The Golden Girl: Caroline Marks’ Life After the Medal

Caroline Marks has had a record year. And it’s not over yet. In 2023, she won her first world title at Lower Trestles in her hometown of San Clemente, California, surrounded by friends and family. This year, she’s been one of the frontrunners on the Championship Tour the entire season and recently secured a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics in Teahupoʻo, Tahiti.

Fresh off her gold medal, Marks flew to Fiji for the return of Cloudbreak for the final stop of the tour. After her heat one win, Marks learned that she had clinched a spot in the final five and would be returning to Lowers for a chance to defend her title. Dripping wet and beaming with excitement after hearing the news, Marks walked us through her Olympic experience and her hopes for a second world title.

Was winning the gold a life-changing moment?

For sure a life-changer, probably one of the biggest moments in my life. That, and the title. I can’t believe I’m saying that out loud that I was able to do both of those things in less than a year.

I’m coming off a big high but there’s obviously work to be done because I’d really like to defend my title. It’s huge to come off a title and to defend it again is really hard. I know stat wise it’s hard to have a good year the next year, so I’m just really pumped. The clinch feels really good, and I’m stoked.

Have you even had time to let it sink in and celebrate?

Not really. I did go to Paris and that was a lot of fun – I did some celebrating there. But it’s been about a week since I won, so there hasn’t been much time.

I’m just telling myself after the finals, ‘Hey, it’s on.’ I’ll have plenty of time to celebrate and I’m really looking forward to that. I’m such a people person and I can’t wait to see all my loved ones.

What was it like being in Paris surrounded by so many world class athletes?

It was incredible. To be around the energy of people that are the best at what they do and are so driven, talented, and motivated is incredible. It’s incredible energy. It’s one of the only things that brings the whole world together and it was amazing to be a part of.

I’m grateful I went over there and did the closing ceremony. It’s an experience I’ll never forget. Seriously it was the best month of my life: From the Olympics to Paris to coming [to Fiji], it’s been an amazing ride and I’m just enjoying it all.

Did the gold feel more of less significant than the title?

I feel like the gold hasn’t fully sunken in yet, because it’s been so recent and even the title took me months to realize what I did. Obviously, I’m really happy, but I feel like I’m running off that adrenaline. I don’t know, it’s a hard one. In a perfect world you don’t have to choose, and thankfully I don’t have to.

But [the gold medal] felt really huge. The Olympics reaches a crowd that’s so much more than the surf world, it reaches the whole world, so in that way it felt massive. That was probably the best moment of my life.

What would it mean for you to win the title again in your hometown?

It would be incredible. Last year it was a dream come true with all my friends and family there. I’m originally from Florida, but I live in California now and have a lot of friends there. It’s a pretty close flight from Florida and it was like literally every single person that I grew up, my new friends and my old friends, everyone was there.

I believe what makes our journey so special is sharing it with the ones you love and the fact that I was able to share that moment with people that I love was huge. I’m really stoked.

Related: Caroline Marks on the (Literal) Weight of an Olympic Surfing Gold Medal