Get to Know Caity Simmers, Pipeline Champion and Team USA Surfer (Video)
Caitlin (or Caity) Simmers is the next big thing for USA women’s surfing.
At just 18 years young, the Oceanside, CA native just won the coveted Pipe Pro – an event being touted as a groundbreaking advancement in women’s surfing at Pipeline, due to Caity and her peers’ performances. It’s early, but that win shot her to #1 on the rankings.
So, as the 2024 World Surf League season unfolds, and the Paris 2024 Olympics loom, let’s get to know Caity a bit more. She ain’t going anywhere anytime soon.
As mentioned before, Caity grew up in the wave-rich region of north county San Diego, specifically Oceanside.
“Me and my family,” Caity said, “we’ve always lived pretty close to the beach. My parents loved the beach, so we were always just down there. Me and my brothers started boogieboarding, then we started to surf, and started pushing each other with that.”
Although she carries herself quite cool, calm, and collected, Caity has a competitive drive within.
“I was always a competitive person,” she said. “So I started competing in surfing, and then I realized that I should maybe do something with it. I thought maybe I should become a professional surfer.”
Related: Finally, Good Waves: Pipe Pro Finishes with Pumping Surf
As for the Olympics, the two quota spots for Team USA are already filled by Carissa Moore and Caroline Marks. A lot could happen between now and July 26th, when the Paris 2024 Games are set to kick off at Teahupo’o, Tahiti. And Caity is ready, should a spot open up:
“[Surfing] was never in the Olympics, so it never crossed my mind. It’s such a prestigious thing to be in. The fact that it’s in Tahiti is pretty amazing. That wave [Teahupo’o] brings a lot of different feelings – it’s really beautiful and scary and perfect.”
Caity’s career is just getting started; expect to see a lot more of her.
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