Canada’s Erin Brooks captures second straight WCL Championship Tour victory

CLOUDBREAK, Fiji - Canada's rising surf star Erin Brooks claimed her second consecutive WSL Championship Tour victory at the Fiji Pro event on Wednesday. Brooks, 19, outperformed Australian Isabella Nichols in the final, as Nichols had to withdraw due to an ankle injury sustained during her semifinal win over Brisa Hennessy. Brooks expressed her joy at winning back-to-back titles, describing it as "insanely happy." She also showed her sportsmanship by wishing Nichols a speedy recovery.

This triumph marked a historic moment for Brooks, as she became the first Canadian surfer to win a WSL Championship Tour event. Her victory follows her success at the Tahiti Pro competition in Teahupo'o, where she emerged as the youngest champion. With these consecutive wins, Brooks has climbed from 19th to eighth in the world women's rankings. Lionel F. Conacher, the director-chairman of Surf Canada, praised Brooks' achievement, highlighting her talent and the growth of surfing in Canada.

Born in Texas and raised in Hawaii, Brooks has Canadian ties through her American-born father and grandfather who was born and raised in Montreal. Although she faced challenges in gaining Canadian citizenship, she finally obtained it in 2024, which limited her Olympic qualifying opportunities to the ISA World Surfing Games in Puerto Rico. Despite this, Brooks has proven herself on the world stage, earning a perfect score in Fiji and advancing to the final of the Lexus Trestles Pro in San Clemente, California.