Ivanka Trump Hits the Waves in Costa Rica and Takes a Tumble in New Surfing Photos

Ivanka Trump was back on a surfboard in Costa Rica, and this time the waves delivered a little more drama than she may have expected.

The 44-year-old was photographed surfing on Sunday, August 23, during a family holiday, confidently getting to her feet, riding the waves, and even flashing a shaka gesture before one attempt ended with her tumbling into the water. She quickly climbed back onto the board and carried on.

Ivanka Trump Takes a Tumble

The latest Ivanka Trump surfing photos capture more than a perfectly polished holiday moment.

Wearing a white long-sleeved surf top with black bottoms, Ivanka balanced on a bright blue soft-top longboard as she worked her way through the waves alongside an instructor. At one point, she appeared comfortable enough to extend her arms for balance and throw up a shaka.

Then came the wipeout. Ivanka lost her balance and landed in the ocean, but there was no sign that the fall had put her off. She got back onto her board and continued surfing, eventually returning to shore with a smile.

It is the sort of moment that makes the glossy holiday photographs feel a little more human. Even with an instructor and plenty of practice, the ocean still gets the final say.

Surfing Is Becoming a Costa Rican Tradition

This was hardly Ivanka's first attempt at surfing in Costa Rica.

She has been returning to the sport during visits to the country for years, and her latest outing shows that surfing has become a regular part of her active holiday routine.

In April 2025, Ivanka took private surfing lessons at Take Off Surf School near Playa Hermosa and Santa Teresa. The school's owner, Jesús Zabala, confirmed at the time that she and her family had been taking lessons there for more than three years. He described her as a good surfer with a very positive attitude.

That history puts the latest tumble in perspective. Ivanka was not simply picking up a surfboard for the first time and hoping for the best.

From Lessons to Bigger Waves

During that 2025 Costa Rica trip, Ivanka was photographed repeatedly taking to the water, including on a blue board.

She also practised on land with an instructor before heading into the ocean, with her children watching nearby during one outing. Later in the trip, she returned to the waves again during a family beach day.

Her interest in surfing had already surfaced months earlier. In November 2024, she was photographed using a 40-foot FlowRider surf simulator, another sign that the sport was becoming part of her broader fitness and outdoor routine.

So while the latest fall makes for the most entertaining photograph, it is also part of a longer progression.

A Family Holiday With a Familiar Cast

The latest surfing session did not include Jared Kushner or the couple's three children in the photographs.

That does not mean they were absent from the wider Costa Rica holiday. Ivanka had recently shared an Instagram photo dump showing herself with Kushner and their children, Arabella Rose, 13, Joseph Frederick, 10, and Theodore James, 8, enjoying nature and time on the golf course.

The surfing outing appears to have simply been one activity within a larger family getaway.

Costa Rica has also previously brought Ivanka together with her extended family. During the 2025 trip, she spent time with her sister-in-law, Karlie Kloss, who is married to Kushner's younger brother, Joshua Kushner.

More Than a Holiday Photo

Ivanka's repeated surfing appearances fit neatly into a broader interest in fitness and outdoor activities that she has showcased publicly.

That makes the latest images more revealing than another set of celebrity holiday snaps. They show someone who has stuck with a difficult sport long enough to become increasingly comfortable on the board, while also proving that experience does not guarantee a perfect ride.

The fall may have been the most eye-catching moment of the day, but it was what happened afterwards that gave the photographs their real punch.

Ivanka did not stay in the water. She got back on the board and kept going, turning an awkward wipeout into another chapter of her increasingly familiar Costa Rica surfing routine.