Brisa Hennessy, a Tica surfer (a term used for a native of Costa Rica) from Matapalo on the Osa Peninsula, was eliminated from the Lexus Pipe Pro Surf Competition this weekend in Oahu’s North Shore, Hawaii.

According to the Surf Federation, Hennessy was defeated in the quarterfinals on Saturday after scoring 1.03 points in heat 4, while Australia’s Molly Picklum advanced with 8.10 points.

Picklum moved on to the semifinals, and Hennessy finished in 5th place.

Despite the early exit, Hennessy will continue her World Surf Tour campaign. She will compete in Abu Dhabi,  the capital city of the United Arab Emirates,  from February 14 to 16.

 

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

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

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

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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