OCEANSIDE (NEWS 8) – An Oceanside 12-year-old is making a name for herself in the world of surfing.
Caity Simmers, who is in seventh grade, made big waves over the weekend at the World Surfing Games in Japan.
“I just kind of liked it [surfing] from when I started. I did not really care how good I was or anything like that,” she said.
Simmers, who comes from a family of surfers, started hitting the water when she was just four-years-old. “It is kind of like, if you are having a bad day it can make your day to get – even one good wave – can make you have a way better day.”
Eight years after taking on her first wave, Caity’s skills on the water are catapulting her to the top of some major competitions. Jesse Simmers is her father. "She just has something special, you know what I mean? She is really in tune with the ocean and she is really in tune with her body. She is really in control. She has a flow, you know? That’s kind of what it is.”
That flow was on full display last weekend when Caity competed against the best surfers in the world at the 2018 UR ISA World Surfing Games in Japan. “I try not to worry about the people I am surfing against or how big the competition is. Right when I am going I get a little nervous, but I think that I can channel how nervous I am and put it into my surfing,” she said.
Caity was the youngest person to finish in the top ten. “A lot of times, they are kind of amazed. People are kind of amazed by her,” said her father.
When asked what her ultimate goal is, Caity said “probably be in the Olympics for surfing and just have fun.”
Surfing will debut in the Summer Olympics 2020, Tokyo, Japan.