Two surfers, Daniel Hopkins and Sean Brody, are helping put Liberia’s breathtaking coastline back on the map by turning their passion for surfing into a force for social good.

Robertsport, a city in Liberia, is a hidden gem with everything a surfer dreams of: ideal waves, warm water, a secluded surf spot, and an exotic location. Despite being only about 100 kilometers south of the capital Monrovia, the final stretch of road to the city winds through dense jungle, evoking scenes straight out of Jurassic Park.

However, just as Liberia was recovering from a prolonged civil war, the country was hit by a major Ebola outbreak in 2014—an event that would deter most potential developers. But not Daniel Hopkins and Sean Brody. This pristine stretch of beach, jungle, and local fishing villages was exactly what these two American surfers were looking for.

Long before the Ebola crisis, the pair had been seeking the right place to launch a sustainable surfing initiative that would incorporate the local community’s needs, involvement, and labor. Robertsport, with its untouched beauty and a population in desperate need of new opportunities, turned out to be the ideal location.

The pursuit of the perfect wave has been a part of surfers’ ambitions for decades, ever since the 1966 surf film The Endless Summer. Explorers have sought out remote surfing destinations like Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Costa Rica. West Africa wasn’t exempt from this search, and by the 1970s, early surf journalists had discovered Robertsport—just as Liberia was plunging into economic and political instability.

Despite two brutal civil wars (1989–2003), Robertsport’s allure was undeniable. By 2006, a documentary called Sliding Liberia had once again brought attention to Robertsport’s incredible waves.

In 2009, Brody arrived in Robertsport while working as a photographer for the TV show Surfari. During the shoot, he met Benjamin McCrumuda, a local surfer with a unique skill: he could summon waves by calling out “Kway-pu-na!” (big sea wave come!) in the Vai dialect. The waves would appear on cue, and Brody was hooked.

By 2012, when the two were ready to start their project, they named it Kwepunha Retreat.

Turning Kwepunha into a reality required significant effort. With help from local workers, they restored a hotel built in the 1970s, a remnant of Robertsport’s past as a destination for wealthy European tourists. They removed trees growing inside the old building and patched up walls damaged by gunfire. The result was a stylish hostel, an upscale villa, and even a taco stand with a deck overlooking the ocean. Local artisans crafted the furniture, and vibrant colors filled the walls. Fresh produce like mango, guava, and papaya trees were grown on the property, offering guests local farm-to-table dining.

Their next step was to launch the Kwepunha Surf Academy in collaboration with the Liberian Surfing Association. The academy introduced a surfboard-sharing program for local youth, combining education and lifeguard training with the opportunity to become certified surf instructors.

Hopkins estimates that Kwepunha has employed hundreds of people since its launch, with around 15 full-time and 25 part-time workers during peak season. They also initiated a community-driven sanitation program, including beach clean-ups twice a month.

Business steadily grew, initially attracting expats from Monrovia and later, international visitors. “We hosted guests from 40 different countries,” Brody shared, noting that many came specifically for the legendary left-hand waves.

By this point, Kwepunha was not just a surf retreat. It became a space for diverse groups, including yoga enthusiasts and students interested in sustainable development. A major surf magazine, Zigzag, even scheduled a photo shoot at the retreat.

But then the Ebola crisis struck.

With the epidemic came quarantines, military checkpoints, and travel restrictions. By August 2014, the retreat’s last guests had left, and both Hopkins and Brody had to evacuate. The epidemic was an unexpected challenge, but in many ways, it helped speed up their original mission: by 2016, Kwepunha was a fully local-run business instead of the five years they had initially planned.

Even during the crisis, the surf didn’t stop. Hopkins and Brody organized fundraisers to support local staff and raised money to help the Kriterion Group, a local initiative that spread awareness of anti-Ebola hygiene practices. Robertsport itself remained Ebola-free.

As the crisis subsided, travel advisories lifted. In January 2015, Hopkins returned to Robertsport (while Brody stayed in the US to be with his wife and their newborn). By May, the US Centers for Disease Control had removed its travel warning for Liberia, and tourists began trickling back.

Visitors can now once again surf at Kwepunha, enjoying more than 300 days of perfect waves annually. They can take surf lessons from local instructors and rent boards, though advanced surfers are encouraged to bring their own and consider donating them to the project. When they’re not surfing, guests can try spear fishing or take guided walks through the beach or the jungle.

In the process, they’re helping to reshape Liberia’s image—one of hope and opportunity, where a young surfer, not a child soldier, embodies the future.