San Clemente, Calif. — Erin Brooks is no longer just riding a hot streak. The dynamic goofy-footed teenager has taken over the conversation and rewriting the 2026 Championship Tour season.
The 19-year-old Canadian delivered another statement performance at the Lexus Trestles Pro, Stop No. 9 of the World Surf League Championship Tour, defeating Gabriela Bryan in a tense Finals Day showdown to claim her third consecutive CT victory.
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In four-to-five-foot surf at Lower Trestles, Brooks once again found a way through a stacked field, extending an unprecedented run that has transformed her from a competitor fighting to re-qualify earlier this season into one of the biggest threats to the World Title.
Brooks’ victory puts her at No. 5 in the rankings heading into the postseason and places her alongside an elite group of surfers who have won three consecutive CT events. Stephanie Gilmore accomplished the feat in 2008, while Carissa Moore won three straight events spanning the end of 2014 and beginning of 2015.
For Brooks, the turnaround has been remarkable.
“This win means everything,” Brooks said. “I’m so thankful to the Lord for letting me get three wins in a row. If you told me at Stop No. 7 that I’d be where I am right now, I wouldn’t believe you because this is insane.”
Erin Brooks of Canada surfs in Heat 3 of the Quarterfinals at the Lexus Trestles Pro on September 18, 2026 at Lower Trestles, San Clemente, California.
Emma Sharon/World Surf League
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Erin Brooks of Canada surfs in Heat 3 of the Quarterfinals at the Lexus Trestles Pro on September 18, 2026 at Lower Trestles, San Clemente, California.
The Pacific Three-Peat
Lower Trestles has long held a unique place in competitive surfing. Unlike the cavernous barrels of Teahupo’o or Cloudbreak, the cobblestone point break offers surfers multiple opportunities to link powerful turns with progressive maneuvers and high scores.
The latest chapter of Brooks’ historic charge came against some of the best surfers on the planet.
She first dispatched then-World No. 1 Carissa Moore with a 15.33 heat total, then took down reigning World Champion Molly Picklum in the Semifinals to reach her third consecutive CT Final.
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That set up a showdown with Bryan, who entered the Final as the newly minted World No. 1. Bryan opened the scoring with a 6.33 in the opening minutes. Brooks answered with a 7.00 built around her trademark backhand, putting pressure back on the Hawaiian.
The lead continued to change hands as the two battled across Lower Trestles. Brooks eventually found another opportunity on the forehand, combining multiple sections for a 5.17 while Bryan struggled to find a scoring wave.
With just three minutes remaining, Brooks landed three backhands for a 6.00, stretching Bryan’s requirement to a 6.68. Bryan never found the wave she needed before the horn sounded.
Three Finals. Three wins. Everyone is paying attention now.
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Brooks heads toward the postseason with the kind of momentum that can change a World Title race.
“The first part of the year was like such a bummer, but this makes it worth it,” Brooks said. “I’ve had so many hard heats, it just made me want to work even harder, and now I’ve gotten to this point, and I want to keep going.”
Pupo delivers another Finals Day masterclass
While Brooks stole the headlines, Miguel Pupo provided his own memorable Finals Day performance.
The 34-year-old Brazilian captured his second CT victory of 2026, adding the Lexus Trestles Pro title to his season-opening triumph at Bells Beach. It marks the third CT win of Pupo’s career and his first at Lower Trestles, where he previously won a Qualifying Series event in 2011.
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Pupo’s resurgence has pushed him to No. 4 in the rankings, putting the veteran firmly into the World Title conversation heading toward the final stretch of the season.
The victory was especially meaningful for a surfer who has spent more than a decade chasing his first CT win.
“It took me 14 years to get my first win, and now I have two in the same year,” Pupo said. “It’s incredible.”
Miguel Pupo of Brazil surfs in Heat 4 of the Quarterfinals at the Lexus Trestles Pro on September 18, 2026 at Lower Trestles, San Clemente, California.
Pat Nolan/World Surf League
Miguel Pupo of Brazil surfs in Heat 4 of the Quarterfinals at the Lexus Trestles Pro on September 18, 2026 at Lower Trestles, San Clemente, California.
Now, with two victories already on his 2026 résumé, Pupo heads toward Portugal and Siargao before the postseason finale at Pipeline with his World Title aspirations firmly intact.
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“The World Title is definitely in my vision,” Pupo said. “At 34, I feel 18 again.”
With the postseason approaching, everyone on tour now has the same problem: figuring out how to stop Erin Brooks.
Postseason schedule
Oct. 16 – 25: MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal (Peniche, Portugal)
Oct 31 – Nov. 10: Philippines Pro (Siargao Island, Philippines)
Dec. 8 – 20: Lexus Pipe Masters (Oahu, Hawaii, United States)
