In a testament to her grit, determination and talent, 19-year-old Erin Brooks has charged back from a massive deficit to win the Outerknown Tahiti Pro. She now becomes the youngest surfer, male or female, to have won the Tahiti Pro. Up against hard-charging Israeli rookie Anat Lelior in the final, Brooks found herself deep in a hole almost right out of the gates as Lelior dropped a pair of eight-point rides early in the heat. Forcing Brooks to play catchup, the young Canadian clawed her way pack with an eight-point ride of her own at the 16-minute mark. And in the dying minutes, the Canadian airdropped into a bomb, pulled in deep and came out behind the spit. It would turn out to be the heat-winning, highest-scoring wave of the final. A dream run for Brooks, who’s had a challenging 2026 season, it was all smiles and tears in the channel after the horn sounded.
“I’m so happy right now. It’s been a tough year so far, I haven’t made many heats, so this feels really good,” Brooks beamed afterwards.
Brooks road to the top of the podium was anything but easy. Facing a torrent of wind, rain, swell, and savvy competitors, Brooks got passed 15-year-old Tya Zebrowski in her opening heat. In Round 2, she picked off five-time world champ Carissa Moore, then dispatched 2025 world champ Molly Picklum in the quarters. Rolling into the semis, Brooks made short work of Aussie vet Isabel Nichols to earn a spot in her first final of the year.
This marks the second Championship Tour victory of Brooks’ young career. Her first win came as a wildcard in Fiji in 2024. And by happenstance, the tour now heads to Fiji, where the teenager will look to keep her momentum going and turn her season around.
Matt Dunbar/World Surf League
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