The Liberian city of Robertsport is blessed with four pillars of surfer nirvana: perfect waves, warm water, an empty line up and an exotic locale. And despite being located less than 100km south of the capital Monrovia, the last stretch of road to reach the city passes through lush jungle so reminiscent of Jurassic Park, you almost expect a pterodactyl to fly out.
But just as Liberia was struggling to rebuild its war-torn infrastructure after 11 years of near continuous civil war, the country found itself at the epicentre of a headline-grabbing Ebola epidemic in 2014 – a double whammy that would deter almost any tourism developer. Almost any, of course, except Daniel Hopkins and Sean Brody. This stretch of beach, jungle and fishing villages was exactly what the two American surfers and MBA holders had been seeking.