I said it yesterday in my preview , and I’ll say it again: Erin Brooks is the frontrunner to win the 2026 Fiji Pro. And she proved why today with a perfect 10-point ride in her opening heat. Not just the wave of the day, it could very well be the wave of the year on the women’s Championship Tour. Arriving out at Cloudbreak minutes before her heat, I had the pleasure of watching it all unfold from the channel. Opening with an 8-point ride, it was immediately clear she was surfing with intent. In girthy 6- to 8-foot bombs, she was in attack mode from the jump. Laying down a series of searing forehand carves, her pace and energy were on another level against wildcard Sophie McCulloch. Then came her moment. Gliding in under the ledge, she pulled in and began racing. Driving through section after section, playing cat and mouse with the foam ball as the water drained out over the reef, she came flying out with a huge smile beaming from ear to ear. The channel erupted.…