Erin Brooks surfing has definitely caught the attention of the surfing world. Photo: Matt Dunbar // WSL
With just one event remaining, Erin Brooks currently sits in fourth place on the women’s Challenger Series (CS) rankings. All the surfers ahead of her – Sally Fitzgibbons, Bella Kensworthy, and Isabella Nichols – have already locked in their 2025 Championship Tour slots. That leaves just two slots open for the women as the CS heads into its sixth and final event in Saquarema, Brazil.
The 17-year-old Texas-born surfer who represents Canada has long been destined to qualify for the CT. She just won the women’s CT stop in Fiji as a wildcard, made the final surfing amongst men at the 2022 Padang Padang Cup, and has generally displayed prowess in tubes and aerial maneuvers that undoubtedly would add another layer of excitement to the CT. She’s also becoming a household name with casual fans because of her explosive talent (ie the mainstream).
And 2024 could be the year that it all comes together for Brooks, but first she needs to handle business in Saquarema. Her CT slot is not yet guaranteed with seven surfers below her who, mathematically speaking, could pass her in the rankings.
The positive note for Brooks is that her destiny is in her hands. If she gets fifth place at Saquarema, she will guarantee her slot on the 2025 CT. In that case, Nadia Erostarbe, Luana Silva, and Vahine Fierro would only be able to catch her with the 10,000 points awarded for first place, but, obviously, there is only one winner. If Erostarbe wins and moves above Brooks in the ranking, there aren’t enough points to go around below her in the rankings for anyone else to move up.
If Brooks finishes ninth, the situation slightly changes. While Fierro and Silva still need wins, Erostarbe would need a second. Thus, while unlikely, in this scenario a final between Fierro and Erostarbe, for example, could knock Brooks out of the qualification threshold.
Even if Brooks finishes 17th, I still like her chances of qualification. Fierro, Erostarbe, and Silva need to finish second, while a slew of other surfers enter the mix. Alyssa Spencer, Bronte Macaulay, Yolanda Hopkins, and Sophia Medina could surpass Brooks with a win.
Brooks’ worst-case scenario is a 25th or worse, which wouldn’t factor into her top four scores that go toward the CS ranking. This would be a throwaway for her. In this scenario, Erostarbe needs a third, Fierro and Silva need a second, and Macaulay, Hopkins, Spencer, and Medina still need to win.
I like Brooks’ chances. She is certainly in the driver’s seat as the CS shifts to Brazil. Even a mediocre 17th place would require two people ranked below her to match or better their top result of the season – not impossible, but not probable. However, it’s best that Brooks not leave any doubt and seal her qualification with a fifth.
The CT is beckoning for Brooks to join the new young crop of talented female surfers and the odds are in her favor to get it done.
Editors Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly calculated the Challenger Series rankings with one throwaway event instead of two. This has been corrected.
