Ivanka Trump returned to the waves in Costa Rica over the weekend, with new photographs showing President Donald Trump's eldest daughter riding a longboard, flashing a shaka gesture and taking a tumble before getting back on her board during a family vacation.
The 44-year-old was photographed surfing on Sunday, Aug. 23, continuing an activity that has become a regular part of her trips to Costa Rica. The outing adds to a series of appearances in which Trump has pursued surfing and other outdoor activities since stepping away from an official political role.
Trump wore a white long-sleeved surf top and black bottoms while riding a bright-blue soft-top longboard alongside an instructor. Photos showed her successfully standing and extending her arms to maintain balance as she moved through the waves.
During one ride, Trump appeared relaxed enough to make the shaka hand gesture commonly associated with surfing culture. Another attempt was less successful: She lost her balance and fell from the board into the water.
The wipeout appeared to cause little disruption to the session. Trump climbed back onto the board and continued surfing before eventually returning to shore smiling, according to the photographs.
The outing wasn't Trump's first experience on Costa Rican waves. She has taken surfing lessons during previous family trips to the country, developing what has become a recurring vacation routine rather than a one-time experiment with the sport.
In April 2025, Trump took private lessons at Take Off Surf School near Playa Hermosa and Santa Teresa. Jesús Zabala, the school's owner, said at the time that Trump and members of her family had been receiving lessons there for more than three years.
Zabala described her as a good surfer with a positive attitude. Photographs from the 2025 trip showed Trump practicing technique with an instructor on land before entering the water, while her children watched during at least one of the sessions.
She returned to the ocean several times during that vacation, including another family beach outing in which she was photographed surfing. The repeated sessions suggest she has continued working on the sport rather than limiting it to occasional celebrity vacation photos.
Trump had also practiced surfing away from the ocean. In November 2024, she was photographed using a 40-foot FlowRider surf simulator, an artificial-wave system that allows riders to practice balance and board control.
Her husband, Jared Kushner, and their three children weren't shown in photographs from Sunday's surfing session. The outing, however, came during a broader Costa Rican family vacation.
Trump recently shared photographs on Instagram showing Kushner and their children-Arabella Rose, Joseph Frederick and Theodore James-spending time outdoors and playing golf during the trip. The surfing session appears to have been one part of the family's activities rather than a separate visit.
Costa Rica has become a familiar destination for Trump and the Kushner family. During her 2025 visit, she also spent time with Karlie Kloss, who is married to Kushner's younger brother, Joshua Kushner.
