PRAIA DE ITAÚNA, Saquarema, Brazil (Sunday, October 13, 2024) - A short but impactful day at the World Surf League (WSL) Corona Saquarema Pro presented by Banco do Brasil saw defending event winner and next-generation star Erin Brooks (CAN) qualify for the 2025 Championship Tour (CT) as the women's Round of 32 was completed in classic Praia de Itaúna conditions, with semi-clean three-to-four foot surf. Entering the day, just two of the five available CT qualification spots remained for the women. Ten surfers were in contention when the top seeds debuted. Brooks and Nadia Erostarbe (EUK) rounded out the top five of the rankings, behind Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Bella Kenworthy (USA), and Isabella Nichols (AUS), who had previously qualified based on their results at the EDP Ericeira Pro in Portugal.
Early losses from multiple women, including Erostarbe, opened the window for Brooks to qualify by progressing through the final heat of the day. Despite her elimination, Erostarbe retains her position on the live rankings and will now need to wait and see how others fare.
The campaigns of Bronte Macaulay (AUS), Alyssa Spencer (USA), Kirra Pinkerton (USA), and Tessa Thyssen (FRA) were cut short, while Vahine Fierro (FRA), Luana Silva (BRA), Yolanda Hopkins (POR) and Sophia Medina (BRA) found progression to keep their dreams alive.
Defending Event Champion Erin Brooks Punctuates CT Qualification With Near-Perfection
Though she was unaware of the scenario prior to paddling out for her heat, Brooks knew she needed to perform in Saquarema. After winning the first event of the season, the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro, and placing runner-up in the next, the GWM Sydney Surf Pro, the Canadian struggled with inconsistent results as the pressure mounted. Today, none of that pressure was apparent as she punctuated her heat win with a near-perfect 9.00 ride, the highest of the event so far, to solidify a rookie berth on the 2025 CT.
"It feels so amazing," Brooks said. "It's great because the beach announcer said that I had qualified, but I thought that I had to make one more heat. So I didn't know, and then my dad, and everyone, I asked them like, for sure I made it. It just feels so good. God is so good because he gave me those good ways to surf. In the last couple events I haven't been doing really good and I was really nervous coming into this one, I had a lot of pressure on my back just because it's the last event. I just am so happy."
The 17-year-old's first CT experience was one for the history books as she became the sixth woman to win her debut event, following in the footsteps of World Champions Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and Tyler Wright (AUS), when she won the 2024 Corona Fiji Pro as a wildcard. Now that the weight of qualification is off, Brooks is focused on backing up her 2023 victory at Saquarema.
"I love Saquarema. It's definitely my favorite place on the Challenger. I won here last year and now this. I mean, it's just so great, it's so beautiful and in the water you can see the church and I was just thinking about how good God is and how amazing this contest is in this beautiful place, in this beautiful world that he's created for us."
Brazilians Luana Silva and Sophia Medina Join Vahine Fierro in Qualification Push
Vahine Fierro (FRA) entered a stacked heat knowing she was in a must-win scenario to keep her hopes of CT qualification alive. Fierro faced Sophia Medina (BRA), who also has the potential to qualify, along with Peruvian Olympian Daniella Rosas (PER) and one of the top performers from day one of competition, Alexia Monteiro (BRA). A slow, tense heat played out, with Fierro's early 5-point rides holding as the high points and Medina narrowly able to hold onto second and also progress.
Fierro sits in a familiar position, coming into the final event of the Challenger Series season for the fourth consecutive year with a strong chance of CT qualification. The 2017 WSL World Junior Champion is placed No. 6 on the rankings, just one spot below the qualification line, but still needs a strong finish in Saquarema to climb that single place.
"I think every heat is important and I'm super happy to be in this position coming here," Fierro said. "I feel like here in Brazil there's so much energy that we can use it to try to win the heats, and yeah, the heat turned out to be kind of slow. The heat prior had so many good waves and there was really good scores and then in our heat it got slow. I was able to transform pretty average waves into scores so I'm really happy and feeling good on my board."
Though Medina likely needs to at least make the Final to qualify, her compatriot Luana Silva (BRA) sits directly in line with Fierro. Silva progressed through a similarly tight heat behind Canadian Olympian Sanoa Dempfle-Olin (CAN), the pair eliminating Kirra Pinkerton (USA) and Anon Matsuoka (JPN). Silva will next face a tough draw in the Round of 16, where she will meet Erin Brooks (CAN).
Yolanda Hopkins Sets Event-High Mark With a Focus on Fun
Utilizing her priority to hold off former CT surfer Bronte Macaulay (AUS), Yolanda Hopkins (POR) took a wave in the final minute of her heat, ripping through a series of three powerful forehand hits on the right to add a 7.83 to her existing 6.83 and deliver the highest women's heat total of the event, 14.66. Macaulay had to settle for the next wave, which only offered a single turn that fell short of the number needed to earn advancement over Nora Liotta (HAW), who had picked up an excellent 8.17.
Hopkins, who is ranked No. 9, needs a big result to qualify for the CT, but the 26-year-old two-time Olympian is trying to keep that out of her head and focus on enjoying the experience.
"I really like Brazil, and I've never had a good event here," Hopkins said. "I was just trying to change my mindset a little bit. I mean, the waves are mega fun. I think this is the best I've seen Saquarema. I've been having a real good blast in the freesurf. The other years I had a lot of pressure on myself and this year I'm trusting my surfing. I'm here with my friends and it's just fun."
The Corona Saquarema Pro is proudly supported by Corona, Banco Do Brasil, Vivo, Natura Kaiak, Mãe Terra, The City of Saquarema, the Rio de Janeiro State Secretary of Sports and Leisure, Apple Watch with additional support from InterTV and Waves.com.br.