{{Short description|American professional surfer (born 2002)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox surfer | name = Caroline Marks | image = NSSA caroline marks (19343992395).jpg | caption = Marks in 2015 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|02|14}} | birth_place = Boca Raton, Florida, U.S. | nickname = | shapers = | height = 5 ft 5 in | weight = 127 lb | best_year = 1st: 2023 – WSL World Champion | career_earnings = | sponsors = Red Bull, Oakley, Roxy | major_achievements = * 2024 Olympics Gold Medal * 2023 World Surf League Champion * WSL Championship Tour event wins: 8 * 2018 WSL Rookie of the Year | stance = Goofy | quiver = | favourite_waves = | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Women's surfing}} {{Medal|Country|{{USA}}}} {{MedalCompetition| Olympic Games}} center|80px {{MedalGold| 2024 Paris|Shortboard}} {{MedalCompetition| World Games}} {{MedalSilver| 2019 Miyazaki|Team}} }}
'''Caroline Marks''' (born February 14, 2002) is an American professional surfer. She is the 2023 World Surf League Women's World Tour Champion and an Olympic gold medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She has won multiple national championships and is the youngest woman to compete in a World Surf League event. Marks is the youngest surfer to qualify for the women's Championship Tour.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.redbull.com/us-en/athlete/caroline-marks-surfing |title=Caroline Marks |website=Red Bull |language=en |access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref><ref name="WSLpsMarks14Aug2019">{{Cite web |url=https://www.worldsurfleague.com/athletes/4688/caroline-marks |title=Pro Surfer: Caroline Marks |website=World Surf League |language=en |access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref>
She competed in the elite (top 16) of the World Surf League<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldsurfleague.com/athletes |title=Athletes |website=World Surf League |accessdate=December 11, 2018}}</ref> and ended 2018 season in 7th place, earning Rookie of the Year. She lives in San Clemente, California.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://flamingomag.com/2021/12/15/floridas-surfing-prodigy-caroline-marks-talks-olympic-dreams-publix-and-learning-from-losing/#:~:text=The%20Melbourne%2C%20Florida%20native%2C%20who,the%20sport's%20elite%20Championship%20Tour. |title=How Surfing Prodigy Caroline Marks Stays True to Her Florida Roots |website=Flamingo |date=December 15, 2021 |accessdate=December 15, 2021}}</ref>
In 2019, Marks qualified as one of the two women on the United States' first surfing team to compete at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.<ref>[https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2019/12/01/carissa-moore-caroline-marks-surfing/ "Carissa Moore, Caroline Marks qualify for U.S. Olympic surfing team"] NBC Sports. December 1, 2019.</ref> At the 2024 Summer Olympics, she won the gold medal in the women's shortboard event.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peter |first=Josh |title=Caroline Marks wins gold for US in surfing final nail-biter |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2024/08/05/caroline-marks-surfing-gold-olympics/74656506007/ |access-date=August 6, 2024 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref> Marks was inducted into the Surfers' Hall of Fame on August 1, 2025.<ref>{{cite web | last=Connelly | first=Laylan | title=Inductees Marks, Dunn and Servais cement their place in Surfers' Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach | website=Orange County Register | date=August 1, 2025 | url=https://www.ocregister.com/2025/08/01/inductees-marks-dunn-and-servais-cement-their-place-in-surfers-hall-of-fame-in-huntington-beach/ | access-date=August 2, 2025}}</ref>
