The Future Is Here: Erin Brooks, Caity Simmers Cross Swords at Thunder Cloud
Every few years surfing gets an upgrade thanks to a pack of rising stars overthrowing the current establishment. We're seeing it right now on the women's Championship Tour and it's going to change the sport. Not just another heat, the quarterfinal duel between 17-year-old Erin Brooks and 18-year-old Caity Simmers at the Fiji Pro is a glimpse of what's to come.
And while Brooks came into the event surfing on a wildcard, she didn't give an inch against Simmers. Unloading a 15-point heat score on the current wold number one, like she's done at other locations around the globe (thinking the Rip Curl Cup in barreling Padang Padang, as well as big performances at Haleiwa and Snapper Rocks) Brooks surfed with commitment and conviction beyond her years. Taking the win over Simmers, Brooks will now go up against Molly Picklum in the semifinals.
“I look up to Caity so much,” said Brooks afterwards. "She’s such an inspiration to me as she’s still so young, and she’s number one in the world, so I do look up to her."
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Also part of this youth movement is Sierra Kerr, daughter of former CT star Josh Kerr, and Sawyer Lindblad, who hails from talent-rich San Clemente. Both young women went down in the Elimination Round, but it's pretty clear, the under 20 set is coming.
"Sierra and I came into this event looking around at all of these surfers that we have looked up to our whole lives, and seeing Caity beat them all is really cool, and to beat her myself is amazing," continued Brooks. "I’m just so grateful to be here in Fiji, one of my favorite places in the world, surfing in this event. I’m so excited."
This really feels like a Momentum Generation moment. And it's going to come into even sharper contrast in 2025. In the early '90s, led by the likes of 11-time world champ Kelly Slater and flow master Rob Machado, a new crew of young men stormed the Championship Tour and relegated the "old guys" to the history books. All of a sudden, surfers like Martin Potter and Barton Lynch, who had won world titles, found themselves behind the curve when it came to progression in heats.
In the case of the 2024 Fiji Pro, in one semifinal we see Tyler Wright and Tatiana Weston-Webb, in the other is the Brooks/Picklum matchup. For the last decade, Wright and Weston-Webb have been at the forefront of the women's tour. But like Slater and Machado did 30-plus years ago, the surfing of Brooks and Picklum bring youthful energy and excitement to the game. Surfing's always been about possibilities, and with Brooks, Picklum, Simmers and crew on the march, anything's possible.
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