Erin Brooks from Canada has clinched the title of 2025 Rookie of the Year in the World Surf League Championship Tour. Among the female rookies, Brooks was the sole one to advance to the mid-season, securing an impressive eighth-place ranking in her debut season on the global stage.
At just 18 years old, Brooks made history as the first Canadian to qualify for the prestigious tour. Her entry into the league was marked by high expectations, especially after a remarkable victory as a wild card in Fiji during the final event of the 2024 season.
Throughout the season, Brooks stood out in a competitive rookie field, maintaining a strong position in the race for the Final 5 until the last qualifying event in Tahiti. Notably, she excelled in challenging conditions at sand-bottom breaks in destinations like Supertubos in Portugal, Burleigh Heads in Australia, and Saquarema in Brazil.
One of the highlights of Brooks’s season was her exceptional performance in the quarterfinals of the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro. Displaying a precise backhand technique, she achieved the second-highest heat total of the women’s season with an impressive score of 17.76 out of 20, defeating the renowned eight-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore from Australia.
Although born in Texas and raised in Hawaii, Brooks has strong Canadian connections through her American father Jeff, who holds dual citizenship, and her Montreal-born grandfather. While her citizenship application initially faced rejection, a change in policy occurred in January 2024 following a court ruling in Ontario that deemed it unconstitutional to deny automatic citizenship to children of foreign-born Canadians raised overseas.