Amidst the anticipation for the Paris Olympics 2024, a seismic shift in the surfing world has emerged as an 18-year-old American surfer unveils a surprising revelation. Caity Simmers is already ranked no.1 and took the surf world by storm. The local talent from Oceanside has just achieved a significant milestone by winning the 2024 Lexus Pipe Pro resoundingly. Right now, she is on tour as part of the WSL Championship amongst top surfers around the world. 

Caity Simmers’ recent successes have firmly established her among surfing legends, earning her a coveted place alongside her idols in the Hall of Fame. She joins the esteemed 5X world champion and Olympic gold medalist Carissa Moore, a celebrated figure in surfing history. Despite her WSL rankings success over Carissa Moore, Simmers’ surprising revelation challenges the perception of surfing as her optimal career choice. Her disclosure has caused a stir in the surfing world, prompting reflection on her career direction.

Caity Simmers drops a bombshell within the surfing community

In an interview with People Magazine recently, Caity Simmers talked about how daunting it is to be such a decorated surfer at a young age. “It’s very crazy to think about,” Simmers said. Even more surprising is that professional surfing was never her plan as she stated, “I wasn’t set on being a pro surfer.” However, she decided to pursue the sport when she won a competition at age 10. When she was 15, Simmers won the Prestigious US Open of Surfing, becoming the second-youngest winner in history. This also secured her a spot on the WSL tour. But she decided to forego it at the time, choosing instead to sharpen her skills. Simmers knew it was the right call when she quickly rose to the top of WSL rankings in 2023 and won the Lexus Pipe Pro in 2024, “I feel like it was the right decision. I’ve never really regretted that,” adding that it was a good one.

Simmers’ exceptional 2023 season included a win at the MEO Rip Curl Pro in Portugal and the VIVO Rio Pro in Brazil. As well as a second-place finish at the 2023 Tahiti Pros. It was at the Vivo Rio Pros that Caitlin Simmers made waves. She was able to dethrone defending champion Carissa Moore and take gold. At the MEO Rip Curl Pros, she secured her maiden CT victory and moved up to tie rankings with Moore. She finished fourth all-around. It was a breakthrough moment that landed her a spot on the Olympic “final five” team heading to Paris in August. Given her stronghold on the sport, Paris could do wonders for Simmers’ career. Especially if she medals. 

American surfer’s journey to Paris Olympics

Since the Paris Olympics will be held at the Teahupo’o break where the Tahiti Pros are held, Simmers already has an upper hand. She is familiar with the scenario there and can successfully strategize her win. Simmers told Olympics.com in an interview that making an Olympic debut does not stress her out. She is more likely to belt out some tunes over the blue water. Especially Killing Me Softly by Lauryn Hill and Foolish by Ashanti. She said, whenever she’s on the water with her friends, they all “definitely” sing. However, this easygoing attitude also comes with a keen competitive edge. 

Simmers has been open about how scores are always on her mind. She emphasized her desire to compete and beat people. This is also the attitude she will be carrying forward with her to the Olympics. She explained how she always watched the Olympics from home and never dreamed of participating, adding that it was a “pretty cool idea.” Even though her eventual goal is to “make a generation-defining surf film that inspires people to go surf,” at the moment Simmer is locked in on the Olympics.