At only 18 years young, Caitlin Simmers just barnstormed the Lexus WSL Finals, won the 2024 world title and became the youngest women’s world champion in history. No small feat for the quiet, reserved girl from Oceanside.
Either way, history was going to be made today in the race for the women’s 2024 world title. And either way, the title was going to stay in America. Marks came into the WSL Finals the defending world champion and Olympic gold medalist. Simmers entered the chat as the number one seed, and the opportunity to become the youngest women’s world champ.
After Marks dispatched Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb earlier in the event, the World Title Match was set: the top two seeds in the women’s draw, two surfers that live about 30 minutes from one another, would battle for the title on home turf. Marks started their best-of-three match with a beautiful right, earning a 7.50 on her backhand.
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Right behind her, Simmers dug into an even bigger set wave, and gracefully strung together a series of carves, earning a full point more from the judges, jumping in the lead with an 8.50. By the time the heat ended Marks had dropped a 9.60 for an endless barrage of backhand power hacks. It would be the highest heat score of the day, but more importantly, gave the first World Title Match heat to Marks.
The second heat of the affair was all Simmers. In a rapid-fire flurry, the Oceanside kid dropped two nine-point rides, put Marks in a combo, earned the highest heat total in WSL Finals history, and cruised to an equalizing win.
That setup the third and final heat of the women’s World Title Match. And again, Marks and Simmers opened with an exchange that saw Marks earn a seven=point ride, while Simmers came close to another nine, logging an 8.83. With early control of the heat, Simmers snagged a six-point backup, leaving Marks in need of an 8.00 to turn the heat and win the title.
As history goes, for years people have compared Marks’ backhand attack to that of 1999 world champion Mark Occhilupo. Well, if Marks is Occy, Simmers is definitely Tom Curren. The style comparison couldn’t be more obvious on the clean, open faces at Lowers. Marks with her deep bottom turns and powerful off-the-top assault on her backhand. Simmers with her elegant carves, longer railed board and understated technique. Heck, Simmers beat Marks in the semifinals at Bells earlier this year.
By a matter of days, Simmers now bests five-time world champion Carissa Moore as the youngest woman to win a world title on the WSL Championship Tour. With history made, the future is now wide open.
Related: Can Caroline Marks Win Olympic Gold and the World Title in the Same Year?