Erin Brooks followed up her Tahiti Pro victory with another one in the Fiji Pro event at the world-famous Cloudbreak venue to cement her rise up into the top 10 of the 2026 World Surf League (WSL) rankings as Leonardo Fioravanti and Griffin Colapinto reached the last four in the men’s event. Here is all you need to know:
– Canadian Brooks wrapped up her first Championship Tour (CT) member victory in mid-August and came out strong early in Fiji to give her women’s rivals something to think about from the outset.
– She reeled off a Perfect 10 from the judges in her opening heat against Australian Sophie McCulloch to cruise into the Bracket section where she edged out 2023 world champion and reigning Olympic champion Caroline Marks of the USA with a 10.83 to 6 victory on the back of a classy opening 7.83 wave.
– Her quarter-final against France’s Vahine Fierro was a far closer affair as another strong opening wave saw her through 11.10 to 10.67 with five-time world champion Carissa Moore not faring any better in the semi-finals, after Brooks held her nerve to bank a 7.67 wave late on to reach the final.
– On the other side of the draw, reigning world champion Molly Picklum lost out in Round 2 with compatriot Isabella Nichols battling through her opponents only to sit out the final after she incurred an ankle injury in her nail biting semi-final win over Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy.
– It is Brooks’ second Fiji Pro win after she broke through with a wildcard victory in 2024 – the first by a Canadian – and it moves her up three places overall to eighth in the 2026 CT rankings.
– Brooks said: “I feel so amazing, I’ve just been having the best time these last two events. I can’t believe that I got two back-to-back wins. That just seemed impossible at the beginning of the year, but now I’m just insanely happy. I’m honestly so bummed for Isabella. I love her like a sister, and I really wanted to share a Final with her.”
– In terms of what has unlocked this form, she added: “That win in Tahiti took so much pressure off and allowed me to go out there and surf the way I wanted to. I had the best heat of my life scoring a Perfect 10. I’m so excited to go to Lowers. I love it there and have a lot of friends and family there, so it’s going to be great.”
– The men’s event was another impressive showing for Fioravanti and Colapinto after Australian Jarvis Earle, Brazil’s Joao Chianca, American Eli Hanneman and Australian Jack Robinson bowed out early.
– In-form Brazilian ĂŤtalo Ferreira and Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi were next to exit in Round 3 with Italian Fioravanti accounting for Australia’s Callum Robson 14.10 to 10.94 in the quarter-finals as Frenchman Kauli Vaast was on the wrong end of a 15.66 to 7.33 loss to Brazilian Gabriel Medina.
– American Colapinto entered his semi-final clash with Gabriel Medina on the back of impressive wins over Indonesian Rio Waida, Brazil’s Samuel Pupo and Japan’s Connor O’Leary however he had no answer to the Brazilian’s brilliant last-four display that included 9.77 and 9.27 scores from the judges.
– Fioravanti meanwhile could not add to his Surf City El Salvador Pro win from earlier in the season as American Cole Houshmand saw him off easily in their semi-final, then beat Medina in a thrilling final for his third WSL victory.
– Colapinto moves up two places to sixth overall now with Fioravanti still second behind Ferreira ahead of the Lexus Trestles Pro stop, which runs from September 11 through until September 20.
