There aren’t too many waves to catch in and around Boerne but that hasn’t stopped a Boerne native from winning a world surfing title.
Boerne born and raised Erin Brooks recently claimed first place in the Girls U-16 division at the ISA World Junior Championship in El Salvador.
Brooks just turned 15 but won the world title when she was 14 earlier this summer.
Brooks grew up in Boerne and played tennis and was involved with gymnastics, but when she was 9 years old, Erin and her family left Boerne and moved to Maui where she was introduced to surfing.
Even though she had never surfed, Erin took to the sport like a fish to water and claimed her first world title in less than five years.
Erin and her father Jeff Brooks are both dual citizens of America and Canada and Erin won her world title competing for Canada.
She is the No. 1 ranked female surfer in Canada’s Olympic Surf program and has a chance to qualify for the 2024 Olympics. Jeff Brooks said competing for Canada gives her more opportunities.
“She would not be in a position (to qualify for the Olympics) for the USA at this time so surfing for Canada gives her the opportunity to compete internationally at a high level and possibly also at the Olympics,” he said. “She can move to the USA team in the future when she’s older if that’s what she wants to do. That option is always available to her but right now she loves her teammates and coaches on the Canadian team and is very thankful for the opportunities they have opened up to her.”
Because of surfing competitions and training, Erin and her family travel a lot and catch waves all over the world. The Brooks family was recently on the Mentawai Islands off Indonesia and are headed to Bali for a competition and photo shoot.
Because of limited cell phone service at those places, the Boerne Star emailed Erin some questions for a Q&A. Erin took the time to answer the questions and here are her responses.
Q: What are your best memories of living in Boerne and do you so still keep in touch with anybody in town?
A: “I love everything about Boerne and it will always be my hometown. My favorite memories are spending time with my friends from school and 1910 church, eating at all the family-owned restaurants in town, Christmas time at Dickens on Main, and going to Boerne Greyhound football games to cheer on my brother. My aunt Shauna, uncle Darrel, cousin Jessica and great grandparents Mary and Eddie Masters all still live in Boerne so I stay in touch with them along with my best friend from Texas, Ava Rocchio. I also have family in San Antonio and Dallas. I went to Curington Elementary and was a proud Cougar. My favorite teacher was Mrs. Price.”
Q: What did you think when you were told you were moving from Texas to Hawaii, were you excited about it?
A: “We went to Hawaii every year on vacation and I always liked it but I was initially sad to leave Boerne because it was the only home I’ve ever known. We have a home on the North Shore of Oahu and we stay there in the winter for about 3 to 4 months per year when we are not on the road. It’s an amazing place to surf and I have some great friends there but I still miss Texas. It’s funny, I now travel one to two times per year from Hawaii to Waco to surf the wave pool. It’s also a great opportunity to eat some Texas barbecue.”
Q: You took to surfing right away, do you think your background in tennis and gymnastics has helped and how?
A: “Tennis might have helped with my hand and eye coordination but the time I spent at the Boerne Gymnastics Center definitely was the biggest help because it gave me good strength and balance. It was also beneficial that I grew up with a pool in my backyard so I’ve always loved to swim.”
Q: What was it about the water or your first experience surfing that let you know this was something you wanted to pursue?
A: “A friend invited me to a surf lesson when I first moved to Maui. It was really fun and I was hooked after the first wave I caught. Riding waves is such an amazing feeling and I love that no two waves are the same so it’s always a challenge. I didn’t start off planning to surf professionally and actually I didn’t even know that was possible. I was just having fun surfing and I kept working hard with the goal of improving every day to be the best surfer I could be. That hard work quickly paid off and before I knew it, I was a professional surfer. I am currently sponsored by Red Bull, Rip Curl, Oakley, Dakine, Lost Surf Boards and several other companies. I feel so blessed to be paid to do something I love to do!”
Q: You travel a lot, do you home school and what’s that like for you, do you miss the traditional school setting?
A: “I’ve been able to visit 20 countries over the last 5 years and I am usually on the road 8 months per year so I do travel a lot. I attend online school and I like it because it allows me to spend more time surfing and training. I’ve also been on some amazing adventures and learned how to speak Indonesian Bahasa along with Spanish and I’ve made friends all around the world. I liked being in a classroom setting but not as much as I like travel and new adventures.”
Q: What went through your mind when you won a world championship and what does it feel like?
A: “I had really high expectations of myself going into the ISA World Championships in El Salvador. The moment I won I felt so happy that it is indescribable. All the hours spent surfing, training and traveling were worth it. I was really happy that my friends and family from around the world watched it live on TV and that my parents were both there to see it in person. It is something I’ll never forget but now I’m moving on to my future goals of making it to the Olympics and the WSL Championship tour.”
One more thing from Erin: “I’m proud to be from Boerne, so it’s awesome to get to talk to my hometown newspaper. I’m currently on a surf trip in Indonesia but I’m looking forward to flying back to Texas to surf in early September. If anyone wants to follow my surf journey they can on Instagram @erinbrookssurf. Thanks to everyone back home for your support and encouragement!”
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