Brisa Hennessy: The Salty Surf Goddess

The Costa Rican native, who spent a portion of her childhood in Hawaii, then lots of time in Fiji (more on that later), was in Cabo for the annual Switching Gears event hosted by The Cape hotel. It was a weekend of world’s colliding – pro surfers mingling with Michelin Star chefs, pickleball influencers chopping it up with madmen on mountain bikes – all for one communal celebration of all Cabo San Lucas has to offer, and hosted at The Cape, ranked one of the world’s best hotels for 2025.

So, amidst all the action, in between carnage at pumping Monuments during the “Wheel of Shred” pick-your-poison surf event, Brisa and I caught up. We talked about her journey, about mental and physical health, about falling off Tour, getting back on, and her latest endeavors outside of the jersey.

“My year was an interesting one,” Brisa said, referring to the 2025 Championship Tour season, in which was suffered an early departure via the Mid-Season Cut. “I came off a Final Five last year. I changed shapers; I’m now working with Channel Islands. A lot of good things aligned for this year, but I was maybe looking too far ahead, and not being present. I was finally feeling pretty well-rounded as a person and a surfer. I felt like going into 2025, it was going to be my season. And I think that was the wrong mentality.”

Hennessy, in case you haven’t noticed, is a very plugged-in surfer – both when it comes to her physical approach to the wave, and her mental health strategies both on land and in the water.

Despite being a two-time Olympic surfer and a perennial threat on the Championship Tour, Hennessy has dealt with a lot outside of surfing. She had a brain tumor; she’s struggled with and talked openly about body image issues; and she’s accomplished all of this, the ups and the downs, in the years leading up to her turning the ripe young age of 25.

“Me being vulnerable has tied me to all these women around the world,” Hennessy said. “And when women come together, it’s one of the most potent superpowers ever. A lot of women reached out to me about health, and challenges out in the water. It’s really special. Creating this safe, vulnerable space is really something unique. And that was a big inspiration.”

That has led Hennessy down a side quest, one of connection and female empowerment.

"I just want that little girl to know she’s not alone. I’m realizing that I want a seat at a table when it comes to making change. It’s one thing to be at the top of the podium, but it’s another to be real and honest. "

Brisa Hennessy

“Creating this safe, vulnerable space is really something unique,” she said about her Salty Goddess retreats. “And that was a big inspiration. So, my mom, my best friend Brittany [Hokulani Penaroza] got together and hosted a women’s week on Namotu. We did yoga, sound baths, we learned about Chinese medicine and medication. We’re bringing it back this year in December, then we’re also hosting one in September in Costa Rica.”

She continued: “At the end of the day, it’s about connection. Being vulnerable and sharing your truth builds a community. Everyone around you is going through something you don’t know about. And we connect when we share. I just want that little girl to know she’s not alone. I’m realizing that I want a seat at a table when it comes to making change. It’s one thing to be at the top of the podium, but it’s another to be real and honest. One quote that I keep going back to is: ‘I don’t want to just be the best in the world; I want to be the best for the world.’”

As for her surfing, and competitive life, Hennessy is going back to the drawing board. No more Mrs. Nice Brisa. And when next season rolls around on the Championship Tour, which she’s already qualified for, Hennessy is going into it with a new mentality.

“There were so many little challenges that made me reflect on myself,” she said. “I had to question, ‘How much do I want this?’ I never thought I could truly be a world champion when I was on Tour. I had this underdog mentality. I feel like all these challenges forced me to question how much I wanted it. I feel like I’m such a strategy surfer. And this year showed me that I had these weaknesses, and I needed to reassess my strategy. I can’t safety surf anymore if I want to be the best in the world. It’s so obvious.”

For now, though, she has some time off…for once in her life. And she’s going to enjoy that time, like at The Cape Hotel, the Salty Goddess retreats, and of course, spending time in Fiji, where her father manages Namotu Resort, and the family owns a rental villa on a nearby island.

“I’ve never really had nine months off before,” she said. “I feel like I’m filling my human cup, versus my surfing cup. I think I needed this. Every athlete experiences burnout, and it felt like this was necessary. So, going into 2026, I want to go into it very free. I just want to enjoy every second.”