Photo: Brent Bielmann // WSL
It’s easy to forget that Erin Brooks is still a rookie. Though she just turned 18 last month, the Hawaii-based surfer has been turning heads for years with her competitive prowess. She is a first year Championship Tour surfer, though, and the end of her first season is being capped off with a Rookie of the Year title.
There was a lot of hype going into this season for Brooks. Last year, she won her first-ever CT appearance as a wild card at the 2024 Fiji Pro. Before that, she had a highly-publicized run at Canada’s Olympic team, though it ultimately ended with her falling short.
When the time finally did come to prove herself on the big stage, Brooks had a slightly rocky start, but ultimately proved herself. She made three semifinal appearances at Supertubos, Burleigh Heads, and Saquarema, was the only women’s rookie to make the mid-season cut, and ended her debut campaign ranked eighth in the world.
Perhaps the standout moment this year came in the quarterfinals of the Gold Coast Pro, where she earned the second-highest heat total of the women’s season, a 17.76, against Stephanie Gilmore.
Of course, this is only the beginning for Brooks. Though a ROTY win is an accomplishment in and of itself, it’s also just the launch pad for what will no doubt be a long career ahead. Let’s see what she can put together to live up to the sky high expectations.
