Last week Tya Zebrowski became the first French woman and the youngest to win a Challenger Series event. This week, after winning her first round heat in Brazil, she became the youngest surfer to ever qualify for the CT. As for next week, well, God only knows. Like her surfing, time is unspooling at a faster rate than all her competitors.
“You have to be careful, and not put too much hype or pressure on a 14-year-old girl’s shoulders,” CT commentator Jesse Starling told SURFER. “But having watched her compete first hand at each CS event this year, it’s almost impossible not to throw her in the World Title conversation, maybe even as early as next year. She’s by far the best surfer at this level.”
It’s hard to argue with the numbers being punched out by the French-Tahitian prodigy. Since Zebrowski made her debut on CS in Portugal 12 months ago, she has made three Finals, won one, and finished third and fifth in the others. A Quarterfinal is her worst finish. Or, as Adam Ant said it, “To me, style is consistency.”
“She started surfing when she was young, and always loved it, but it was when she was eight and met Carissa Moore that she really focused her attention,” her father, Gary, told SURFER. “From that point on, Titi just wanted to be like Carissa. She loved competing and wanted to win. The World Title was the ultimate goal.”
Gary is a Tahitian-born surfer-turned-professional snowboarder who finished sixth in the halfpipe at the 2006 Olympics. His partner and Titi’s mum, Caroline Béliard, was a French professional snowboarder turned yoga teacher. The family runs a surf school and yoga retreat out of Messanges, just to the north of Hossegor. Zebrowski almost seems born and raised in the ultimate pro surfing petri dish. The offspring of elite athletes and a surfing background growing up with a mix of Tahitian reefbreaks and French beachbreaks. Nature and nurture have never gotten on so well.
Manel Geada/World Surf League
Riss is the most obvious comparison to make. Moore won her first CT event as a 16-year-old, claimed her maiden World Title when still a teenager, and by the time she had retired had added another four. The pair share a similar style and approach. A smooth style, flashed with sudden, unpredictable, breathtaking moments of raw power and aggression.
“Her progress has blown my mind. She’s developed physically, and the power in her surfing is unbelievable,” said Isobel Nichols when she was defeated by Tya in the CS semis in Portugal last year. “Where she will take surfing is anyone’s guess.”
Related: 14-Year-Old Tya Zebrowski Makes History as Youngest Ever CT Qualifier
In the 12 months since, we are beginning to find out. Zebrowski has grown a few inches in that time, and while her voice has retained its unique helium-edge to it, she has added more power and amplitude to her rail work. Meanwhile, she has improved her air game, which was already better than most surfers on the CT.
“It feels so good, I’m so happy! Last year I came second, so I’m so excited to get the win this year. It means so much to me,” said Zebrowski, giggling after winning in Portugal. Her on-screen presence and her time out of the water at the events, where she is often seen in the athlete’s area playing with her three-year-old sister, is a reminder of just how young she is.
Prior to Tya, the youngest qualifier was Caity Simmers, who became eligible for the CT aged 15 in 2021. However, she chose to defer her spot, focus on development, and requalified again in 2022. Two years later, she won a World Title at the age of 18.
Unlike Simmers, Zebrowski has shown no signs of decelerating her fast track. After making a final as a wildcard in her first CS last year, she was unequivocal about where she was headed. “The goals are to surf on the CS next year, qualify, and surf on the CT,” she said with no small lashing of matter-of-factness. That goal was ticked this week. And with both parents and the rest of the family backing her dream, she believes she has the support network and maturity to compete against the very best.
Ana Catarina/World Surf League
“Her decision-making is spot on, and she rarely, if ever, gets rattled under pressure,” said Joan Duru, the former CT surfer turned coach who was in her corner in Portugal. “When you combine that with her talent and dedication, I can’t see any positives in holding her back. She’s young, but she’s ready to take on anyone.”
Zebrowski is also helped by that the CT has an expanded field in 2026, and doesn’t start until April 2026. Having already qualified, she can surf at the Pipeline Challenger Series event without pressure and then pick and choose her schedule prior to Bells. For most surfers, six months wouldn’t be enough of a chunk of time to add significant gains. But when you are just 14, and on the world’s steepest surfing J-curve of progression, where she could be at by the time of Easter will be fascinating.
A World Title seems a matter of when, and not if.
Related: Meet 13-Year-Old Tya Zebrowski, the Next Teen Surf Prodigy on the Blocks