"In two years time she’ll be also better than any male surfer on the planet."
Four months after cementing her place in surfing lore after a ten-point ride at Snapper Rocks that officially ended a forty-year perception that women couldn’t ride tubes on their backhand, the Texas-born and newly-minted Canadian Erin Brooks has won the Fiji Pro, competing in her first CT eventI as a wildcard.
Erin Brooks had a tough run to the final. She had to mow through the world number one, four and five-rated surfers, Caity Simmers, Molly Pickles and Tatiana Weston-Webb to take the crown and the hundred gees.
“Erin Brooks is on a pathway to destiny,” said the former tour surfer turned commentator Richie Lovett. “She was ruthless.”
Newly retired Kelly Slater, meanwhile, acted as board caddy to Erin Brooks.
“I feel so thankful to the Lord,” said Erin Brooks, a Christian, after her win.
Surf fans were uniform in their praise.
“She’d beat many men on tour with surfing like that. Mind blowing.”
“I’m sorry but this girls is leagues ahead of every other girl with style. She rips.”
In 2 years time she’ll be also better than any male surfer on the planet. This is a talent of which the world has yet to witness.”
Erin Brooks moved from Texas to Hawaii when she was nine, surfed Teahupoo at eleven, was taking off on ten-foot Sunset peaks at thirteen and was the youngest ever competitor invited to surf in the Padang Padang Cup.
In the men, meanwhile, Griffin Colapinto, a protege of Matthew McConaughey who shattered Gabriel Medina’s 2024 world title dream yesterday, beat Bali’s Rio Wanda to win.