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She might be the youngest surfer on the women's tour, but Marks already has a slew of accomplishments to her name. Photo: Courtesy of Laurent Masel/WSL
When the World Surf League finished its math at the end of the season, it was announced that 15-year-old Caroline Marks had qualified for the 2018 Women’s World Championship Tour. She will be the youngest female on tour and the only true rookie.
As the WSL points out, Marks now spends a good part of her year in California. But make no mistake, she’s from Melbourne Beach, Florida and is an East Coaster through and through, which–given the current landscape in women’s pro surfing–may be more of a story than her age or anything else.
At the end of 2007, another Floridian, Karina Petroni, of Atlantic Beach, made the Women’s Tour. She surfed the 2008 season and failed to requalify. She was the last woman from the East Coast to compete on tour.
But if you’re talking about a woman who had impact on the tour, you’d have to go back to Lisa Anderson of Ormond Beach, Florida. Her first year on tour was … 1987. Hey, that was only 30 years ago.
Marks' game is already well beyond her years. Photo: Courtesy of Nathan Adams/Red Bull
Assuming she makes something of a statement on tour, Marks will be the first East Coast woman to do so since Anderson, who won four consecutive Women’s world championships from 1994-1997.
Florida was traditionally a producer of talent. Of course there’s Kelly Slater and his 11 world titles. But over the years, the East Coast was well represented by CJ and Damien Hobgood, Cory and Shea Lopez, and a handful of others who did time. But the women, not so much.
“There have been so many good surfers from the East Coast. Kelly Slater’s still on tour. And it’s funny, but Lisa Anderson lives right down the street from me now,” Marks told TGR this week. “There’s still talent on the East Coast. You’ve got the Geiselman brothers and Noah Schweizer. But everyone is so talented around the world, it’s hard. There hasn’t been anyone in a really long time to qualify. So I’m stoked to be able to represent the East Coast.”
Marks has owned the amateur ranks since shortly after she got her feet on a board, a younger sister to Luke Marks, who surfs the Men’s Qualifying Series. She has spent part of the last several years in San Clemente, California, closer to the industry.
“We live in California most of the year now. We still have a house in Florida. My family goes back about five or six times a year. The industry is here. And my coach, Mike Parsons, lives down the street,” she explained. “But the main reason is that there’s waves every day. It’s really important for me to surf good waves every day.”
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While the Men's Tour has seen the likes of Slater have major impact, the Women's Tour hasn't had serious East Coast representation since Lisa Anderson. Photo: Courtesy of Nathan Adams/Red Bull
Marks had a nice collection of accolades including her ISA Under-16 championship and two-time Vans US Open Junior Champ. But she’s well known for being the youngest female to ever compete in a WSL Championship Tour event when she got a wildcard slot in the Swatch Women’s Pro in 2015 at the age of 13 and advanced to round 3 at Lower Trestles. Marks already holds 17 national titles.
The top six surfers on the WQS earn spots on the Women’s CT each year. Even though Marks finished seventh, two of the surfers above her had already qualified via results on the CT. Also qualifying was New Zealand’s Paige Hareb, who surfed the tour for six years, but then fell off in 2014 and has now requalified.
As she begins her WCT career, she’s excited to surf Bells Beach and J-Bay for the first time.
“We lost Cloudbreak from the tour, so that’s disappointing,” she admitted. “But I have surfed a lot of those venues so at least I have some experience coming into it.”
One big push in her direction is that the QS season starts with the inaugural Florida Pro presented by Florida Sunshine State Lager, a Women's QS 6,000-point event that will run January 18 through 24 at Sebastian Inlet, where Marks has competed dozens of times.
“That really couldn’t come at a better time. I just hope there’s swell because Sebastian is a really good wave and it’s right down the street from my house,” Marks said “And it’s an excuse to go home.”
There’s no saying where qualification will lead. Parsons has her working on her air game. And she’ll be doing some breath training in January with Red Bull for the heavy water venues. But considering the last time a female came from the right side tribe, there’s a little weight on her shoulders. Fortunately for Marks, she’s likely too young to feel it.
