A 15-year-old surfer is helping push Team Canada to new levels, 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 moved the family to Hawaii. There, she quickly caught the surfing bug and now, about six years later, she's in the water training four to six hours a day.
"The thing that I love most about surfing is being in the ocean every day and travelling the world with my family," Brooks told CTV's Your Morning.
Brooks has quickly climbed the ranks of women's surfing and routinely beats Olympians and competitors twice her age. Last year she won gold at the International Surfing Association's (ISA) World Junior Surfing Championship, and earlier this year she placed second at the ISA World Surfing Games in El Salvador, behind 27-year-old Tati Weston Webb of Brazil.
"A lot of people have said I’m a really fast surfer, which is a very nice compliment," Brooks said. "I just love to push the sport and I am proud to be a surfer representing Canada."
This fall, Brooks will compete for Team Canada at the Pan American Games and try 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 top the podium at the 2024 Olympics, but her citizenship could delay that dream. She applied for Canadian citizenship just before the pandemic began, but nearly four years later Brooks' application is still pending. Born in the United States, Brooks currently holds American citizenship, but her dad is a dual Canadian-American citizen with family still living in Canada.
"I never felt a big connection to, like, Hawaii or America, and everyone in Canada is so nice," she said. "I am glad to represent a country of nice people."
Dom Domic, executive director of Surf Canada, said Brooks has always identified as Canadian. In fact, Domic said it was two young Canadian surfers who first piqued her interest in the sport. Canadian surfing sisters Mathea and Sanoa Olin were training in Hawaii one day a few years ago when Domic said Brooks saw a maple leaf on their surfboards and ran over to say hello.
"One of the oldest sisters reached out to me goes hey, you know, we met this little girl ...you should really reach out to her and see if we can help develop her on the team," Domic said, adding that he was immediately impressed with Brooks' talent even back then 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 is optimistic Brooks' citizenship will come through soon.
"Over the past several 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 is contributing to the promotion of Canada as a surf destination and is inspiring young Canadian women to try the sport through both her social media and her participation in surf camps for young girls."
Domic said he believes Brooks is a true surfing prodigy, and a trailblazer in Canada whose talent will continue to make waves over the next few years.
"She's able to learn and adapt on the fly in high pressure situations where somebody else would crack under the pressure," he said. "I see the potential and it's great to see someone so young."
Brooks hopes that her journey and success in the water can help 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 am glad to be part of the younger generation," she said.
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