== Early life == Marks' mother and grandmother were raised in Greece. Marks' mother later moved to the United States and gave birth to Marks in Florida.<ref>Lewitt, Theo (February 21, 2017). [https://www.redbull.com/us-en/caroline-marks-surfs-greece "Surf the Greek Isles With Caroline Marks"]. ''Red Bull''. Retrieved July 13, 2021.</ref> She is the third of six children.<ref name="Graham10Jul2021">Graham, Pat (July 10, 2021). [https://www.usnews.com/news/sports/articles/2021-07-10/high-water-marks-teen-surfer-rides-memorable-wave-to-tokyo "High-Water Marks: Teen Surfer Rides Memorable Wave to Tokyo"]. ''U.S. News & World Report''. Retrieved July 12, 2021.</ref> The house she grew up in had a large backyard with a motorbike-track, halfpipe, and a surf break across the street.<ref name="WSLpsMarks14Aug2019" /> She discovered her love of sports through barrel racing and began surfing competitively when she was 8 years old.<ref name="Yap24Jul2018">Yap, Audrey Cleo (July 24, 2018). [https://www.espn.com/espnw/life-style/story/_/id/24182570/teenage-professional-surfer-caroline-marks-comfortable-unconventional-life "Teenage professional surfer Caroline Marks comfortable with unconventional life"]. ''ESPN''. Retrieved August 14, 2018.</ref> Marks and her siblings have all supported and encouraged each other in their individual passions. When her older brother Zach was 12, he created the social media site Grom Social for kids, and Marks helped create images and characters for the site. She continues to post on the site as herself, updating users on her adventures and accomplishments. Likewise, her brother, other siblings and the rest of her family have been a constant presence at her competitions, cheering her on, giving her pointers and shouldering her when she takes home a win.<ref name="Yap24Jul2018"/><ref>Marks, Zach (March 19, 2018). [https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/311204 "How I Built a $100 Million Company by the Time I Was 17 Years Old"]. ''Entrepreneur''. Retrieved July 13, 2021.</ref><ref>[https://finance.yahoo.com/news/grom-social-ambassador-caroline-marks-110000117.html "Grom Social Ambassador Caroline Marks – The World's #1 Ranked Women's Surfer – To Be Featured In The All-New Grom App"]. ''Yahoo! Finance''. May 21, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2021.</ref> Marks attributes her success and how good she is to her brothers and her roots of trying to impress them when she was growing up.<ref name="Graham10Jul2021"/>
== Career == === 2018 === In 2018, her first year on tour, Marks had three third-place finishes in 10 events. She was named Rookie of the Year and finished the season ranked seventh in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.teamusa.org/News/2019/May/22/Only-17-Caroline-Marks-Is-Loving-The-Ride-To-Professional-Surfing-Success-And-Perhaps-The-Olympics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523035259/https://www.teamusa.org/News/2019/May/22/Only-17-Caroline-Marks-Is-Loving-The-Ride-To-Professional-Surfing-Success-And-Perhaps-The-Olympics |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 23, 2019 |title=Caroline Marks Is Loving The Ride To Professional Surfing Success And Perhaps The Olympics}}</ref>
=== 2019 === In April 2019, at the first event of the WSL Championship tour, Marks defeated then seven-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore at the Australian's home break of Duranbah, New South Wales in the quarter-finals of the Boost Mobile Pro Gold Coast. She then continued through the semi-finals, beating Malia Manuel. In the finals, she defeated three-time world champion Carissa Moore to claim her first WSL event title, beginning the 2019 season as the world's top-ranked female surfer.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://stabmag.com/news/how-to-nearly-combo-7x-world-champ-stephanie-gilmore-at-her-home-break-dbah-snapper-quik-pro-caroline-marks/ |title=How To (Nearly) Combo 7x World Champ Stephanie Gilmore At Her Home Break |date=June 4, 2019 |website=Stab Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/382280/post-show-marks-claims-first-win-ferreira-sweeps |title=Day 5 Post Show: Marks Claims First Win, Ferreira Sweeps |website=World Surf League |date=June 12, 2022}}</ref>
