“It’s Definitely Weird When The Thing You Love To Do Becomes Your Job”

Read our full Finals Day comp wrap here.

The first time I met Caity Simmers in the Stab office, she wanted to talk about books — in particular the works of another unfairly talented California woman: Joan Didion.

If you’re lucky enough to have 10 or more minutes with the youngest surfing World Champion of all time, you’ll quickly realize she’d be just as comfortable in a English Literature PhD program as she is linking a stylish Roundy together at Lowers right.

Her Stab Edit of the Year entry was called Bell Jar, after all. Sylvia Plath (Caity’s favorite writer) was likely cheering her on from whatever astral writing desk she’s currently inhabiting.

At just 18 years of age, Caity Simmers has already dropped two major surf films, won the Stab High Ladybirds division twice, competed in the Olympics, won Rookie Of The Year, and charmed even the hearts of surfing’s most curmudgeon characters.

This is only the third time in Women’s surfing history that a surfer has won a World Title within their first two years on Tour (Steph and Carissa did so previously).

As Julian Wilson prophesied to us months ago, “Caity Simmers gets it done this year in the women’s side,” said Julian. “Crazy good in all conditions and she will lock in. Really excited to see her win a world title and I’m sure there will be many more to follow if she wants it.”

With a contract worth a reported $541k from Red Bull alone, a brand new Ford Ranger pick-up, rumors of a home purchase in Oceanside, and a indefatigably humble, intelligent brain, Caity Simmers is fulfilling the inevitable: ethical, lovable world surfing domination.

As Caity once told us, “I think the word professional surfer is just weird. Last year I was like, ‘Don’t call me a professional surfer.’ I don’t know, I was just weirded out by people calling me that.”

Let’s see if she prefers “World Champ” instead — my gut tells me she won’t.