At IBC, besides showcasing the best riders and international events, we’re putting together sections to explore bodyboarding from different angles, including its history and the achievements of standout individuals. We want to highlight the social aspect of the sport, which goes beyond just the elite, showing how bodyboarding can change lives.
We’re sharing the story of a warrior of the sea, a fighter who, through bodyboarding, has found motivation and done good deeds, helping others in tough times. He’s a role model for future generations, being an artist, rapper, bodyboarder, and founder of charitable projects.
BIO: DIEGO ESQUIVEL
1. CHILDHOOD
I was born in 1982 in Antofagasta, Chile, during a family economic crisis. We lived in government housing in the northern part of the city until I was ten. In 1990, after the fall of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship, my dad, Alfredo Esquivel, lost his job and had to sell our house because of debts. The family moved around to different neighborhoods in the north until we ended up in Rubén Infante, a rough area where I learned how to get by. In the middle of all this, I met Jorge Wilson and Ricardo Zapata, two bodyboarders who got me into the sport.
During another economic crisis, my older sister, Margaret Esquivel, moved to Iquique and invited us to live with her in the historic bodyboarding neighborhood “El Morro,” where there were a lot of local riders. I dreamed of being a bodyboarder. I’m really grateful my sister won a raffle prize that included a BZ PRO STINGER and REDLEY FINGS fins. When I was 11, my mom took me to Cavancha Beach, to the wave “El Faro.” I showed up feeling insecure, and as soon as I got in the water, a local threatened me, and a set of waves tumbled me around, making me feel like I was gonna drown. When I got out, my mom was freaked out and yelled that she wouldn’t take me to the beach again, and she kept her word.
Two months later, I went back to Antofagasta and reconnected with my rider neighbors, who invited me to surf at Playa Amarilla, where I discovered my passion for bodyboarding. My dad secretly took me to different beaches, but he passed away in 1994, which made me step away from bodyboarding and dive into hip hop. I got into rap, breakdancing, and graffiti, and formed a dance crew called “Strollers Force,” with which we competed and even performed on TV.
When I was 16, back in ’99, my daughter Franchesca was born, and to support her, I used to dance on the streets while going to school. Later, I switched to a night schedule so I could work during the day at a grocery store, where I met someone who got me into dealing weed. That opened my eyes to other ways to make money and survive on the streets.
2. RAP AND BODYBOARDING
Getting into rap, I discovered gangsta rap, which really inspired me to live that lifestyle. I got invited to join one of my first groups, “Mafia Clicka,” with my buddy Danilo Carvajal (Demian), who lived right across from the “Budeo” wave. One afternoon, while we were drinking and doing drugs, Demian dared me to try surfing and lent me a bodyboard. I took on the challenge, and as soon as I hit the water, I felt that childhood thrill of being a bodyboarder again. But the street life was way more enticing and met my financial needs.
One time, the cops caught me for a robbery. I went through a trial during the rollout of the new criminal procedure reform in Chile, in cities like Antofagasta and Concepción. Before the reform, defendants had to wait in jail for their sentences. I spent 10 months in limbo, not knowing if I’d get hit with a 5-year-and-1-day sentence or an alternative punishment. During that time, I fell in love with bodyboarding because it gave me a sense of freedom and inner connection. I decided to turn my life around, stop committing crimes, quit drugs, and adopt new habits and relationships that broadened my social and spiritual outlook. Through these new connections, I discovered Rastafarian culture, changed my diet, and became a lifelong vegetarian. Among the ocean friends I met were Daniel Ancavil, Juan Flores, and Boris Salazar.
I finally served my time in a social reintegration center, where I got to study hotel management and tourism. For my final project, I put together this cool festival that included a bodyboarding championship and a spot for local bands, working with Daniel Ancavil. This was the first local bodyboarding circuit in Antofagasta, and the last event was held at the wave called “Cúpula de Poder.” Daniel and I pulled off several projects together, and we even started one of the first bodyboarding schools in Antofagasta, plus a club called “Mente Sana,” which brought together people from all walks of life.
My connection to nature deepened when I noticed the ocean was getting polluted by a company spilling oil. Along with my friends, we organized a cultural and social movement to raise awareness about the damage, which ended in a huge march with artists like Zona Ganjah and Ini Fusión. The authorities promised to fix the situation and replace the oil tanks responsible for the mess.
In that context, I met the Hare Krishna folks, who invited me to their temple to talk about the protest, and I decided to join them. Meanwhile, I was facing a tough personal challenge. Because of issues with my daughter Franchesca’s mom (we weren’t together), the constant fighting and emotional instability led to my daughter developing an emotional disorder that ended up being diagnosed as type 1 diabetes. The Hare Krishna community really supported me during those hard times and became great teachers. They taught me how to cook, understand food nutrients, sell on the streets without feeling embarrassed, practice yoga, meditate, and connect with the divine in a whole new way.
