Luis Malave was one of the first local friends I made in Ecuador when I moved here a year ago. Before I began working for a  Spanish School, Vago, (as he’s affectionately called by his friends), had come to one of the English class I was teaching in the neighbouring village.

He immediately stood out in the sea of new faces because his energy, his motivation, and his big smile. It’s those qualities, along with his years of surfing and teaching experience that has made him an amazing surf instructor, and one of the most popular chicos at the School.

Vago has been on a wave almost every day of his life since he started at only 12 years old. Over the years he and Montañita have grown up together. Though Vago is a pretty young guy, he remembers when Montañita was still just a tiny fishing village, with a handful of cabanas on the beachfront for the few surfers who knew about the amazing point break.

He taught himself by watching the professional surfers traveling through from other parts of the world. He and his group of friends became the first generation of local surfers that helped create the Montañita surf culture from the ground up.

Every year, as his skills got better and better, Montañita became more and more well known world wide, and soon he was the one teaching the growing number of international wave seekers how to ride. Vago has been teaching surf  in the Montañita area for as long as he could ride a wave. His knowledge of the sport, and of the conditions and ideal spots in the area, has made him into a bit of a legend.

We are so glad to have one of the real local surfing pioneers teaching for us, as well as just an all around awesome dude. We know that once you come take a class with us, you’ll feel the same way.

If you want to learn to Surf with Vago, check out the Ecuador Spanish and surf program.