Incredible Comeback Sees 19-Year-Old Brooks Claim First Victory as a CT Member
Backing up her 2024 Fiji Pro Wildcard win with her first CT victory as a full-time Tour member, Erin Brooks (CAN) has notched her name in the prestigious list of past winners of the Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA. The 19-year-old CT sophomore turned around a tough year, during which she was unable to reach the final rounds until today. Shooting seven places up the rankings to No. 11, ahead of the event where she found her inaugural win, Brooks is now in a prime position to continue climbing through the remainder of the season. Following a Round One win over fellow teenage phenom Tya Zebrowski (FRA) and yesterday’s defeat of five-time World Champion Carissa Moore (HAW), Brooks began the day by moving past defending event winner and reigning World Champion Molly Picklum (AUS). A barrel-fest shared with close friend Isabella Nichols (AUS) in the Semifinals saw Brooks post a 9.00 (out of a possible 10), the equal-highest single-wave score of the women’s event, before her victory over 2026 CT Rookie Anat Lelior (ISR) in the Final delivered its highest heat total, 17.20 (out of a possible 20).
“I’m just so thankful to God for sending me my waves, because I honestly thought I was out. In a combo really early, I knew I had time, but it’s super hard to get good waves and it made me nervous,” Brooks said. “I haven’t had a win in so long, so it feels really good. The season has been really hard. I’ve kind of lost out in the second round of every event, so to get a win gives me so much more confidence, because I was almost doubting myself. The girls have gotten so much better and I was really bummed on my results. But I’m happy with this one.”
An all-time barrel-fest went down in the all-goofy-footed women’s Final. Brooks and Lelior traded clean barrels to open, the Israeli earning the early advantage of a 6.33 to a 5.67 from the Canadian. Lelior then locked into a much deeper, heavier section to float over the foamball, exit the barrel, and pick up her first excellent score of the event, an 8.33. Brooks responded with a slightly deeper tube than her opener, adding a 6.03 to her scoreline, before Lelior improved her backup to a second excellent ride of an 8.00 and put Brooks into a heavy combination at the halfway point of the 40-minute Final. Finally locking into the wave she was hoping for at the 17-minute mark, Brooks delayed a stylish bottom-turn into a throaty barrel to answer back with an 8.27. An 8.93 soon followed after Brooks emerged from a much longer, trickier barrel, leaving Lelior in need of an 8.88, which she was unable to find despite sending herself into every remaining opportunity.
“I’m just so thankful to God for sending me my waves, because I honestly thought I was out. In a combo really early, I knew I had time, but it’s super hard to get good waves, and it made me nervous,” Brooks said. “The season has been really hard. I’ve kind of lost out in the second round of every event, so to get a win gives me so much more confidence, because I was almost doubting myself. The girls have gotten so much better, and I was really bummed on my results. But I’m happy with this one.”
Anat Lelior Continues to Defy Expectations, Securing Historic Runner-up Finish
Continuing her career-long track record of defying expectations, Anat Lelior (ISR) has earned her biggest result yet by placing runner-up in this event. Already the first surfer from her nation to qualify for both the CT and the Olympic Games, Lelior has once again notched her name in the history books with the first-ever CT Final for Israel. Now sitting at No. 14 on the rankings, the 26-year-old has placed herself deep in the fight for Rookie of the Year honors. Battling through a tough journey to the Final, Lelior took down three-time World Title Runner-up Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), World No. 1 Gabriela Bryan (HAW), and deadly local Wildcard Kelia Gallina (PYF) over the course of the event, along with fellow Rookie Yolanda Hopkins (POR) in the Semifinals.
“It feels unreal, standing up here,” Lelior said. “Everything I’ve said about Tahiti is true. The mountains, the community, I feel for that, I appreciate it, and my heart is out for you. Thank you for bringing this back to me. Putting Erin Brooks in combo, I might be 26 and she’s 19, but she’s a legend. So that 10 or 15 minutes putting her in combo felt good. But I heard Strider [Wasilewski] in the channel saying ‘Job’s not done yet,’ and he was definitely right. It got under me. It’s okay, it’s my first Final, so I have a lot to learn. I’m hungry for more.”
For highlights from the 2026 Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA Women’s Final Results:
1 – Erin Brooks (CAN) 17.20
2 – Anat Lelior (ISR) 16.33
Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA Women’s Semifinal Results:
HEAT 1: Erin Brooks (CAN) 15.10 DEF. Isabella Nichols (AUS) 11.17
HEAT 2: Anat Lelior (ISR) 12.50 DEF. Yolanda Hopkins (POR) 3.43
Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA Women’s Quarterfinal Results:
HEAT 1: Erin Brooks (CAN) 13.50 DEF. Molly Picklum (AUS) 3.27
HEAT 2: Isabella Nichols (AUS) 7.83 DEF. Nadia Erostarbe (ESP) 7.26
HEAT 3: Anat Lelior (ISR) 9.50 DEF. Kelia Gallina (PYF) 6.53
HEAT 4: Yolanda Hopkins (POR) 12.33 DEF. Caitlin Simmers (USA) 6.90
