CORY TIES THE KNOT All-Star Cast Of Big-Name Pros Celebrate Newly Expanded Lopez Family Words and photos by Tom Dugan
While attending the
January Surf Expo in Orlando a week and a half ago, I ran into Gulf Coast
native and international superstar Shea Lopez. Knowing that Shea had a home in
Costa Rica and that I was leaving the next day, I asked him when his next trip
down would be. To my surprise, he said he was leaving the next day on the
morning flight and that he was going down for his younger brother Cory's
wedding. Turns out we were on the same flight…
Shea also mentioned
some of the other surfers that would be in Costa for the wedding: youngest
brother Matty, pops Pete, Andy Irons, and Peter Mendia. He did forget to
mention Grant Johnson and Skip Miller would also be there, along with …Lost’s
Mike Reola — a really solid crew to say the least. We all arrived in
Costa Rica a little after noon and headed for the rental car agencies. Due to a
full van, I had to wait for the next one, but upon arrival at the rental car
agency, Shea called me up to the counter, ahead of a long line of waiting customers, and I never looked back!
The next few days saw
clean conditions and small waves, but being Right Coasters, all of the Sunshine
Staters in attendance had a blast in what would be considered close to epic back
in Florida. The plans for Cory’s wedding were in full swing, and the Lopezes
had over 50 of their friends fly in from the States for the big occasion. After
the wedding rehearsal, a full-on pizza party was held at Caliche's Wishbone
Restaurant, with plenty of good food and cold drinks. The next day had small
surf and a relaxed attitude, as the boys celebrated the final hours of Cory's
bachelorhood.
The wedding at Villa
Caletas started promptly at 4:15 p.m., timed perfectly for a beautiful sunset
as the backdrop. Cory's dad Pete was grinning from ear to ear as son number two
was married in such a beautiful setting and the guests were treated to a four-star
dinner. Over the next two days, all the guests departed back to Florida (and
Andy Irons flew back to Hawaii in time for the inaugural Volcom Pipeline Pro)
as Cory and his new bride Jenn set off on their honeymoon. All in all, with
friends and family together and even a few waves to play on, I couldn’t have asked
for a better week in Costa Rica.
THE OLD IN-OUT
The 2009 WRV Outer Banks Pro Presented By Hurley Is Moving Ahead Like Clockwork
Along The Graveyard Of The Atlantic... Let's Hope Hurricane Season Doesn’t Dish
Out A Bit Of The Old Ultraviolence
BILL OF SALE Surf Expo Comes To Town Early With Lower-Than-Usual
Attendance Rumors And Category 4 Hurricane Bill Zooming In. Will You Blow Town To
Bro Down Or Sit Tight And Get Right?
