With hype around the women’s 2026 CT rookie class reaching fever pitch with the arrival of a new generation of young guns, Basque surfer Nadia Erostarbe’s name wasn’t really hitting headlines. But with the first half of the season complete, it’s Nadia who has broken through, cracking the top 10 in the rankings with semifinal finishes in Snapper Rocks and Brazil. In 2026, Erostarbe hasn’t needed hype - her surfing speaks for itself. Not only has she moved into the top 10, but unthinkably, she’s done it without a sticker on the nose of her board.

Erostarbe is the first Basque or Spanish woman to qualify for the Championship Tour. In 2025, she joined the Tour for five events as a replacement surfer but hadn’t truly yet found her place amongst top-flight competition. She got the replacement spot after finishing one click on the wrong side of the CT qualification line on the 2024 Challenger Series.

"I felt like such an outsider,” Nadia said. “Everything was so new for me, and I felt like I didn't belong there.…