Fresh Jordans are never a bad birthday gift. Photo: Instagram
There’s no arguing Erin Brooks has a bright future in front of her. She won her first Championship Tour event before even qualifying for the tour full time. As a CT rookie, she’s fought her way into three separate semifinals (at Supertubos, Burleigh, and in Rio), and she’s lined up to earn a Rookie of the Year honor for the 2025 season. She’s achieved all of this before her 18th birthday. Now she can add a new big-time sponsorship to her list of accomplishments — one that was made official on that momentous 18th birthday when Brooks shared news of a deal with Nike.
The Oregon-based brand made its re-entry into surf official earlier this year when Italo Ferreira and Sierra Kerr started rocking the swoosh on their boards back in January.
“Everyday I want to train hard, have fun, and inspire others to do the same. I am so excited to be joining the @nike @nikewomen family and I want to thank them for believing in me and enabling me to pursue my dreams,” Brooks wrote on social media, adding that the team at Nike threw her a surprise birthday party to celebrate the new partnership.
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Nike’s latest additions to its surf team is certainly notable. Kerr and Brooks are two of the sport’s brightest young female athletes, and multiple world titles between them over the span of their careers wouldn’t surprise anybody. Ferreira, meanwhile, has a world title under his belt and is currently in position to compete for his second when the WSL Finals take place at Cloudbreak in September. It’s a fresh start for Nike in surfing – now officially in its second go-round. In the early 2000s, the company entered the sport with the launch of Nike 6.0 and a purchase of Hurley, but neither move was permanent. The 6.0 line was eventually discontinued, and Hurley was taken out of Nike’s portfolio when it sold the brand to Bluestar Alliance in late 2019.
