Brooks And Moniz Blow The Doors Off Teahupo’o
Tahiti Pro Finals Day went full throttle, full drama, and full “Wait, did that really just happen?”
Teahupo’o does not hand out fairy tales. It usually hands out beatings, bruised egos, snapped boards, and the occasional spiritual recalibration somewhere under 12 feet of Pacific Ocean. But on Finals Day at the Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA, the End of the Road decided to get generous.
Generous, of course, in the Teahupo’o way – by serving up heaving barrels, impossible sections, and the kind of final-day theater that makes normal sports look like a spreadsheet with shoes.
Erin Brooks and Seth Moniz walked away with the wins. More accurately, they got dragged into the belly of one of surfing’s most intimidating waves, came out the other side grinning, and left with their names carved into Tahitian lore.
Erin Brooks Just Pulled Off A Comeback For The Ages
The women’s Final between Erin Brooks and Anat Lelior was the kind of heat that makes you forget to blink.
Lelior came out swinging and put Brooks in a brutal combo situation with a 16.33 total. That is normally the part where most surfers start mentally packing their board bag and practicing the “happy to make the Final” interview.
Brooks did not get that memo.
Instead, she found two ridiculous barrels in the fading moments of the Final, dropping an 8.27 and then an 8.93 to jump to a 17.20 total and take the win. That is not just clutch. That is “somebody check if this teenager has cheat codes” territory.
The win marks Brooks’ first victory as a full-time Championship Tour surfer and her second CT win overall, backing up the massive promise she has already been carrying like a backpack full of fireworks.
Her road to the Final was no soft stroll either. Brooks had to get past reigning World Champion and defending Tahiti Pro winner Molly Picklum, then close friend Isabella Nichols, before meeting Lelior in one of the most dramatic women’s Finals Teahupo’o has ever seen.
Seth Moniz Finally Gets His Moment
On the men’s side, Seth Moniz went into the Final against Griffin Colapinto chasing something that had been seven years in the making – a first-ever CT win.
Colapinto started sharp and put Moniz under pressure early. Then Moniz did what the Moniz family tends to do when waves get scary: he got very comfortable in very uncomfortable places.
“I’ve been waiting so long for this,” Moniz said. “We put a lot into this, you know? Surfing’s such a hard sport, and only one guy wins every time. I put so much work into this, and it finally paid off. My phone was on the boat, and I heard it ringing before the Final, so I think [my family is] probably losing it. I hope my parents aren’t having a heart attack. This whole week has just been surreal. Just this crazy momentum every time, this perfect sync with the ocean. I swear to God, he was up there looking down at me and sending me the waves. It hasn’t sunk in yet, honestly. It’s a weird feeling.”
An 8.50 put him right back in it. Then came the hammer – a 9.07 through a proper Teahupo’o detonation that sent the channel into full eruption mode. Moniz finished with an 18.17 total, leaving Colapinto needing near-perfection and giving Hawaii another major Teahupo’o moment to celebrate.
And this was no gift-wrapped bracket. Moniz had to take down Alan Cleland, one of the heaviest chargers in the draw, then 2024 Tahiti Pro winner and 2019 World Champion Italo Ferreira, before meeting Colapinto in the Final.
That is less “path to victory” and more “thank you for choosing the extremely violent checkout lane.”
Teahupo’o Did What Teahupo’o Does
The whole event felt like a reminder that Teahupo’o is not just another tour stop. It is a living, breathing reef slab with a talent for exposing hesitation and rewarding commitment.
And then there was Kelly Slater’s “wait, are we really doing this?” wave – the one that immediately fired up the comment section, the judging detectives, the Medina loyalists, and every couch-bound tube analyst with a pause button. After taking a couple of proper Teahupo’o beatings and snapping a board, Slater somehow reset the whole heat against Gabriel Medina, spun under the ledge, vanished into a mutant blue cave, and came flying out like the reef had just given him a senior discount and a secret handshake. Was the score too high? Was the priority situation weird? Should a 54-year-old wildcard still be ruining title contenders’ afternoons? All fair questions. Also: he made the wave. At Chopes. Against Medina. Sometimes the old wizard still has one more lightning bolt in the bag.
