Brisa Hennessy, a tica surfer (a term used for a native of Costa Rica) from Matapalo Cape, Osa Peninsula, was eliminated in the semifinals of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, part of the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour.

The Costa Rican Surf Federation reported that the event took place at Bells Beach in Victoria, Australia. Hennessy scored 12.07 points in Heat 1 of the semifinals on Saturday, falling short against Brazil’s Luana Silva, who advanced to the finals with a score of 12.67.

Although Hennessy finished in third place, she improved her overall ranking, moving from 12th to 10th place in the WSL Championship Tour standings.

Silva later lost in the final to Australian Isabella Nichols, who ultimately claimed the event title.

Hennessy’s next competition is the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro, scheduled for May 3–13, 2025, at Gold Coast Beach in Queensland, Australia. She will compete for a spot in the upcoming World Surf Games.

Hennessy represented Costa Rica at the 2024 Paris Olympics where she was eliminated in the women’s bronze medal surfing finals.

She is the daughter of U.S. citizens, Katherine Malia Kobara from Hawaii, and her father, Michael James Hennessy from California.

The WSL Championship Tour includes international stops in Hawaii, the United Arab Emirates, Portugal, El Salvador, Australia, the United States, Brazil, South Africa, French Polynesia, and Fiji. The 2025 World Surf Tour runs from January 27 to September 4.

In other recent sporting competitions, Costa Rican adaptive athlete Amalia Ortuño took first place at the Wodapalooza Adaptive CrossFit Games held in Miami Beach, FL, U.S.A.