Outerknown Tahiti Pro 2026: Seth Moniz and Erin Brooks Take Teahupo’o Glory

The final day of the 2026 Outerknown Tahiti Pro delivered exactly what everyone expects from Teahupo’o: powerful barrels, high-pressure heats and two first-time CT winners leaving Tahiti with career-changing victories.

Clean four-to-six-foot barrels greeted the surfers for Finals Day, creating a perfect canvas for the world's best tube riders. By the end of the day, Hawaii's Seth Moniz and Canada's Erin Brooks had both claimed their first Championship Tour victories. (Carve Magazine)

Seth Moniz finally gets his CT win

After seven seasons on the Championship Tour, Seth Moniz finally broke through for his first CT victory.

Moniz was outstanding throughout Finals Day, using his knowledge of Teahupo’o to find the deepest and most technical barrels of the men's draw. In the final, he came up against Griffin Colapinto, who had looked dangerous all event.

Moniz left no doubt, putting together two outstanding waves for an 18.17 heat total, including a 9.07 and 9.10. Colapinto finished with 14.67, leaving Moniz to celebrate the biggest win of his career. (Carve Magazine)

It was a particularly impressive performance considering the quality of opposition Moniz faced on the way to the final.

Men's Finals

1st – Seth Moniz (HAW) – 18.17
2nd – Griffin Colapinto (USA) – 14.67

Moniz defeated Italo Ferreira in the semifinals, while Colapinto progressed past Morocco's Ramzi Boukhiam.

Erin Brooks produces an incredible comeback

The women's final produced one of the most dramatic moments of the entire event.

Erin Brooks faced Israel's Anat Lelior, who started strongly and appeared to have control of the final after building a 16.33 total.

Brooks, however, found two exceptional barrels when she needed them most.

An 8.27 was followed by an 8.93, giving Brooks a combined 17.20 and turning the final completely around. The 19-year-old Canadian held on to claim her first CT victory as a full-time Championship Tour competitor. (Reuters)

It was a huge turnaround for Brooks after a difficult season and moved her significantly up the rankings.

Women's Finals

1st – Erin Brooks (CAN) – 17.20
2nd – Anat Lelior (ISR) – 16.33

Brooks defeated Australia's Isabella Nichols in the semifinals, while Lelior overcame Portugal's Yolanda Hopkins.

Isabella Nichols makes a strong run

Australia's Isabella Nichols was one of the standout performers of the women's event, making it all the way through to the semifinals.

Nichols defeated Nadia Erostarbe in a very tight quarterfinal, winning 7.83 to 7.26, before eventually falling to Brooks in the semifinal.

Erostarbe still finished the event in an impressive equal fifth place, continuing her strong 2026 season and remaining inside the world's Top 10. (Diario AS)

The men's quarterfinals deliver big names

The men's quarterfinals featured some of the biggest names in the draw.

Moniz dominated Alan Cleland, winning 13.66 to 1.50, while Italo Ferreira produced a strong performance against Australia's Ethan Ewing.

Ramzi Boukhiam eliminated Australian George Pittar, winning 17.74 to 8.84, while Griffin Colapinto edged defending champion Jack Robinson in one of the closest heats of the day, 11.83 to 11.50. (Carve Magazine)

That result ended Robinson's hopes of defending his Tahiti title.

Kelly Slater's unforgettable Tahiti return

While he didn't make Finals Day, Kelly Slater was undoubtedly one of the biggest stories of the entire event.

The 54-year-old wildcard produced one of the most remarkable performances of the competition when he defeated Gabriel Medina with a huge 19.06 heat total, including waves of 9.73 and 9.33.

Slater's return to competitive surfing at Teahupo’o was one of the defining moments of the event, adding another chapter to his extraordinary history at the wave. (The Guardian)

Final thoughts

The 2026 Outerknown Tahiti Pro will be remembered for much more than another day of perfect barrels at Teahupo’o.

It was the event where Seth Moniz finally captured his first Championship Tour victory, while Erin Brooks announced herself with a remarkable comeback to claim her first full-time CT win.

For the Australians, Isabella Nichols' semifinal finish and strong performances from Ethan Ewing, George Pittar and Jack Robinson provided plenty of highlights, while the return of Kelly Slater added another unforgettable chapter to the history of Teahupo’o.

With Tahiti now complete, the Championship Tour moves on to Fiji. Simlair results incoming or will the conditions dictate the results with Cloudbreak being fickle and winds playing a major part could see some surprising heat results.