Ramzi Boukhiam delivered one of the standout performances of his career on the men’s side before falling in the Semifinals. Italo Ferreira pushed deeper into the rankings lead even with a Semifinal exit. On the women’s side, Isabella Nichols and Yolanda Hopkins made major moves toward requalification with Semifinal finishes of their own.
Translation: the rankings got shaken like a board bag at airport baggage claim.
Next Stop: Cloudbreak
The Championship Tour now heads to Fiji for the Fiji Pro Presented by Corona Cero, running August 25 through September 4 at Cloudbreak.
Which means the Pacific leg is officially spicy.
Italo Ferreira heads to Fiji as the new men’s World No. 1, while Gabriela Bryan will look to rebound after an early Tahiti exit and keep control of the Yellow Leader Jersey.
But after Tahiti, the big story is simple: Erin Brooks and Seth Moniz did not just win an event. They survived the slab, stole the show, and gave Finals Day the kind of ending that makes surf fans immediately start arguing about where it ranks all-time.
That is how you know it mattered.
For highlights from the 2026 Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com. |
Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA Women’s Final Results:
1 – Erin Brooks (CAN) 17.20
2 – Anat Lelior (ISR) 16.33Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA Men’s Final Results:
1 – Seth Moniz (HAW) 18.17
2 – Griffin Colapinto (USA) 14.67Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA Women’s Semifinal Results:
HEAT 1: Erin Brooks (CAN) 15.10 DEF. Isabella Nichols (AUS) 11.17
HEAT 2: Anat Lelior (ISR) 12.50 DEF. Yolanda Hopkins (POR) 3.43Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA Men’s Semifinal Results:
HEAT 1: Seth Moniz (HAW) 15.76 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 13.83
HEAT 2: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 15.40 DEF. Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 8.37Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA Women’s Quarterfinal Results:
HEAT 1: Erin Brooks (CAN) 13.50 DEF. Molly Picklum (AUS) 3.27
HEAT 2: Isabella Nichols (AUS) 7.83 DEF. Nadia Erostarbe (ESP) 7.26
HEAT 3: Anat Lelior (ISR) 9.50 DEF. Kelia Gallina (PYF) 6.53
HEAT 4: Yolanda Hopkins (POR) 12.33 DEF. Caitlin Simmers (USA) 6.90Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA Men’s Quarterfinal Results:
HEAT 1: Seth Moniz (HAW) 13.66 DEF. Alan Cleland (MEX) 1.50
HEAT 2: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 15.50 DEF. Ethan Ewing (AUS) 11.94
HEAT 3: Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 17.74 DEF. George Pittar (AUS) 8.84
HEAT 4: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 11.83 DEF. Jack Robinson (AUS) 11.50
About the WSL
The World Surf League (WSL) is the global home of competitive surfing, crowning World Champions since 1976 and showcasing the world’s best surfing. The WSL oversees surfing’s global competitive landscape and sets the standard for elite performance in the most dynamic playing field in all of sports. With a firm commitment to its values, the WSL prioritizes the protection of the ocean, equality, and the sport’s rich heritage, while championing progression and innovation.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
About Outerknown
In 2015, pro surfer Kelly Slater and creative director John Moore launched Outerknown with a trailblazing mission to lead a revolution in sustainable apparel. Guided by the principle of always making the most responsible choice, even when it is the most challenging path forward, Outerknown has inspired change in the industry through transparency in its processes and an unwavering commitment to responsible sourcing practices and the welfare of everyone they work with, from the farmer to the customer. Outerknown creates elevated, lasting wardrobe staples using the highest quality and most sustainable materials, resulting in 99% of the line being made with organic, Regenerative Organic Certified®, recycled or regenerated fibres. Today, Outerknown operates seven retail stores across the US, an online shop, and Outerworn, their resale platform that keeps clothes in circularity rather than in the landfill.
