Brisa Hennessy, a Tica surfer (a term used for a native of Costa Rica) from Matapalo Cape on the Osa Peninsula, advanced to the quarterfinals of the Lexus Pipe Pro surf competition, held this week on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. 

According to the World Surf League (WSL), the event serves as the first preliminary competition leading up to the 2025 World Surf Tour, which runs from January 27 to September 4, 2025.

The tour includes stops in Hawaii, the United Arab Emirates, Portugal, El Salvador, Australia, the United States, Brazil, South Africa, French Polynesia, and Fiji.

On Wednesday, Hennessy secured her quarterfinal spot by scoring 9.27 points in the Round of 16, defeating French surfer Vahine Fierro, who scored 8.60 points. 

Hennessy will compete again on Saturday, Feb. 8, facing Tyler Wright (Australia) and Lakey Peterson (United States). A victory in this heat would secure her place in the semifinals. 

The Lexus Pipe Pro, held at the world-famous Banzai Pipeline, is the opening event of the WSL Championship Tour, featuring the sport’s top athletes. 

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

Hennessy’s parents are U.S. citizens, her mother, Katherine Malia Kobara, hails from Hawaii, while her father, Michael James Hennessy, is from California.

In another recent international competition, Costa Rican adaptive athlete Amalia Ortuño won first place in the Wodapalooza Adaptive CrossFit games held in Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.A.

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