At only 14 years old, Tya Zebrowski has done what no one in surfing has ever done before.

The French prodigy is now the youngest surfer to qualify for the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), the elite level of professional competitive surfing.

Her achievement impressed everyone in the surf world, but it also invited us to reflect on how young is too young to compete professionally.

Also, when a minor is competing at the highest level and receiving payments for their performances, what does the law actually say about it?

Let’s start at the root of the discussion.

The WSL rulebook doesn’t include any minimum age for its top-tier CT events.

The only age references appear in the lower tiers – the Challenger Series (CS) and the Qualification Series (QS) – where surfers must be at least 13 to compete in events within their home region and 15 to surf internationally.

Younger athletes can apply for special exemptions, but when it comes to the CT, where the sport’s biggest stars compete for world titles and major prize money, there is silence on the matter.

So, in the absence of a rule, we may ask questions regarding the national laws in place at a given moment.

The first one that comes to mind is: what happens when a minor competes at the highest level of a professional sport?

In the US, where much of the surf industry and the WSL’s headquarters are based, the legal picture is not as straightforward as one might think.

The Law: Between Labor and Freedom

In the United States, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is the main federal law governing work by minors.

It sets minimum ages for employment, limits the kinds of jobs children can do, and caps the hours they can work.

In most cases, children under 14 aren’t allowed to work at all, and those who are 14 or 15 can only work outside school hours and in “nonhazardous” jobs.

But professional sports occupy a strange legal space.

The FLSA applies to employees, not independent contractors, and many athletes – especially in individual sports like surfing – are technically considered contractors.

That means the labor restrictions designed for traditional jobs, like those in a restaurant or factory, don’t cleanly apply to professional athletes.

The US Department of Labor doesn’t explicitly classify competitive sports as “employment,” unless the organization exerts direct control over the athlete’s schedule, pay, or conditions.

A 14-year-old surfer signing a contract to appear in an event or accept prize money could, in theory, fall into a gray area.

If the event were treated as formal employment, restrictions on hours and hazardous work could apply.

But, in practice, the athlete’s relationship with event organizers and sponsors is usually contractual, not employment-based.

That distinction allows child athletes to compete professionally in sports like tennis, skateboarding, or gymnastics, as long as parents or guardians give consent and supervision is guaranteed.

It’s why athletes such as Coco Gauff, who turned pro in tennis at 13, or skateboarders competing in the X Games before turning 16, were able to do so legally.

Contracts, Consent, and Responsibility

The legal system does, however, recognize that minors lack full capacity to make binding agreements.

In most US states, anyone under 18 cannot sign a contract that’s fully enforceable without parental or guardian approval.

That’s why young athletes’ sponsorship deals, event waivers, and media contracts must be co-signed by a parent or legal guardian.

Some states go further, creating specific protections for minors in the entertainment or sports industries.

In California, for example, the law allows for “Coogan Accounts,” named after a 1930s child actor whose earnings were misused by his parents.

These accounts reserve a portion of a child’s income until adulthood to protect it from misuse.

Similar principles could apply if a young surfer earns significant prize money or sponsorship income.

But even with such safeguards, questions remain about accountability.

If a 14-year-old competes in heavy ocean conditions (Pipeline, Teahupoo, Cloudbreak, etc.) and gets seriously injured, who is responsible?

The event organizer, the parent who consented, or the governing body that allowed it?

The law often hinges on the concept of “reasonable care,” meaning that adults in charge must take all reasonable steps to ensure a child’s safety.

But what are our levels of reasonability, and how much do they vary?

The Ethics: Freedom, Risk, and Pressure

The legal gray zones are only half the story.

Ethically, the question of allowing a 14-year-old to compete at the professional level poses several reflections, some of which are opposing.

On one hand, there’s the argument for freedom. If a young surfer has the talent, discipline, and desire to compete in some of the world’s most famous surf breaks, why should age alone be a barrier?

Many of the world’s top athletes started early.

Zebrowski’s rise reflects years of dedication and a supportive environment. She is not a child forced into something she doesn’t want to do.

Yet there’s a competing moral concern: children, by definition, are still developing physically and emotionally.

Professional surfing involves long travel schedules, intense training, media attention, and the ever-present risk of injury or drowning.

So, the weight of exposing a minor to a high-risk environment is always a tough call.

Child psychologists often warn about the potentially harmful consequences of early, full-on involvement in sports, noting that burnout, mental health struggles, and long-term injuries can result from competitive pressures at too young an age.

There’s also the question of agency: does a 14-year-old truly realize the lifelong consequences of their choices, or are they guided by parents, coaches, or commercial interests?

Experts on youth sports ethics also tend to agree that when a child’s passion becomes the family’s project, the line between support and exploitation can become blurry.

In some cases, it might be true; in others, healthy family discussions lead to harmonious and unanimous decisions.

The Role of Parents and Governing Bodies

Parents are central to this story.

Under WSL rules, any competitor under 18 must have a parent or legal guardian onsite during CS and QS events.

And yes, that safeguard acknowledges both the logistical and moral responsibilities adults hold.

But it also raises questions about parental judgment.

Is it responsible to let a 14-year-old face waves like Pipeline or Teahupoo, where even seasoned professionals hesitate to drop into some waves?

By looking at their rulebook, it seems that the WSL leaves such decisions largely to families and regional tour managers.

The absence of a minimum age in the Championship Tour rulebook suggests a belief that maturity, not just age, should be the deciding factor.

Still, in the wake of Zebrowski’s qualification, we at SurferToday are still asking whether clearer rules are needed.

Balancing School and Real Life on Tour

Last but not least, another layer of complexity comes from compulsory education laws.

In the US, minors must attend school until at least 16 in most states, though homeschooling and online programs offer flexibility.

If a teenager travels the world chasing waves, schooling must adapt accordingly.

While that’s feasible for elite young athletes with resources, it also adds another layer of privilege to the mix.

In other words, those without such support might never get the same chance.

In some states, minors working in performance or entertainment fields must obtain work permits.

The problem is that it is still not clear whether professional sports fall under those definitions. It seems to vary.

What we do know is that it should be the governments and parents’ responsibility and priority to ensure that children pursuing sports careers don’t sacrifice education or safety in the process.

Where to Draw the Line?

Ultimately, the question isn’t whether a 14-year-old can compete. It’s whether she should.

Legally, she can. Ethically, the answer depends on how her safety, education, and well-being are protected.

The same debate surrounds every young prodigy who breaks barriers: figure skaters landing quads at 13, gymnasts training 30 hours a week before high school, skateboarders winning Olympic medals as teenagers.

The ocean’s unpredictability could make a difference in our opinion on this topic.

Putting on a jersey and paddling out for a heat in overhead surf is taking risks we probably don’t want to leave in the hands of a minor.

So, perhaps the best path forward lies in balance.

Let young surfers chase their dreams, but surround them with strong safeguards, transparent oversight, and people who care more about their development than their medals.

As long as those conditions hold, maybe there’s room for everybody to be happy and build happy, long-lasting memories of a youth lived to the fullest.

Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com