Eventually, I quit my job to become a Hare Krishna monk, supporting myself by selling vegan food, spirituality books, and the famous Original Krishna Burger, a vegan burger we sold on the streets. One day, during a celebration at the temple with guests from different cultural centers, I met Barbarita Araya (Bhakti). We started dating and fell in love, bonding over our similarities and passions. From that union, we formed a music group called “Elemento Dual,” and in 2009, our son Aryuna Esquivel was born.
3. LIFE TESTIMONIALS
Back in 2010, after a wild police chase for selling burgers on the street with my buddy Krishna, I decided it was time to change gears and create a better future for my family. That’s when the idea for a business was born, and we picked the name “Hari Dham,” which mixes “Hari” (heart-stealer) and “Dham” (sacred place), turning it into a spot that serves the best vegetarian food in town. After months of hard work, I landed a government-funded project (SERCOTEC) and opened Hari Dham, which is still going strong today.
In 2012, during the first Antofagasta Bodyboard Festival, organized by my friend Arturo Soto—who I’ve known since we were in high school at A-22—I was invited as part of “Elemento Dual” to the closing ceremony and awards. I remember being in awe of Arturo for his dedication to bodyboarding, a sport he practiced before heading to class, and how he managed to pull off this amazing event with perseverance and love.
During our performance, I spotted the event champion, who I hadn’t met before, vibing and enjoying our songs. After the show, he came up to us and shared that he loved rap and had a habit of checking out the local rap scenes wherever he competed. He said it felt magical to meet us right after his epic win (a final showdown between him and Alan Muñoz). After chatting, snapping a photo, and sharing a moment full of good vibes, I invited him to grab a bite at my place. That’s when I met Amaury Lavernhe and his girlfriend Maleny.
After their visit to Hari Dham, we talked a lot, laughed, and bonded over our passion for bodyboarding and the lives we were building. From that day on, we became really good friends. In the following years, I worked hard to be the best version of myself, looking back with gratitude and love, embracing my past and how it helps me tackle life. Bodyboarding has been my constant companion, my friend, and my teacher. Life was looking up, and the business was stable.
In 2014, I met Felipe Karlis, a sound engineer who joined Elemento Dual. Music brought challenges and growth, and with the group, we managed to perform both nationally and internationally, traveling through Chile, Peru, Argentina, and Colombia. We connected with amazing groups and people, creating unique bonds filled with wisdom and love.
But life always comes with its tests. My daughter Franchesca, who lived with her mom and stepdad, was abused and raped by the latter. It was a horror movie we had to face as a family. Out of my devotion to the divine and trying to do what I could within my spiritual beliefs, we filed a lawsuit. He was sentenced to twelve years in prison, but due to the bad practices and laws in Chile, he managed to escape and settled abroad.
As a family, we grew stronger, loved each other, and evolved even more after that. In the following years, we achieved great things. It wasn’t a war from our side; love came first, and we did what we knew. We made music, fought in the streets, and received warmth and love from the crowd. We took Franchesca all the way to Santiago, knocked on every door, literally, and we were heard.
4. FAMILY CHALLENGES
On one of our family adventure trips, we let go. The universe is wise; Krishna would know what to do. On all our trips to Miami, Puerto Rico, and Costa Rica, the board was with us. Sri Varuna (the sea) is my great friend; he’s always been there for my bad days, giving me beautiful highs and lows for bodyboarding. It brought progress and growth in my skills; discovering new waves was amazing. Aryuna, who was still a kid, was being called by the sea, and he rode his first waves. It was a great experience for him; since childhood, he showed a love for the sea and his passion for it, but after some fears, he still hadn’t fully dived into bodyboarding. As a dad, I was there for him through all his different processes when he ventured into soccer and skateboarding. But after those waves in Puerto Rico, he was totally enchanted by the sea.
In 2020, the world was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. After being stuck at home, we couldn’t go out, but for me, it was essential to do some bodyboarding. So, I would sneak out in the morning, around 6 or 6:30, with my work permit and the hope of getting some exercise. I’m grateful for the few times we ran into something, and even then, everything was going well. The Budeo wave was my home for a long time; its people were my company. There were also Cúpula, Cuarto Cuervo, and Joel. And at times, I’d catch waves outside the city (in the Paposo area); I never stopped getting in the water. On the contrary, I felt it made me stronger and kept my mind calm amidst the stress of the pandemic.
In the last few months of the year, we could finally go out with permits; life was calmer, and bodyboarding along with my family’s love kept me going. Aryuna started at the Coloso Bodyboard School and began her journey into this beautiful discipline. During this time, they also invited me to work with them at the school. It’s worth mentioning that this lovely school is run by Danicelly Vallejos and Manuel Cepeda. With my love for the discipline and teaching, I was also part of the Budeo school. I really enjoyed working at both schools; they inspired me a lot. That’s when the desire to have my own bodyboarding school was born.
