Richard Jordan from Tica Massage/Nosara Workout Gym is going to donate one dollar from every massage that Tica Massage does this season to the Surfing Nosara Foundation. The money will be deposited into our Foundation account and will be used for the various projects that we do for the local schools. Richard has been in Nosara for almost ten years now and has a true love and passion for this place and it’s people. Here is a brief background story of how he ended up in Nosara, how he started the business and why he has decided to donate to the Surfing Nosara Foundation.
Richard first came to Nosara back in 2001 to learn a new form of bodywork from the Nosara Yoga Institute. From that day on, he fell in love with Nosara and Guiones, the incredible surf and most of all...the locals. After Richard finished his two week training, they asked him to come back and teach at the Institute. So, over the next year he came down a couple more times to teach for a few weeks at a time. He loved this area so much that he decided he was going to stay for good.
Richard went back to Del Mar, CA, sold his private massage and bodywork practice, his house and pretty much everything he had, including his wetsuits, which he would no longer need in the 80+ degree Costa Rican version of the Pacific. He packed up his old Ford truck, threw a camper on the back of it and drove down. When Richard first got down here he was still doing some teaching at the Institute as well as some freelance massage and bodywork. He was staying in the house that he still currently resides in today on the grounds of Tica Massage.
While he was living there his maid at the time would ask him day after day to teach her massage. He put it off forever, just thinking nothing of it. So, when he finally gave in he told her that she had to bring someone with her so that they practice the massage techniques. So, she went back to the pueblo in Nosara and rounded up her sister and four of her friends for Richard to teach. After instructing them for about a half hour and teaching the girls some basic techniques, the girls showed huge interest and lot of promise. That is when the lightbulb went off! He said let’s start a massage business, and asked the girls right then if they would be interested. They could not have been more excited.
The deal Richard proposed to the girls was that he would split profit with them per massage. So, as locals from the pueblo, naturally, they were ecstatic about the opportunity that it could bring to them and their families. Richard was more than happy to give these women the opportunity, and he taught all of them massage for free. So, in 2002, Tica Massage was born! Fast forward to today and Tica Massage does between 2,000 - 3,000 massages per year. To this day, Richard holds true to the deal that he made and continues to split profits with his masseuses, because he wants to see them excel and move up in their community. In total, Richard has trained 15 local Nosara women in massage therapy for free. Some of them work with him and others have started their own businesses. Massage therapy has opened doors and given opportunity to these local women, who may not have had the chance otherwise.
It is this love of the local people and community that drives Richard to give back whenever possible to the people of Nosara. So, when we asked him if he wanted to be a part of the Surfing Nosara Foundation and the projects that we do for the local schools, there was no question. Richard believes that the children really are the future of these surrounding towns and Costa Rica in General, “These schools are in need and the conditions really can be pretty appalling. Anything that I can do to help the future of this town and country lies in the kids”. He realizes how important the children are to the future and growth of this whole area, as well.
We feel the same way, and that has been our motivation for starting and building this foundation. Partnering with like-mined, local business owners, such as Richard, is what is really going to really help these children and their schools. Richard himself is a recent father and since then, he adds, “My interest in children and education has spiked for sure.” Well, we are glad that it has Richard, and incredibly grateful of the donations that you will be making to the Surfing Nosara Foundation over the next year and beyond. Thank you!
Make sure to stop by Tica Massage for all massage therapy and spa services, and say hola to Richard. Support a local business that supports local causes!
