Brisa Hennessy
At a glance
- Sport: Surfing
- Country: Costa Rica
- Date of Birth: September 16, 1999
About the athlete
Born to a family of surfers, Brisa has been surfing for as long as she can remember. She was only 3-years old when she stood up on her first wave. Brisa was born on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica where her parents ran a surf school and when she was 9 years old, she moved to Oahu to pursue a career in Professional Surfing. In the summer months, she would spend her time in Fiji, giving her exposure to some of the best Surfing conditions in the world, helping her ‘youth’ Surfing career flourish.
In 2018, Brisa joined the World Surf League Championship at the age of just 18, becoming the first Costa Rican to ever qualify for the tour. In 2019, she broke onto the scene as one of the WSL’s top competitors with 7 top-10 finishes throughout the season and a high enough ranking to earn a direct qualification to the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020.
Brisa’s qualification for the Olympic Games was another milestone in her career as she became the first Central American Surfer to qualify for the Olympic Games and only the 5th Costa Rican athlete to qualify for Tokyo 2020.
Brisa’s rise to the top of Professional Surfing has only just begun. In 2022 she earned her first WSL victory and will look to add an Olympic Medal to her resume at Paris 2024.
Notable achievements
- Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – Participant
- 2022 Hurley Pro Sunset Beach– Winner
- 2019 Pan American Games – Gold Medal