She is the first surfer to receive Team USA's Best of April Award, which recognizes the outstanding achievements of prospective Team USA Olympic athletes. "Caroline is one of those rare athletes that from when she was 12 years old it was obvious that she was going to be world champion," said USA Surfing head coach Chris Stone. "Not if, but when. To see what she's doing at 17 years old must be frightening to all her competitors. I can't wait to see what the future holds for her."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/caroline-marks-first-surfer-win-team-usa-award/51303 |title=Caroline Marks is First Surfer to Win Team USA Award |date=May 8, 2019 |website=Surfline |access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref>
==== 2019 World Championship Tour ==== In December 2019, she finished second on the WSL Championship tour to Carissa Moore.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.worldsurfleague.com/athletes/tour/wct |title=Women's Championship Tour Rankings |website=World Surf League |language=en |access-date=December 24, 2019}}</ref> By finishing second, Marks earned a spot on the team for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, along with Moore.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2019/12/01/carissa-moore-caroline-marks-surfing/ |title=Carissa Moore, Caroline Marks qualify for U.S. Olympic surfing team |last=OlympicTalk |date=December 2, 2019 |website=NBC Sports |language=en-US |access-date=December 24, 2019}}</ref>
=== 2021 === Marks tested positive for COVID-19 in advance of a World Surf League competition in Australia in early 2021 and later found out it was a false positive, which nullified her fears of not being able to compete.<ref name="Carroll13Apr2021">Carroll, Nick (April 13, 2021). [https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/going-vertical/117337 "Going Vertical: The women are owning it right now"]. ''Surfline''. Retrieved July 12, 2021.</ref><ref name="Ryan9Jul2021">Ryan, Maggie (July 9, 2021). [https://sports.yahoo.com/false-positives-historical-wins-finishing-162144693.html "False Positives, Historical Wins, and Finishing High School: Caroline Marks's Road to Tokyo"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712225924/https://sports.yahoo.com/false-positives-historical-wins-finishing-162144693.html |date=July 12, 2021 }}. ''Yahoo Sports''. Retrieved July 12, 2021.</ref>
==== 2020 Summer Olympics ==== {{see also|Surfing at the 2020 Summer Olympics}} Marks was the youngest surfer to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics postponed to July and August 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name="Bricker10Jul2021">Bricker, Tierney (July 10, 2021). [https://www.eonline.com/news/1287347/meet-the-6-surfers-set-to-make-waves-at-the-2020-olympics "Meet the 6 Surfers Set to Make Waves at the 2020 Olympics"]. ''E! Online''. Retrieved July 12, 2021.</ref>
In round one of shortboard competition, Marks scored a total of 13.40 points, won her heat, and advanced directly to round three of competition.<ref name="Gibbs25Jul2021">Gibbs, Simon (July 25, 2021). [https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/usa-duo-marks-and-moore-advance-round-3-womens-surfing-competition "USA duo Marks and Moore advance to Round 3 of women's surfing competition"]. ''NBC Olympics''. Retrieved July 25, 2021.</ref> In the third round of competition, a head-to head elimination round where two surfers competed in each heat and only the highest scoring surfer advanced to the quarterfinals, Marks won her heat against Mahina Maeda with a score of 15.33 and advanced to the quarterfinals of competition.<ref name="Lutz25Jul2021">Lutz, Tom (July 25, 2021). [https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2021/jul/25/olympics-2020-day-three-mens-triathlon-swimming-gymnastics-and-more-live "Olympics 2020 day three: Kristian Blummenfelt wins men's triathlon ahead of Alex Yee, swimming, gymnastics and more – live!"]. ''The Guardian''. Retrieved July 25, 2021.</ref><ref name="WRC25Jul2021">[https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/sports/tokyo-summer-olympics/caroline-marks-advances-to-surfing-quarterfinals/2742700/ "Caroline Marks Advances to Surfing Quarterfinals"]. ''WRC-TV''. July 25, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2021.