Caitlin Simmers, a teenage surfer from Southern California, is facing a big wave on the biggest stage as she made her Olympic debut over the weekend.
The 18-year-old, who grew up in Oceanside, surfing with her younger brother Timo and skateboarding in her neighborhood, already knows what it’s like to compete against some of the top surfers in the world.
Simmers won the 2021 U.S. Open of Surfing at the age of 15, becoming the second youngest winner over.
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Her former coach John Daniels said Simmers’ talent was undeniable from a young age.
“When she was maybe 12 – that’s when things kind of started to turn on, and she got a little stronger, a little bigger and more aggressive,” Daniels explained. “I think a lot of people went, ‘Whoa, this girl is a little bit different than the rest.’”
Also at age 15, Simmers qualified for the World Surf League Championship Tour but decided not to compete.
“I was just at home, hanging out with my friends or my family. I was just like, ‘This is the right decision,’” she recalled.
When she finally competed at the World Surf League held at Teahupo’o in Tahiti, the then-17-year-old won second place only after Caroline Marks, a fellow Southern Californian and Team USA member.
While Tahiti, where the 2024 Paris Olympics surfing competitions are held, is infamous for its chopes or Chopoo, the wave that reaches up to 7 meters while creating big barrels and heavy drops, Simmers is familiar with the conditions.
“Chopes is really perfect and beautiful, also really terrifying,” Simmers described.
But Chopes is the reason that her former coach feels optimistic about Simmers’ performance at her Olympic debut.
“I think it’s the wave that suits her style,” Daniels said. “You have to be a little crazy and gnarly to get deep and go over the legge there. I think she has it in her for sure.”
Even when the waves pose challenges, Daniels believes Simmers will come out on top.
“Most people under pressure buckle pretty easily, but Caity gets her back against the ropes, and she actually performs better,” the coach explained.
