Built for the Barrel: Erin Brooks’ fearless journey to the top At 19, she’s already charging some of the heaviest waves in the world. Most high school juniors spend their days buried in SAT prep books, dreaming about college. At 17, Erin Brooks was studying the ocean, one wave at a time. With new faces entering the draw & champions returning from sabbaticals, the 2026 campaign has been nothing short of challenging. Her latest victory at Teahupoʻo caught the attention of fans and pundits around the world. “It’s such a long road and surfing is definitely a difficult sport. You never want to get too hard on yourself. You always want to make sure that the reason you’re doing it is because it’s fun for you and you love it.” “Barrels I feel like are one of my specialties. I felt really confident going into that event.” Full profile at 🔗 in bio.