Pedro Oliveira
Professional surfing was thrust to the world stage for the 2020 (well, 2021) Summer Olympic Games. It has gained even further ground into the mainstream thanks to the likes of Apple TV’s Make or Break, which offers viewers behind-the-scenes access to the World Surf League (WSL). Then there was last year’s The Ultimate Surfer, which despite a ratings blunder for ABC, did manage to wrangle in new fans for the WSL.
A big part of the allure, beyond the tanned/sculpted physiques and seemingly idyllic life of the competitors, is the fact that it’s a truly international league. The WSL counts athletes from all over the globe, giving equal opportunity to men and women who navigate ocean conditions that would send seasoned sailors to the hills. As America’s one-stop resource for all things related to Hispanics in professional sports, we’d be remiss to exclude WSL athletes from a featurette. Below are some of the most exciting (and attractive!) Hispanic surfers currently competing on the WSL stage.
5 Latino and Latina Professional Surfers to Watch for in the World Surf League (and mainstream scene) in 2022-23 and Beyond
Carlos Munoz | Costa Rica
Despite his compact stature, Carlos Munoz has one of the biggest personalities and is one of the hardest charging surfers on the WCT. His current WSL ranking (#34) does not reflect that however, as he has been absent from the first half of the Tour after sustaining a shoulder injury at the first event of the season – the Billabong Pro Pipeline. But it was within that event that the world got to see how gnarly Munoz was (and is).
The proud Costa-Rican was sucked over the falls at Backdoor Pipeline and slammed onto an underwater rock. Despite having dislocated his shoulder, he paddled back out into monstrous Pipe waves and went on to win the heat. The wave warrior then tried to paddle out for his next heat against fellow latino Lucca Mesinas (more on the Peruvian below) but his shoulder surrendered in the channel. Carlos had to give up his shot at the Quarterfinals for the biggest event of the season.
The good news, is that the relentless surfer has healed and is ready to manhandle the 2022-23 season, be it on the WSL World Championship Tour (WCT) or World Challenger Series (WCS). Either way, there is no better representation of the enduring latino spirit in pro-surfing than Carlos Munoz.
Brisa Hennessy | Costa Rica
At press (May 20220 this Costa Rican sits atop WSL Women’s Rankings, which is crazy impressive when you consider that she’s the only latina competing on the WCT at the moment.
Hennessy is drunk with talent, having represented CR in the Summer Olympics where she narrowly missed a medal by just two spots. While she grew up surfing wave-rich Costa Rica, she fine-tuned her skill set after living on the remote Namotu island with her family in Fiji. She currently resides on the island between globe-trotting with the WSL. Still, her heart remains at home in Costa Rica, and she is certainly doing the nation proud!
Lucca Mesinas | Peru
Lucca Mesinas was born and raised in the small fishing town of Máncora in northern Peru, the very same town that inspired Ernest Hemingway to pen The Old Man and the Sea. But instead of an epic battle to catch a giant marlin, the young gun has his sight’s set on catching waves on the WCT. 2022 was his first year on the WSL Tour, and while his rookie season hit some rough patches, the Peruvian received a 5th place finish at the Billabong Pro Pipeline in super heavy conditions.
Expect bigger and better things from this rising star.
Tia Blanco | Puerto Rican
Tia Blanco became a household name (sort of) after winning the Women’s Division of ABC’s The Ultimate Surfer back in September of 2021. That win gave her Wildcard entry into three WSL events for the 2022 season. She hasn’t performed that well (currently sits last) but she manages to keep sponsors happy and stay in the news, thanks to her beauty, talent, and bubbly personality. Being romantically linked to Brody Jenner doesn’t hurt either.
Despite her current WSL ranking and mainstream media-attention, Blanco is indeed an excellent surfer who takes her sport very seriously. We look forward to big things from her on the WSL Challenger Series and quite possibly as a staple on the WCT in the near future.
Miguel Tudela | Peru
Tudela joined fellow Peruvian Lucca Mesinas in surfing’s inaugural appearance in the Summer Olympics. To be honest, we were going back and forth on whether to put Tudela into the final slot of this list, until he decided for us by winning the Copa Sails of Change Galápagos last week (May 8/2022). We’re sure the trophy and oversized cheque were nice, but getting featured in JefeBet is a giant feather in his cap!
Honorable Mention | Billy Kemper (Sorta-Rican)
Hawaii-born 4 X Big Wave Championship winner Billy Kemper gets sorta-Rican status. This isn’t just because there appears to be some latin flavor in his blood, but also due to whom he married – Tahiti Hernandez. For the uninitiated, Hernandez is the beautiful sister of part Puerto Rican mega-star Bruno Mars. We’ll take it.
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