Team Canada’s 15-year-old surfing prodigy

A 15-year-old surfer helps take Team Canada to a new level, and she’s only been on a board for about six years.

Born and raised in Texas until the age of nine, Erin Brooks only started surfing after her parents retired and the family moved to Hawaii. There she quickly caught the surfing bug and now, about six years later, she trains four to six hours a day in the water.

“What I love most about surfing is being in the ocean every day and traveling the world with my family,” Brooks told CTV’s Your Morning.

Brooks has quickly moved up the ranks in women’s surfing, routinely beating Olympians and competitors twice her age. Last year she won gold at the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Championship and earlier this year she came second at the ISA World Surfing Games in El Salvador, behind 27-year-old Tati Weston Webb from Brazil.

“A lot of people have said I’m a really fast surfer, which is a really nice compliment,” said Brooks. “I just love pushing the sport forward and I’m proud to be a surfer representing Canada.”

This fall, Brooks will compete for Team Canada at the Pan American Games and attempt to qualify for a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Surfing became an Olympic sport in 2021.

“It would be so cool to represent Canada,” she said.

Some surfers say Brooks has the talent to finish on the podium in the 2024 Olympics, but her citizenship status could delay that dream. She applied for Canadian citizenship just before the pandemic began, but Brooks’ application is still pending nearly four years later. Born in the United States, Brooks currently holds US citizenship, but her father has dual Canadian-American citizenship and the family still lives in Canada.

“I’ve never felt a big connection to Hawaii or America, and everyone in Canada is so nice,” she said. “I’m happy to represent a country of nice people.”

Surf Canada executive director Dom Domic said Brooks has always identified as Canadian. In fact, Domic said it was two young Canadian surfers who first sparked her interest in the sport. Canadian surf sisters Mathea and Sanoa Olin were training in Hawaii one day a few years ago when Domic mentioned that Brooks saw a maple leaf on their surfboards and ran over to say hello.

“One of the eldest sisters who reached out to me says hey, you know, we met this little girl… you really need to reach out to her and see if we can help her develop on the team,” said Domic, adding that he was immediately impressed by Brooks’ talent as an 11-year-old.

Both Surf Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee support Brooks’ citizenship application and believe she would be a valuable addition to Team Canada. Surf Canada says it’s optimistic Brooks’ citizenship will come through soon.

“In recent years, Erin has proudly represented Canada breaking barriers, winning competitions and helping to develop the sport in Canada,” said David Shoemaker, CEO and Secretary General of the Canadian Olympic Committee. “She contributes to the promotion of Canada as a surfing destination and inspires young Canadian women to try the sport through both her social media and her participation in young girls’ surf camps.”

Domic said he believes Brooks is a true surfing prodigy and a trailblazer in Canada whose talent will continue to make waves for years to come.

“She is able to learn and adapt quickly in high-pressure situations where someone else would collapse under the pressure,” he said. “I see the potential and it’s great to see someone so young.”

Brooks hopes her journey and success in the water can inspire other young female Canadian surfers to take up the sport.

“It’s really cool to see all the women pushing the sport and I’m happy to be part of the younger generation,” she said.