Van Dyke, was a fifth-generation California farmer and one of the first female competitive surfing champions in the world. She died in 2021 at the age of 88.
Friends have started posting tributes to the surfing legend.
“We remember your spirit, your energy, and the light you brought into the lives around you,” wrote Ronald Umaña on Facebook. “Some people leave footprints — you left waves.”
