After an historic result at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the Matapalo native has risen to #1 on the world rankings.
Despite being one of the essential world destinations for surfers, people in Costa Rica rarely followed international competitions before the 2020s. The sport was left to those who lived by the beach, and the thousands of enthusiasts from all around the globe that specifically come to the country’s tropical oasis in search of some of the best waves available. But a generation of young surfers raised amidst the nation’s tourist growth and international exposure have made the most out of their privileged coastal environments and determination to excel.
The reason behind this newfound love of ticos for pro surfing has to do with one name in particular: Brisa Hennesey. In 2019 she secured a high enough ranking on the World Surf League’s Championship Tour to directly qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she finished in a historic 5th place representing Costa Rica.
Since then, Brisa’s achievements have only stacked up. Earlier this year she won the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach event in Hawaii, qualifying for the second part of the 2022 Championship Tour, and cementing herself in history as the first tica to win one of these events. Most recently, she finished in the bronze position at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Tournament held in Australia and achieved the 5th place in the Margaret River Pro tournament, going toe to toe with the best of high-level competitors.
As of now, Brisa ranks number one in the World, leapfrogging American surfer Carissa Moore. The Putarenas icon’s next competition will be at Indonesia’s Roxy Pro G-Land event from May 26th to June 6th, where she’ll have the support of ticos nationwide on her side.
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