In recent years, Costa Rica has witnessed a remarkable surge in women’s professional surfing, a sport deeply ingrained in the country’s culture and heritage. With local heroine Brisa Hennessy topping the charts on the World Surf League Championship Tour, this tiny yet powerful nation has cemented its place in the international surf community. However, despite these achievements, the journey to a professional surfing career remains an uphill battle for most women, plagued by objectification, pay disparities, and a glaring gap in opportunities.
Women of Papagayo, in collaboration with SurfX, is hosting a groundbreaking donation-based community surf event to bolster the female surf community and address these persistent challenges. Headlined by three remarkable Costa Rican professional surfers, the event aims to shine a spotlight on the struggles faced by women in the sport.
Leading the charge is Lia Diaz, Costa Rica’s number one longboarder and a bronze medalist in the Pan-American games. Diaz’s roots run deep in the professional surfing community, having grown up with her mother, Andrea Diaz, a national champion in her own right. Mother and daughter triumphed together in a remarkable turn of events, winning nationals in the same year. However, despite her undeniable talent and unwavering ambition, Diaz grapples with financial constraints and a need for sponsorships that could propel her toward her goals.
“The only way to secure a significant sponsor is through personal connections with executives at major brands,” Diaz reveals. “Unfortunately, these opportunities predominantly favor men, perpetuating a cycle where the same two women are repeatedly chosen. Astonishingly, certain brands continue to sponsor multiple men while ignoring women altogether, despite the men not having the most stellar careers in comparison.”
