“To have my name, number and the Costa Rican flag on my jersey, getting to surf against my heroes – it still feels pretty surreal,” exclaimed 19-year-old Brisa Hennessy who completed her first date on the World Surf League (WSL) Women’s Championship Tour (CT) in Queensland, Australia this month. Called the Boost Mobile Pro Gold Coast, Hennessy had an auspicious start—winning her Round 2 heat and besting Hawaiian surf royalty Coco Ho. She did not pass further, but she is not deterred.

The CT rookie is carrying a lot of responsibility as Costa Rica’s representative on this prestigious professional contest circuit. After all, she is the first Tico—male or female—to make it to this level of the WSL.

Next stop for the Women’s CT will be April 17-27, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, also in Australia. Hennessy continues her fight against the likes of world title holder Stephanie Gilmore (Australia), as well as heavy weights Lakey Peterson (United States), Carissa Moore (Hawaii) and others of that superior ilk.

Here in Costa Rica, the kolbi Circuito Nacional presented by Junta de Protección Social took place on Nosara’s Playa Guiones. The Copa Surfing Republic pushed out some leaders among the group of competitors, building on these results and those from the second contest—the Copa Marley in Puerto Viejo, where the top winners there were four-time national surf champion and local Gilbert Brown, as well as another local, Paulina Summers, who copped the Women’s and the Junior Women’s trophies.

At the top of the rankings after two dates was Jair Perez, who won 1st then 2nd place. He was followed closely by Brown, Anthony Fillingim (who won this beach last year), and Olman Morales.

The Women’s division showcases the young talent of Summers, Rubiana Brownell and Indiana Ferri.

Here are the rankings leaders after the two Circuito Nacional dates:

Open: Jair Perez
Women’s: Paulina Summers
Junior: Sam Reidy
Junior Women’s Paulina Summers
Boys: Tao Rodriguez
Girls: Indiana Ferri
Grommet: Pierto Garroux
Minigrommets: Ethan Hollander
Minigrommet Girls: Erika Berra
Masters: Gilbert Brown
Longboard: Daniel Alvarez

Copa Marley
February 23, 24, 2019
Playa Cocles, Puerto Viejo

Open
Gilbert Brown López (Puerto Viejo)
Jair Pérez (Jaco)
Carlos Brown (Puerto Viejo)
Olman Morales (Santa Teresa)

Women’s Open
Paulina Summers (Puerto Viejo)
Indiana Ferry (Puerto Viejo)
Julissa Matamoros (Matapalo)
Valeria Ojeda (Jaco)

Master
Gilbert Brown López (Puerto Viejo)
Alvaro Solano (Jaco)
Diego Naranjo (Jaco)
Mauro Sergio Oliveira (San José)

Bodyboard
Brandom Steward
Jefferson Calderón
David Westtin
Hugo Alfonso Melendez

Bodyboard Women’s
Beatriz Arleo (San José)
Cindy Diaz (Jaco)
Megwin Sauders (Jaco)
Sofia Córdoba (Puerto Viejo)

Bodyboard Junior
Hugo Alfonso Meléndez
Brandon Steward
Steven Miranda
Dylan Araya
Alderick Hernández

Junior
Cedrick McCrakin (Puerto Viejo)
Gabriel Córdoba (Puerto Viejo)
Sebastián Mora (Santa Teresa)
Sam Reidy (Dominical)

Junior Women’s
Paulina Summers (Puerto Viejo)
Julissa Matamoros (Matapalo)
Valeria Ojeda (Jaco)
Ericka Berra (Puerto Viejo)

Boys
Darshan Antequera (Jaco)
Sam Reidy (Dominical)
Aarón Ramirez (Jaco)
Tao Rodriguez (Panamá)

Girls
Indiana Ferri (Puerto Viejo)
Paulina Summers (Puerto Viejo)
Valeria Ojeda (Jaco)
Auxiela Ryan (Puerto Viejo)

Grommets
Pietro Garroux (Guanacaste)
Ian Rojas
Ethan Hollander (Dominical)
Leonardo Apreda (Jaco)

MiniGrommets
Ethan Hollander (Dominical)
Pietro Garroux (Guanacaste)
Leonardo Apreda (Jaco)
Kian Ashara

MiniGrommet Girls
Erika Berra (Puerto Viejo)

At the Sharky’s Triple Crown—the 6th season of the Sun Bum presents Circuito Guanacasteco de Surf (CGS),–Avellanas’ surfer Coral Wiggins is all set to claim the Women’s Guanacaste title even before the contest Grand Finals. She won both Marbella’s Copa Witch’s Rock and Avellanas’ Copa Lola, and just by showing up at finals of Playa Negra, she’s Guanacaste’s Women champ. The season final for the rest of the ranking competitors take place in June and among them will be Malakai Martinez, who also won the tournament’s first two Junior dates. His situation, however, finds Tiago Carrique, only 310 points away, leaving the result for the title to be settled in Negra.

Copa Lolas
March 2, 3, 2019
Avellanas

Open
Malakai Martinez
Tiago Carrique
Ángelo Bonomelli
Francisco Coronado

Open Women’s
Coral Wiggins
Rubiana Brownell
Zulay Martínez
Chelsea Lisauis

Masters
Ian Bean
Claudio Mazzone
Christian Boss
Mike Castro

Junior
Malakai Martinez
Tiago Carrique
Dean Vadewalle
Taigo Leao

Boys Under 16
Tiago Leao
Axel Castro
Kalani Abrahao
Zack Spooner

Girls
Ericka Berra
Auxiela Ryan
Lucia del Solar
Yam Heral

Boys Under 14
Pietro Garroux
Kalani Abrahao
Nadar Attar
Nicolás Boos

Groms Under 12
Pietro Garroux
Romeo Stone
Ericka Berra
Gal Bepmate

Dolphins
Dario Vargas
Maey Yhitieau
Archer Bratton
Bella Bratton

Costa Rica’s women SUP champion, Valeria Salustri, is on rise outside the country. The Tica ambassador won the Under 19 division of the Lanakila Classic in Redondo Beach, California. This stellar result in that division, coupled with a 3rd overall finish among paddlers from all over the world, was accomplished by Salustri in the 10 kilometer race.

“This is the second time I did this competition and the first with a 14-foot board,” said Salustri, who will compete for Costa Rica in the Pan American Games this July in Lima, Peru, and is vying for a SUP spot representing her country in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.