Pure Thrill magazine
PARIS
OLYMPICS 2024
Melbourne Beach’s Caroline Marks Wins Olympic Gold In Surfing
TEAHUPO’O, Tahiti — Melbourne Beach native Caroline Marks won the women’s surfing gold medal on Monday at the Paris Olympics in Tahiti, adding to the United States’ totals. Marks beating Tatiana Weston-Webb from Brazil, who was awarded the silver medal. Marks, who spent the first 12 years of her life in Melbourne Beach before moving to California, caught a barrel ride for 7.50 points and finished with a two-wave score of 10.50, just 0.17 ahead of Webb.
Competitive surfing is not new to Marks. She started at 8 years old and became the youngest female to compete in a World Surfing League event at age 13.
By the time she was 15, she was the youngest surfer to qualify for the Women’s Championship Tour. Marks has returned to Florida more than once to compete in the Florida Pro surfing tournament at Sebastian Inlet. She entered the event after capturing the gold medal at the 2023 World Championships.
Marks is not even new to the Olympics. She placed fourth in the shortboard at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, the first year of the surfing competition.
French Polynesian Kauli Vaast won the gold medal in men’s surfing. Cheers and tears erupted from boats floating near the wave and crowds of spectators along the shore as the men’s final match ended in the afternoon. Vaast pumped his arms into the air in victory after beating Jack Robinson from Australia, who received the silver medal.
“I don’t really realize it, but I just made history,” Vaast said. “I can’t be prouder to represent Tahiti and France at home.”
Why Tahiti?
Olympic surfing in Tahiti will be a truly authentic experience enjoyed by local fans and international audiences – with stunning images that will capture the world’s imagination. As one of the most iconic surf location in the world, Tahiti pays homage to the culture and heritage of the sport.
48 – The number of competitors in men’s and women’s surfing at Paris 2024.
Heavy-Hitters vs Underdogs
International Winners Against Local Champions
Led by Carissa Moore (USA), the five-time World Champion and Tokyo 2020 Gold Medalist, the women’s draw features a who’s-who of current heavy-water charging, including Pipeline champions Caitlin Simmers (USA) and Molly Picklum (AUS), 2023 Tahiti Pro winner and 2023 World Champion Caroline Marks (USA), as well as 2024 Tahiti Pro champion Vahine Fierro (FRA). Fierro is a local Tahitian who was one of the first to qualify for Paris 2024. Her victory just weeks ago bodes well in her campaign to win the host nation of France their first medal in Surfing.
After announcing her departure from competitive surfing at the start of the year, Moore’s appearance is scheduled to be her last in the competition jersey and with all of her training focused on one goal, the 31-year-old is aiming to go out on top.
Olympians and newcomers like Sarah Baum (RSA), Yolanda Hopkins (POR), Sanoa DempfleOlin (CAN), Anat Lelior (ISR), and Siqi Yang (CHN) could all throw a spanner in the works
15,700 – The approximate distance in kilometres between Paris and Tahiti, the largest distance between events at a single Olympic Games.
21 – The number of nations who participated in surfing in this year’s Olympic Games.
however. The youngest surfer to qualify for the Olympics at the age of 14, and China’s first, Yang has very little trepidation when it comes to waves of consequence and is looking to make a major mark on Surfing in the Olympic Games.
Men’s Bronze-Medal match
Gabriel Medina (Brazil) 15.54 def. Alonso Correa (Peru) 12.43
Women’s bronze-medal match
Johanne Defay (France) 12.66 def. Brisa Hennessy (Costa Rica) 4.93
Men’s gold-medal match
Kauli Vaast (France) 17.67 def. Jack Robinson (Australia) 7.83
Women’s gold-medal match
Caroline Marks (USA) 10.50 def. Tatiana Weston-Webb (Brazil) 10.33
1st 2nd 3rd
BIGWAVE
SURFER CHALLENGE
TheN O M I N E E S 2 0 2 4
SURFER
Big Wave Challenge is the latest incarnation of the XXL Big Wave Awards, originally created by Bill Sharp in 2000, and is one of the most successful competitions the sport of surfing has ever known. The event brings big wave surfing fans the best moments of the year in (almost) real time, with entries posted to the SURFER Big Wave Challenge as they come in. Like every proper awards show, the SURFER Big Wave Challenge started on the red carpet—or in this case, a blue carpet. With the
MEN’S BIGGEST WAVE
Lucas Chianca
Nazaré, Portugal
Steve Roberson
Jaws, Maui
lights shining and camera shutters firing, a steady stream of surfers, VIPs, sponsors and other various, beautiful people trickled into the old theater in the heart of the village of Nazare. “Big wave surfing’s really about love,” shared McConnell, who splits time between chasing waves, working as a marine biologist and teaching kindergarten. And she’s right. Without love—love for the ocean, love for surfing, love for one’s fellow surfers—the big wave endeavor falls flat.
WOMEN’S BIGGEST WAVE
Joanna Andrade
Nazaré, Portugal
Michelle Des Bouillon, Belgium
2
MEN’S RIDE OF THE YEAR
Soli Bailey
Cloudbreak, Fiji
Nathan Florence
Mullaghmore
Head, Ireland
Albee Layer
Jaws, Maui
WOMEN’S RIDE OF THE YEAR WIPEOUT OF THE YEAR
Laura Enever
Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania
Laura Enever
Teahupoo, Tahiti
Bianca Valenti
Puerto Escondido, Mexico
Kipp Caddy
Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania
Trevor Carlson
Mavericks, California
Bianca Valenti
Mavericks, California
Lucas Chianca, Michelle Des, Bianca Valenti Nathan Florence, Kipp Candy