Erin Brooks: From novice to pro in three years
Canada’s Erin Brooks is also in awe of Gabriel Medina. The feeling is mutual as the three-time world champion known for his aerial technique sends the 16-year-old encouraging and instructive messages about her own aerial attempts.
Now described as a surfing prodigy, Brooks started surfing at a relatively late age of nine when her family moved from Texas to Hawaii. By 12, she went pro.
“I hadn’t surfed at all in Texas and right when I first moved there, I took a surf lesson and from the first wave, I knew that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” Brooks said.
A background in artistic gymnastics meant that Brooks could keep a good balance on a surfboard from her first tries, while her experience of playing in small football tournaments gave her the competitive drive that she now brings to surfing heats.
Raw talent and skills picked up from other sports could only take her so far, however. The rest was down to pure effort.
“When I had first moved to Maui, I saw a local surf contest and there were so many kids who are already a lot better than me,” Brooks said. “I’m really competitive, so I wanted to be able to compete against them so I would wake up before school and go surfing or do a workout and try to surf at least four to six hours a day, no matter what the conditions are, and do some training on land as well.”
Such hard work is well worth it, she says, when it comes to the pursuit of your dreams.
“My first wave was super cool. It was in Lahaina, Maui, at a wave called Breakwall, and it was a super sunny day with crystal clear water and there was even a turtle,” Brooks said about what first drew her to surfing. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is so cool, and people get to do it every day’. And that’s what I do now.”