</ref> Her score of 15.33 was the highest score of all the competitors, male or female, in the third round of competition for all surfing events at the 2020 Olympics.<ref name="KTVZ25Jul2021">[https://ktvz.com/sports/nbc-olympics/2021/07/25/caroline-marks-puts-up-highest-score-in-round-3/ "Caroline Marks puts up highest score in Round 3"]. ''KTVZ''. July 25, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2021.</ref><ref name="Walters26Jul2021">Walters, Tim (July 26, 2021). [https://www.floridatoday.com/story/sports/2021/07/26/caroline-marks-cruises-round-3-win-advance-olympic-surfing/8092291002/ "Caroline Marks easily wins Round 3 surfing heat to advance at Olympics"]. ''Florida Today''. Retrieved July 26, 2021.</ref>
In the quarterfinals, Marks won her head-to-head heat against Brisa Hennessy with a score of 12.50 points and qualified for the semi-finals.<ref name="Urban26Jul2021">Urban, Mychael (July 26, 2021). [https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/us-teen-caroline-marks-teammate-carissa-moore-surf-semis "U.S. teen Caroline Marks, teammate Carissa Moore surf into semis"]. ''NBC Olympics''. Retrieved July 26, 2021.</ref> Marks did not advance to the final heat after her semi-final match against Bianca Buitendag, and instead advanced to the heat determining the winner of the bronze medal.<ref name="Reuters26Jul2021">[https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/surfing-surfers-embrace-stormy-conditions-with-medals-up-grabs-2021-07-26/ "Surfing-Japan's Igarashi to take on Ferreira for first surfing gold"]. ''Reuters''. July 26, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021.</ref> In her final match against Amuro Tsuzuki, Tsuzuki won the bronze medal and Marks ended the competition ranked fourth overall.<ref name="FT27Jul2021">[https://www.floridatoday.com/story/sports/2021/07/27/caroline-marks-takes-fourth-misses-out-medal-olympic-surfing/5383149001/ "Melbourne Beach native, Olympic surfer Caroline Marks finishes fourth"]. ''Florida Today''. July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.</ref>
===2022=== In February 2022, Marks withdrew before the second event of the season and took time away from tour "to deal with some recurring medical and health issues." She missed half the season and did not qualify for the WSL Finals.<ref>https://stabmag.com/features/caroline-marks-wouldnt-change-a-thing/. June 9, 2022.</ref>
===2023===
===2024=== {{see also|Surfing at the 2024 Summer Olympics}} Won Gold during the 2024 Paris Olympics in Teahupo'o Reef Pass, Tahiti for Team USA.<ref>{{cite web |title=MARKS Caroline |url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/caroline-marks_1943206 |work=Paris 2024 Olympics |access-date=October 11, 2024}}</ref>
== Career victories == {| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;" |- bgcolor=skyblue | colspan=4; style="background: blue; color: white" align="center" | '''WSL Finals Wins''' |- bgcolor=#bdb76b !Year!!Event!!Venue!!Country |- | style=text-align:center| 2023 || Rip Curl WSL Finals || |Lower Trestles, California || {{USA}} |}
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;" |- bgcolor=skyblue | colspan=4; style="background: blue; color: white" align="center" | '''WCT Wins''' |- bgcolor=#bdb76b !Year!!Event!!Venue!!Country |- | style=text-align:center| 2025 || MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal || Supertubos, Peniche || {{POR}} |- | style="text-align:center" |2024 || Surf City El Salvador Pro || Punta Roca, La Libertad || {{flag|El Salvador}} |- | style="text-align:center" |2023 || SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro || Teahupo'o, Tahiti ||{{PYF}} |- | style="text-align:center" |2023 || Surf City El Salvador Pro || Punta Roca, La Libertad || {{flag|El Salvador}} |- |style=text-align:center|2021 |Rip Curl Narrabeen Classic presented by Corona |Narrabeen, New South Wales |{{flagicon|AUS}} Australia |- | style=text-align:center| 2019 || MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal || Supertubos, Peniche || {{POR}} |- | style="text-align:center" |2019 ||Boost Mobile Pro Gold Coast || Gold Coast, Queensland || {{flag|Australia}} |- | colspan="4;" style="background: