Photo: ISA/Pablo Jimenez
It’s no secret that Costa Rica is home to some amazing surfers. Just take a trip down to one of Costa Rica’s many popular surf beaches- such as Jaco or Dominical- and you will probably see some local surfers giving amazing performances and doing tricks that will leave you stunned.
Recently, two surfers from Costa Rica have made headlines with their victories in the world of competitive surfing: Brisa Hennessy and Leilani McGonagle.
The two surfers share some similarities. For instance: they both follow a vegan plant based diet, they both competed in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics for surfing, they are both 22 years old, and they both come from a family of surfers.
The biggest similarity between them is… these women can shred!
They are two forces of nature who have represented Costa Rica at the highest levels of WSL and ISA surfing. In this article, we outline some key information and interesting information about these two professional surfers who have brought pride to the hearts of Ticos and Ticas.
Brisa Hennessy: Genuine and talented
Photo: WSL/ Tony Heff
Brisa was born in Matapalo, Costa Rica. She moved to Hawaii at the age of 8 and started riding some of the best waves in the world, including many in Fiji, where she spent a lot of her time growing up.
Brisa had a famous victory recently. She became the first Costa Rican to win the 2022 Hurley Pro Sunset Beach at Oahu’s North Shore in Hawaii. She also competed at the Tokyo Olympics and earned Costa Rica a historic fifth place finish in Olympic surfing.
Brisa is an outspoken advocate of ocean conservation. She partners with many organizations on her social media pages to promote awareness for ocean conservation projects around the globe, but especially in Costa Rica.
She is a self-proclaimed lover of cooking as well. Being plant based, Brisa works with vegan sponsors and promotes healthy, eco conscious brands.
In an interview with the Olympic journalism committee for olympics.com, Brisa outlines her plans for the 2022 competitive year:
“I have a lot of goals, but I think the main one is to simplify,” she says. “To come out of it (the 2022 season) knowing that I really did my best. I really simplified my routine, simplified who I was and also I think soaking in the moments between all the stops on the (WSL) tour.
“I feel like that’s what makes you who you are and makes you a well-rounded, happy person. I want to know I soaked it all up and did my best and came out a better surfer and a better human.”
Leilani McGonagle: A model of dedication
Photo: ISA/Sean Evans
Leilani grew up as many young Costa Ricans do- immersed in nature and adventure.
Her parents met on a trip to Costa Rica, and decided to settle down in the Pavones region; which just so happens to be the land of the famous perfect left facing wave.
Leilani grew up as many young Costa Ricans do- immersed in nature and adventure.
In an interview with Surfline, Leilani describes the feeling of having Costa Rica surfers recognized at the Olympic athletic level:
“The Olympics really brought this whole new perspective to the sport,” said McGonagle. “It was like, ‘Hey, you’re an athlete now.’ For so many years it was like, ‘You’re an athlete, but you’re a surfer. It’s not a real sport.’ When the Olympics happened, Costa Rica took it seriously. Aside from soccer, they wanted to really step up our game with surfing. It was totally legitimized. Whereas before, you could be a great surfer but end up just being a bum on the beach giving surf lessons for the rest of your life or something.”
Right before her Olympic debut, Leilani suffered a personal tragedy. Her friend and fellow famous surfer, Kathy Diaz, was unexpectedly killed in a lightning strike while paddling out to surf.
Despite this shocking and painful event, Leilani achieved 5th place in the 2021 ISA World Surfing Games in El Salvador, the country where her friend lost her life.
She is humble, hardworking, and a model of dedication to the sport. Her career is worth following and we are sure we will be seeing her in many more pro competitions in the future.
