Surfing's Next Generation of Young Women Are Bustin' Down the Glass Ceiling

Women’s surfing is at an all time high. Each year, the women have been raising the bar by dropping into bigger waves, sitting deeper in barrels, and landing aerials. And every year, the women on tour seem to be getting younger and younger.

Of the ten women that made the mid-season cut, the average age is just 23.3 years old, with three of the women being in their teens. Are surfers starting younger? Are there more women surfing than ever before? Was it watching the generation that proceeded them that led to their successes?

Rather than give you our opinion, we checked in with six up and coming surfers to see why they think women’s surfing is reaching its highest heights. Heck, these women aren’t up and coming, they’re already here.

Caitlin Simmers
Oceanside, California
Age: 18

Caitlin Simmers has been turning heads since the day she qualified for the Championship Tour (CT). Actually, eyes were on her well before she signed on with the CT. A powerful junior surfer, Simmers first qualified for the CT in 2021, but she turned it down in the name of spending more time with her family and being a kid for one more year. Naturally, she qualified again the following year and made her rookie appearance on the CT in 2023.

Simmers was a dominant force from day one, winning the MEO Rip Curl Portugal Pro and rounding out the season in fourth. This year, she kicked things up a notch, representing team USA in the Paris 2024 Olympics, winning the Lexus Pipe Pro, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, and the Vivo Rio Pro, sitting at the top of the rankings for the majority of the season. She’s heading into the Rip Curl WSL Final in the number one spot and is looking to clinch her first world title.

“[Women’s surfing is excelling] because there are more surfer girls. Girls have a lot of girls to look up to," Simmers says. "When there’s more community to do it with and more girls to look up to then there’s obviously going to be more girls. And then if there’s more girls at a younger age that are better then it just keeps getting younger because those girls look up to the older girls and they want to be better. There are a couple girls coming up that are really, really gnarl, so it’s going to be fun to watch.”

Erin Brooks
Boerne, Texas
Age: 17

At 17-years-old, Erin Brooks is already a surfing legend. Born in Texas, Brooks now calls the North Shore of Oahu her home, but she spent most of her youth traveling and surfing alongside her family. Between her North Shore training and travels to places like Kandui Villas in the Mentawais, Tahiti, and places like Pascuales, Brooks has developed a talent for surfing heavy waves.

In 2023, Brooks became the youngest surfer to ever compete in the Padang Padang Cup and made the all-men’s final. That same year, Brooks became the Junior Champ at the ISAs, representing team Canada. This year, Brooks has been competing on the CS, winning the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro with a 10-point ride—she is currently ranked fourth. But her biggest accomplishment to date was receiving the wildcard for the Corona Fiji Pro. And winning. Brooks is well on her way to qualifying for the CT in 2025 and if the Fiji Pro is any indication, she might just win the title her rookie season.

“My generation had the benefit of watching Caroline Marks take on the tour at an early age. We saw that it was possible, and we also had access to the tour through programs like the WSL Rising Tides, which is what sparked my interest in professional surfing. I also think social media played a huge part in this generation’s progression. Every day we could see how other girls were surfing around the world and it allowed us to push each other," Brooks told SURFER

"My generation is currently being led by Caity Simmers. What she’s accomplished already is more than what many pro surfers accomplish in an entire career," she continued. "I’m excited to be included in an amazing group of girls who want to go out and launch airs, chase big barrels, and really focus on high performance surfing. We push each other to be our best and we are all having so much fun along the way.”

Sierra Kerr
Coolangatta, Queensland
Age: 17

When your last name is Kerr, there’s no question that you have big shoes to fill. Sierra Kerr grew up traveling with her dad, Josh Kerr, watching him compete on the Championship Tour and in big waves. It was only natural that she’d follow in her father’s aquatic footsteps and despite still being in high school, she’s already had a lot of success throughout her young career.

On the Junior Tour, Kerr has numerous event wins under her belt—in 2024, she won every single Junior Tour event that she competed in. She also took home event wins this year at the URBN Surf Pro and the Port Stephens Pro on the Qualifying Series (QS). But her biggest career accomplishment so far came just weeks ago, when she was awarded the wildcard for the Corona Fiji Pro. Where once she caddied for her dad at the event, the roles were reversed, and Kerr became competitor with her dad serving as her caddy. Although Kerr didn’t do as well as she had hoped, she did hold her own against the world’s best and there’s no doubt that there will be a spot for her on the CT in the near future.

“We just watch the girls before us and there’s so much room to improve with women’s surfing. I think everyone’s just trying to push themselves, so it starts young. I think every generation will inspire the next, so hopefully we raise the bar, and the next will do the same," Kerr told SURFER.

Sawyer Lindblad
San Clemente, California
Age: 19

There must be something in the water in San Clemente, California because it is the birthplace of many of surfing’s greats. Sawyer Lindblad grew up surfing world class waves like Lower Trestles under the influence of surfers like Kolohe Andino, Griffin Colapinto, and Lakey Peterson.

When she was 14 years old, Lindblad entered her first ever WSL QS event. And won. In 2022, at 17-years-old Lindblad defeated defending champ Caroline Marks to become the youngest ever winner of the Super Girl Pro. In 2023, Linblad won the Wallex US Open of Surfing and rounded out the Championship Series (CS) in third, qualifying for the CT. During her rookie season, Lindblad made it past the mid-season cut, winning the Margaret River Pro and the VIVO Rio Pro, finishing the season in eight overall.

“The next generation of girls coming up is pushing the sport harder than ever before which translates to all of us qualifying for the tour at a younger age. I think my generation will change/progress women’s surfing by continuing to push the sport to new levels, including breaking boundaries in barrel riding and aerials," says Lindblad. "We also get inspiration from each other which pushes us all to become better surfers. I looked up to Carissa Moore growing up because of her ability to be the best in all types of waves and inspire us next generation to progress women’s surfing.”

Bella Kenworthy
San Clemente, CA
Age: 17

Like we said, there’s something in the water in San Clemente. Not only is Bella Kenworthy an incredible surfer, but the California native rips on a skateboard too. The daughter of legendary surf photographer and filmmaker Jason Kenworthy, Kenworthy lived and breathed surfing since day one and traveled the world alongside her dad.

When Kenworthy was seven, she began surfing and skating competitively. By the time she was 15, Kenworthy had become the five-time NSSA National Champ. Kenworthy has been competing on the QS for the past few years and nabbed an event win at the Ron Jon Roxy Pro last year and again this year. In 2024, Kenworthy began competing on the CS and won the Ballito Pro. She is currently ranked second on the CS and is well on her way to qualifying for the CT and pursuing her dream of becoming a world champion.

“It’s so cool to see all the younger girls doing so well. This younger generation is so lucky to have had all the older girls who paved the way and inspired us to get to that level. I grew up surfing with Caity and Sawyer, so it’s so cool to see their success and really motivates me to try and get to the CT," Kenworthy explains.

"The generation before us really paved the way and showed all of us younger girls what could be done. They really pushed woman’s surfing and are so inspiring," she adds. "I’ve learned so much from them. I’m lucky enough to have grown up around Carissa [Moore] and a couple of the older girls on tour because of my dad, so from a really young age I was surrounded by some of the best in the world and it was super inspiring to see and made me want to be like them. I feel like each year this generation is raising the level of surfing and hopefully inspiring the next generation.”

Related: In the Magazine: The SURFER Interview With Caitlin Simmers

Related: In The Magazine: Carissa Moore on Women's Surfing and Motherhood