2021 was tough, full of stress. We were still living in uncertainty about what would happen the next day with the virus and how society would cope. It was a year when a lot of emotions exploded; during this time in my life, they extradited my daughter’s rapist from Sweden to Chile, bringing justice and sentencing him to 13 years in prison, finally closing this painful chapter of my life. It was also the year when I showed my worst side due to work stress and the societal pressure we were all facing, which led to the end of my relationship with my son’s mother—a situation that really broke me inside.
5. NEW PROJECTS
Still, bodyboarding was my loyal companion, especially on my sad days. I also loved traveling to different parts of the world and discovering new waves. In an effort to clear my mind and reconnect with myself, I planned a trip to Bocas del Toro, Panama, with Amaury for the Boca’s Invitational championship. This gave me a lot of opportunities, like attending a Masterclass led by Amaury. It was an amazing class, full of technique, tactics, and history. I felt like I needed to go back to the basics and work on my paddling, posture, and learn more. I had this feeling that it was important to replicate this in different parts of the world.
In May 2022, Catalina Muñoz started working with me, and from the very first moment, her eyes caught my attention. I met her son, Mario Khenan, and after three months of working together, Catalina found another job. During that time, I realized I wanted to get to know her better, and in October, we decided to make our relationship official, even though she had some doubts because of how long it had been since my separation. Despite my challenges in setting boundaries after 14 years with someone else, I was ready to do anything to share my love with Catalina. She made me feel a real, limitless, and unconditional love, supporting me even in my toughest moments. For almost two years, we experienced the true nectar of love, dreaming of a future together and nurturing that love. Even though we’re now physically apart, I still feel her presence in my heart, and I hope time allows us to reunite as better versions of ourselves. Thank you, Catalina, for all that real love.
Amidst the new energy, goals, and projects, the idea of doing a Masterclass in Antofagasta, Chile, alongside Felipe Karlis was born. At first, I have to admit I had doubts about doing the event, but my friend is a visionary and super positive about achieving goals. I remember one day in Budeo, where I talked to two moms looking for bodyboarding classes for their kids. I realized there was a need for a new school in the city and shared my desire to create one. One of the moms, Maria Lavin, and her husband Waldo offered to help me out.
In February 2023, my partner Karlis and I organized the first Bodyboard clinic, which was a hit and led to the creation of “Universo Bodyboard.” My son Aryuna, who lives with me, has grown up in this environment and decided to follow the regional Bodyboard circuit in Antofagasta. I got the chance to be a judge in the circuit and learned from some amazing pros. Aryuna came in fourth in the regional circuit, but I felt limited because I couldn’t support him the way I wanted.
For ABF 2023, I managed to become an IBC judge, and even though I was selling vegan burgers at the world championships, the organization let me do it during my breaks. This helped me get great results as a judge and sell a ton of burgers.
Marcelo Muñoz from Coquimbo is proposing to hold the first Bodyboard clinic in the city in February 2024. This year, clinics were held in Antofagasta and Coquimbo, where my son participated, coming into the regional circuit with new techniques and confidence, finishing in second place and winning in Hornitos.
This circuit was important to me because I could choose between being a judge or supporting my son in each heat, which allowed me to enjoy special moments with him while still selling vegan burgers. I chose to be there for him, and seeing his happiness fills me with life.
Plus, ABF 2024 is shaping up to be one of the best festivals, with awesome riders and my buddy Chyste MC closing it out. During this time, we decided to organize a new clinic focused on competition, featuring the standout Pierre Louis Costes and Amaury Lavernhe, funded by MW Electricidad and free for students from low-income schools. The class was a success and an unforgettable experience.
6. GRATITUDE
Right now, I’m on a journey of acceptance, learning to love myself. For now, I’m living with my son and my cat, right in front of the wave that’s seen me through all my toughest times in life, and I have a beautiful relationship with my daughter, Franchesca.
With Universo Bodyboard, we’ve built a community. We have scholarship students from low-income backgrounds and others who pay the regular fee. We’re getting support from MW Electricity to spread the word about bodyboarding and bring it to high-risk areas. Plus, we’ve got some cool projects lined up for 2025, including new bodyboarding clinics with iconic riders from our sport. We’re also working on a trip to the Canary Islands with my son to check out their amazing waves.
I’m truly grateful to my daughter Franchesca and my partner Catalina Muñoz for helping me with this bio, to my family for all the support they’ve given me in everything I’ve decided to do, and to all those souls who’ve crossed my path in different ways. Thanks to photographers Cristian Rudolffi and Rodrigo Carrasco for sharing some of their work with me so many times.
Life’s circumstances keep changing; these are waves we’re surfing to keep moving forward, overcoming challenges, growing stronger, and loving every part of the process. Even when it hurts and pulls at our souls, everything is perfectly designed for our spiritual and material growth. Trust the process—your true desires will always come to life.
Life can seem really tough, but it’s up to you to bring out your best self. I could’ve taken another path, but I choose to be free, I choose to be real, and I choose to love myself so I can love others.
Go bodyboard and lift your spirit! “DIEGO ESQUIVEL“
