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Erin Brooks Inks Deal with Nike

Originally posted on SURFER | By August Howell | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 10:29 PM ET

Nike’s world headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, is a trippy place. Part park, part office hub, it sprawls nearly 300 acres with a mix of running trails, an outdoor track, museums, gyms and labs. Even for a casual sports fan, it’s a bit overwhelming. The names of the greats are everywhere. There are parking spots designated for LeBron James, Serena Williams and Cristiano Ronaldo. Whether or not they use those spaces with luxury cars is up for debate, but it doesn’t hurt the marketing.

I was not with Erin Brooks when she visited the campus recently, but I assume she saw all of that and more when she signed a new multi-deal with the apparel giant last week. Erin, currently sitting in ninth place on the women’s Championship Tour rankings in her rookie year (who also landed Surfer's latest cover shot), got a surprise party on her 18th birthday to celebrate. Her full post and statement are below.

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A post shared by Erin Brooks (@erinbrookssurf)

Everyday I want to train hard, have fun, and inspire others to do the same. I am so excited to be joining the @nike @nikewomen family and I want to thank them for believing in me and enabling me to pursue my dreams!! I especially want to thank the incredible people who work @nike for an amazing surprise birthday party that I will never forget. The journey is just beginning and I couldn’t be more excited and grateful!! ❤️

It’s worth noting that this is not another attempt by Nike to enter surfing. This isn’t another Nike 6.0 (the brand’s eight-year run that ended in 2013 when it transferred team riders to Hurley). Rather, the new signing means the company is positioning Erin as a Nike athlete akin to many of their biggest assets. She’s still repping her main sponsors (Rip Curl, Red Bull, Oakley, FCS and Mayhem. Not bad company).

Erin is not the first woman to wear the Swoosh on her surfboard, nor even the first this year. Sierra Kerr signed a footwear deal back in January. On the men’s tour. Italo Ferreira also got Nike athlete status because he basically already was Air Italo.

The fact that a massive corporation is investing in a surfer as young as Erin is even more remarkable when you consider that Erin was born in Texas and began surfing at age 9 (in 2017). She’s since become a Vans Pipe Master, a CT winner (at a wildcard), and is on the pointy end of the recent barrage of young female surf talent. Teahupo’o or Rocky Point, she’ll be fine at either. Oh, and did I mention she’s on the cover of the print edition that marks years of SURFER? Grab it on newsstands now and online via our site here.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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