Olympians: Four Fierce Female Surfers to Watch in the Tokyo Olympic Games

This year, during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will be the first time surfers compete in the worldwide games. In August of 2016, after the past summer Olympic games, the international Olympic Committee added surfing as a sport. Surfers will compete at Tsurigaski Beach on the Japanese coastline of the Chiba Province. A total of 40 surfers — 20 male and 20 female — will compete on a five-point judging system that evaluates commitment and difficulty; innovation and progression; variety; combination; and speed, power, and flow. Though it is the first time that surfers will compete in the Olympics, many badass female surfers have already demonstrated their talent on the international scale. Here are a few to look out for during these Olympic games.

Caroline Marks | Team USA

American surfer Caroline Marks began to make her mark at a young age. Back in 2016, Marks won a gold medal in the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships: Girls Under 16 Division. In 2018, at just 15 years old, she became the youngest surfer to qualify for the World League Championship Tour. This year, Marks has been named the WSL Rookie of the Year and is ranked at number two in the world.

**Carissa Moore | Team USA**

Carissa Moore is the top surfer to watch out for in this year’s summer Olympic games. She has made a name for herself on the global stage already — currently ranking at number one in the world. She became the first person to win a Surfing World title in 2011 at age 18. To add on to her already impressive accomplishments, she’s clinched a total of 11 National Scholastic Surfing Association amateur titles. Moore has also made history by breaking the glass ceiling at the Triple Crown of Surfing, a traditionally male-dominated competition.
Photo Credit: Glamour

Stephanie Gilmore | Team Australia

Team Australia’s Stephanie Gilmore is known for her smile, positivity, and impressive surfing skills. Gilmore is currently ranked number five in the world and is a seven-time world champion on the Women’s WSL World Tour. In 2018, she also won the surfing World Title and is tied for having the most women’s World Titles in history. Outside of surfing, Gilmore is passionate about equal pay and advocated for the WSL to commit to equal prize money for male and female surfers in 2018.

Sally FitzGibbOns | Team AUstralia

Also from team Australia, Sally Fitzgibbons became a fierce competitor at a young age. At 14, Fitzgibbons became the youngest surfer to win an Association of Surfing Professional Pro Junior event. At 15, she won the International Surfing Association Under 18 World title. Fitzgibbons is the youngest woman to achieve the qualifying series championship. She is ranked number three in the world as she enters the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games.
Photo Credit: Getty Images

Meera DahiyaJuly 22, 2021