Taking Surfing to New Heights: An Interview with Erin Brooks

Courtesy of Ryan Miller, Red Bull

At just 18 years old, Erin Brooks isn't just making waves in the surfing world: she's owning them.

"What drew me to surfing was getting to be in the ocean every day. I love the ocean so much, and I think it's so amazing that we get to do that and travel the world to all these amazing destinations just to surf as our jobs," Brooks said.

In 2024, Brooks was the Fiji Pro champion, the youngest Pipe Masters champion, and in 2025, she was named the World Surf League Rookie of the Year.

"One of my most memorable moments was winning my first CT event I ever competed in as a wildcard in Fiji two years ago. I had no expectation, really, going into the event. I was surfing against girls I looked up to forever, and I was trying to control my excitement. I just kept progressing through the rounds and eventually winning, so that is something that I’m most proud of," Brooks said.

This year, Brooks wants to be in the world title race. Looking toward the future, her goals are to win world titles, Olympic gold medals, and continue progressing to be the best surfer she can be.

Caroline Marks, Caitlin Simmers, Sierra Kerr, Sky Brown, Molly Picklum, and Erin Brooks, courtesy of Arto Saari, Red Bull

Brooks stars in Red Bull's new film "Now Days" alongside fellow surfers Caroline Marks, Caitlin Simmers, Sierra Kerr, Sky Brown and Molly Picklum. The film follows the "Super Six" as they push boundaries in surfing, take the sport to new heights, bring new eyes to the sport, and inspire young surfers.

"Filming 'Now Days' was so fun," Brooks said. "I'm really proud of my section and how the surfing came out, and how, from what I've seen, it's impacted a lot of people. They always come up to me, saying that watching the movie made them inspired to go surfing, and that's what I want to hear from everyone!"

Brooks was competing in the Challenger Series and missed some of the trips for the film, but drew excitement and motivation from the other women surfers.

"We had three world champions, one of the world champs is also an Olympic gold medalist, and then me, Sky, and Sierra, we're kind of the younger generation. I feel like we were all just pushing each other. I was getting fed information from the directors about what the girls did at the other places on the other trips they went on, and it motivated me because everyone wanted to have the best part, and that helped me push myself," Brooks said. "When I went on my trip with Caroline, I didn't have any clips; I was starting from zero. They were talking about the airs and the barrels that the other girls were getting, and I was like, 'Okay, I've gotta get on it!'"

The film is inspirational and powerful, showcasing women surfers in a fresh, empowering light.

"One of my favorite parts [of the film] is actually the last one," Brooks said. "The girls were in Mexico, and the waves that they were going on were twenty-foot-plus. I've never seen girls charging that hard and that heavy of waves, so it was so exciting and got everyone fired up. It's the finisher, as it should be, because it's so amazing what they did over there!"

Courtesy of Hannah Anderson, World Surf League, and Red Bull

Brooks expressed that the biggest life lessons that surfing has taught her are patience and self-control. She also emphasizes those factors in the advice she has for young athletes looking to get into surfing: "Just have fun and have patience. You're fighting with Mother Nature; the ocean is so unpredictable, you can go out in a session and be working on a trick, and you may never get the opportunity or that wave. So just being patient, forgiving, and remembering that the ocean is a beautiful place, and it's one of the reasons we do the sport because we love being in the ocean so much."

I asked Brooks what her younger self would think of her surfing career right now.

"I’d hope that she’d be inspired and proud because there was definitely a lot of hard work and long days in the sun to get to where I am right now," Brooks said. "And I hope she’d be proud of the progression that I’m making in women’s surfing, the tricks that I’ve accomplished, and also my part in 'Now Days' because I’m super proud of it. In my part, I had a wave where I did two full rotations on one wave, and it has never been done in the sport, so I hope she’d be proud of that too!"

Watch Erin Brooks in Red Bull's film "Now Days" here!

Edited by Mithzi Silva