Surfing star Erin Brooks granted Canadian citizenship
After a lengthy battle, Brooks can represent Canada at Paris 2024.
Rising surfing star Erin Brooks has won a lengthy fight for Canadian citizenship, and can now resume competing for Canada — including potentially at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this summer.
Last June, the International Surfing Association surprised many — including the Brooks family — by suspending her eligibility to compete for Canada, after initially approving her request to do so until her citizenship application was approved. Canada’s former Immigration Minister Sean Fraser had received her citizenship request three years prior, but had not approved it. That has now changed, according to a report from Canadian Press, who confirmed with Surf Canada that Brooks has had her citizenship request granted at long last by new Immigration Minister Marc Miller.
Brooks was born in Texas and grew up in Hawaii, but was eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship through her father, who is a dual American-Canadian citizen, and her Montreal-born grandfather. After the family’s home in Lahaina, Hawaii burned down during the wildfires in 2023, the family relocated to Tofino, British Columbia.
Due to Bill C-37 in 2009, citizenship is no longer automatically granted to second-generation Canadians born abroad, but as someone with significant medal potential as one of the leading surfers in the world, there was a case to be made that she offers exemplary or exceptional value to Canada.
That point was refuted at first, but has now been recognized in the leadup to Paris 2024.
"I love Canada. I have never been prouder to wear the Maple Leaf," Erin said to Canadian Press. "To Minister Marc Miller and MP Jenny Kwan, you have changed my life. I believe that I will do something truly special for my country thanks to your gift of citizenship."
"She just broke down in tears she was just so excited " her father Jeff added. "It was a really special moment."
As Brooks mentioned, Vancouver East MP Jenny Kwan also played a role as the NDP’s immigration critic, advocating for Brooks and saying on social media on Saturday that this decision “is a moment of pride for all Canadians” and that “no one should be robbed of their dream because of an unjust law.”
The Canadian Olympic Committee and Surf Canada also went to bat for Brooks, who could be a star for Team Canada for years to come. She also has family ties in Italy, Germany, and Ireland — and received offers to compete for other countries — but wanted to wear the maple leaf.
After being unable to compete at the Pan American Games and other qualifying competitions, Brooks has one more opportunity to book her spot at the Olympics — the ISA World Championships in Puerto Rico in February.
If she qualifies through that competition, she will head to Teahupo'o in Tahiti, where the surfing competition at the Olympics will be held — some 15,800 km away from Paris. Surfing will take place in the first week of the Games, with medals set to be handed out on July 30.
Brooks will be considered a medal contender if she makes it to the Olympics, according to Dom Domic, executive director of Surf Canada in a June 2023 interview with CBC.
“She is an absolute podium threat at Tahiti," said Domic. "Without question she is amongst the top three on the planet when you're talking about the kind of conditions we will see in Tahiti.”
Surfing made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, but no Canadians took part.
Thank you for reading this post on True North. To be the first person to read future posts, and listen to new podcast episodes, subscribe for free using the button below, or share the article with someone you know.