Oceanside, CA–The Nissan Super Girl Surf Pro wrapped its 15th annual three-day festival event at Oceanside Pier on Sunday, crowing Team USA Olympian Caroline Marks with the coveted Super Girl cape – a tutle the 19-year-old phenom has been chasing since her first appearance in 2014.
Marks came close several times, making it to the Semifinals in 2017 and 2019 and finishing as runner-up in 2018. She battled Hometown Hero, 16-year-old Caitlin Simmers, to victory with an incredible air reverse, sparking what the judges called “fireworks in the ocean.”
“It feels so good,” exclaimed Marks. “It was such a fun Final! I did the air reverse for the win, which was really special. It’s something I’ve been working on and I’m really stoked to pull it off. My goal, just in general, is to push the progression of women’s surfing, and everyone’s been surfing so good. It feels really great to come out on top and finally get the Super Girl cape.”
Oceanside’s Caitlin Simmers was just shy of clinching her second Super Girl win, taking the cape last year alongside Lakey Peterson in a specialty event with a team format. “It feels really good to make another finals day but I wished I would’ve won,” said Simmers. “I would not have wanted to lose to anyone else but Caroline (Marks). She does the sickest airs.”
Sunday’s contest also featured world-class pro surfers Tatiana Weston-Webb, Coco Ho, Macy Callaghan, and The Ultimate Surfer’s Tia Blanco, coming up short to the next generation of talent, including Encinitas local, Alyssa Spencer, who made it to the semifinals against Marks by knocking off #2 ranked Weston-Webb.
Super Girl’s new Longboarding Competition also debuted Sunday on the north side of the pier, showcasing the skills of 2x World Longboard Champion, Honolua Blomfield; 2018 WSL World Champion, Soleil Errico; and many others in a star-studded field. Hawaii’s Kirra Seale took home the win and also the first Super Girl cape for the Longboarding division.
Bethany Hamilton also made an appearance Sunday after being eliminated in yesterday’s contest to support and commentate on the Adaptive Exhibition, featuring Saturday’s competitive winners Alana Nichols (Prone Division) and Faith Lennox (Stand Division) alongside athletes Jimena Ruiz Rojas, Victoria Feige, Quinn Whitely, Ling Pai and Darian Haynes.
“Women’s adaptive surfing is rising,” said Vancouver’s Victoria Feige, an adaptive surfer in the Kneel Division. “We’re slowing moving towards the Paralympics, but we want to showcase what we can do on the waves and inspire more girls like us to get involved. I never thought I’d be good enough to surf in a competition like this and now I have two world championships. Surfing is really for anyone.”
Female empowerment is always the theme at the Super Girl festivities. Sunday’s event included an inspiring leadership panel with Dr. Jen Welter, the first female coach in NFL History; Major Lauren Olme, an F16 Fighter Pilot and one of the first women to fly the B-1 bomber; Lisa Marie Ferrell, Lenovo’s Head of Communications; and Allyson Witherspoon, CMO of Nissan USA, along with the Super Girl Gamer Pro in the Lenovo Legion Esports Arena hosting a Women’s Valorant Tournament.
The Nissan Concert Series rocked over 20 free performances throughout the weekend from Sofia Carson, Plain White T’s, Maggie Lindemann, Kira Kosarin, Austin Mahone and many more.
The event is proud to be supported by Nissan, in conjunction with the California Nissan Dealers, the U.S. Air Force, Jolyn, Paul Mitchell, Legion by Lenovo, Celsius, Venus, White Claw, the U.S. Marines, the Mission Pacific Hotel, Locals Only Vodka, Frontwave Credit Union and Visit Oceanside.
Nissan Super Girl Surf Pro Final Results:
1 – Caroline Marks (USA) 14.83 3,000 points
2 – Caitlin Simmers (USA) 14.27 2,400 points
Nissan Super Girl Surf Pro Semifinal Results:
SF 1: Caitlin Simmers (USA) 14.97 DEF. Keely Andrew (AUS) 11.17
SF 2: Caroline Marks (USA) 14.76 DEF. Alyssa Spencer (USA) 12.73
Nissan Super Girl Surf Pro Quarterfinal Results:
QF 1: Keely Andrew (AUS) 14.43 DEF. Sawyer Lindblad (USA) 10.00
QF 2: Caitlin Simmers (USA) 15.50 DEF. Vaihitimahana Inso (HAW) 11.70
QF 3: Alyssa Spencer (USA) 11.00 DEF. Chelsea Tuach (BRB) 10.50
QF 4: Caroline Marks (USA) 14.20 DEF. Meah Collins (USA) 10.73
Nissan Super Girl Surf Pro Round 4 Results:
Heat 1: Sawyer Lindblad (USA) 11.27 DEF. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 9.94
Heat 2: Keely Andrew (AUS) 13.50 DEF. Macy Callaghan (AUS) 6.67
Heat 3: Vaihitimahana Inso (HAW) 12.27 DEF. Coco Ho (HAW) 11.43
Heat 4: Caitlin Simmers (USA) 14.86 DEF. Vahine Fierro (FRA) 12.50
Heat 5: Chelsea Tuach (BRB) 10.20 DEF. Sarah Baum (ZAF) 5.30
Heat 6: Alyssa Spencer (USA) 15.00 DEF. Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 10.24
Heat 7: Meah Collins (USA) 12.17 DEF. Molly Picklum (AUS) 7.90
Heat 8: Caroline Marks (USA) 13.34 DEF. Tia Blanco (USA) 8.57
Longboard Competition Results:
1 – Kiera Seale
2 – Summer Romero
3 – Avalon Gall
3- Summer Richley
Adaptive Surfing Results:
Prone Division 1 – Alana Nichols, 2 – Isabella Dessenp
Stand Division 1 – Faith Lennox, 2 – Jimena Ruiz Rojas
Super Girl Gamer Collegiate Valorant Tournament Winner: Cal Poly Pomona