blue; color: white" align="center" |'''WQS Wins''' |- bgcolor="#bdb76b" !Year!!Event!!Venue!!Country |- | style=text-align:center| 2022 || U.S. Air Force Super Girl Surf Pro || Jacksonville, Florida || {{USA}} |- | style=text-align:center| 2021 || Nissan Super Girl Surf Pro || Oceanside Pier, California || {{USA}} |- | style="text-align:center" |2019 |Florida Pro || Sebastian Inlet, Florida || {{flag|United States}} |- | style="text-align:center" |2018 |Ron Jon Florida Pro || Sebastian Inlet, Florida || {{flag|United States}} |- | style="text-align:center" |2018 |Los Cabos Open of Surf || Zippers, San Jose del Cabo ||{{Flag|Mexico}} |- | colspan=4; style="background: blue; color: white" align="center" | '''Juniors Wins''' |- bgcolor=#bdb76b !Year !width= 33.8% | Event !width= 33% | Venue !Country |- | style=text-align:center| 2016 || Vans US Open of Surfing (W JUN)|| |Huntington Beach, California || {{USA}} |- | style=text-align:center| 2015 || Junior Women's Vans US Open of Surfing|| |Huntington Beach, California || {{USA}} |- |}
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;" |- bgcolor=skyblue | colspan=4; style="background: blue; color: white" align="center" | '''Olympics''' |- bgcolor=#bdb76b !Year!!Event!!Venue!!Country |- | style="text-align:center" |2024 || Olympic Surfing Competition || Teahupo'o, Tahiti || {{flag|France}} |}
== Junior event wins == * 2015 US Open Jr. Champion * 2016 ISA Girls World Champion (U16) * 2016 US Open Jr. Champion<ref name="RJSS14Aug2019">{{Cite web |url=https://www.ronjonsurfshop.com/caroline-marks.aspx?ref=noredi |title=Caroline Marks Bio |website=Ron Jon Surf Shop |access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref>
== Open event wins ==
* 2015 Volcom World VQS Champion * 2x Open Women's NSSA Champion * 6x Surfing America Champion * 2x Open Girls NSSA Champion<ref name="RJSS14Aug2019"/>
== Personal life== Marks has a YouTube channel she started February 23, 2021, where she uploads videos related to her surfing.<ref name="MarksYTabout10Jul21">Marks, Caroline. [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXJ-vUiVMcO7uLfKYmS-7qg/about "Caroline Marks – About"]. ''YouTube''. Retrieved July 10, 2021.</ref> Her first video featured her surfing with Lakey Peterson.<ref name="Marks25Feb21">Marks, Caroline (February 25, 2021). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2_-8lpvPhc "PRACTICE HEATS AND FREE SURFS WITH LAKEY PETERSON"]. ''YouTube''. Retrieved July 10, 2021.</ref>
Marks is a feminist and an advocate for body image positivity in women aiming to reduce the sexualization of women's bodies when they are still going through puberty.<ref name="Azzi16Jun2021">Azzi, Alex (June 16, 2021). [https://onherturf.nbcsports.com/2021/06/16/how-surfer-caroline-marks-learned-to-love-her-body/ "How surfer Caroline Marks learned to love her body"]. ''NBC Sports''. Retrieved July 12, 2021.</ref><ref name="Gurry16Jun2021">Gurry, Lili (June 16, 2021). [https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/listen-podcast-surfing-caroline-marks-body-positivity "Podcast: U.S. surfer Caroline Marks advocates for body positivity"]. ''NBC Olympics''. Retrieved July 12, 2021.</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{WSL profile|4688<!-- caroline-marks -->}} * {{Team USA|new_id=caroline-marks-1190905|old_id=caroline-marks|sport=usa-surfing|archive=20210920193026}} * {{Olympics.com|caroline-marks}} * {{Olympedia}} * {{Instagram|caroline_markss}}
{{Olympic Champions Surfing Shortboard Women}} {{WSL CT Roster}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marks, Caroline}} Category:2002 births Category:Living people Category:American surfers Category:Sportspeople from Boca Raton, Florida Category:People from Melbourne Beach, Florida Category:Sportspeople from Brevard County, Florida Category:Surfers at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:American female surfers Category:Surfers at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:American people of Greek descent Category:Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in surfing Category:American feminists Category:21st-century American sportswomen