At just 16 years old, when most awkward teens are just getting their driver’s permits, Caroline Marks is competing on the World Surf League’s Championship Tour (CT). As of this year, Marks will officially be the youngest competitor on tour, male or female, but the grounded goofy-footer prefers to keep things light. Have fun. Block out all of the cameras and crowds, and just focus on surfing.
Prior to her upcoming competition, the Surf Ranch Pro held at Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch in Lemoore (which started Sept. 6), Marks and her father, Darren, made a press junket stop in La Jolla. The event, a first of its kind and a benchmark for the sport, could ultimately signal a transition in traditional surf contest scoring and setting. Like Slater, Marks was raised in the small-to-occasionally marginal surf of the central Florida coast (She grew up in Melbourne, Fla.). Both can lay claim to famed 1st Peak in Sebastian Inlet as a home break. Also similar to the 11-time world champion, Marks entered the sport at a relatively young age – making quite an impression from the get-go – surfing against pros twice her age. “They did a really good job of mimicking ideal ocean conditions at Kelly’s [Slater] ranch,” said Marks from the Shores Restaurant on Aug. 28. “Once you’re up and on the wave, it truly feels like a normal wave. When we were up there last, we were fortunate enough that there weren’t many other people around, so my brother and best friend I grew up surfing with were able to take some of my waves.”
“At first, it is a bit nerve-wracking… Unfortunately, through a TV or computer screen, people cannot see the raw ability of how amazing these pros are. They just make it look so easy. One thing that is different about this competition is that there is not much to do between heats or warm-ups. For this reason, everyone tends to watch every session. This can be really helpful to see how different surfers with different styles approach the wave.”
It’s only fitting that Marks be so generous with her allotted waves, as her brother, Zach, and dad introduced her to the sport. Prior to the age of 9, aside from nose-riding small waves with her father, Marks was obsessed with competitive horseback – rodeo, to be specific. It wasn’t until her brother set the hook in her that she discovered her deep admiration for the surfing.
Her first year on the CT, Marks is making quite the name for herself, placing third at the Bell’s Beach competition. She also returned home to win a contest at 1st Peak and placed 2nd at the Supergirl Pro in Oceanside. “Bell’s was such an amazing competition, and was made that much more memorable that I was able to see Mick Fanning’s last competition before retirement,” said Marks. “I mean, Mick [Fanning] is just legendary to the sport of surfing, and I had my best results on the CT at Bell’s.”
The Marks family now resides in Orange County, but the budding force-to-be-reckoned-with tries to make it back to the East Coast at least twice a year – to fish and possibly catch some tropical storm swell. While on tour, she keeps up with her academics by attending a homeschool program at Lighthouse Christian Academy. As for her tour goals, Marks’ lighthearted approach is refreshing. “When I first started out, I didn’t come into events thinking about results,” said Marks. “I’m doing well not worrying about standings, so I’m going to continue that route.”
As for the Surf Ranch Pro, Marks has some wave pool time logged, so has the initial jitters at bay. “The first wave I caught there was intense because, it’s like, all eyes on you,” said Marks. “There’s an alarm that goes off that notifies you have ‘30 seconds until the wave approaches’ and there are screens streaming it all over the ranch. It really is so awesome to ride, though!”