With the Paris 2024 Olympics right around the corner, it’s safe to say that everyone is getting excited for the upcoming events and celebrations. As part of this, for fans of surfing, the upcoming Olympic surfing competitions are set to be one of the biggest draws of the entire event.
However, knowing what’s to come can really increase the excitement for things overall, and we’ve introduced some of the main women surfers attending the Paris 2024 Olympics to watch for this year.
How Many People Are Competing in the Paris 2024 Olympic Surfing?
Before we begin looking at some of the best women surfers to be watching this year, it’s well worth considering how big the competition is likely to be for 2024 anyway.
The events will take place over four days in a 10-day window, from 27 July to 5 August with an estimated 48 surfers (with 24 of these being in the female category) are anticipated to be competing in the Paris 2024 Olympics, which is eight more people than were entered for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
Naturally, as the host of the games, France is already entitled to one spot for both male and female surfers.
Four Women Surfers to Watch For This Year
With 24 places open for female competitors in Olympic surfing this year, the competition is set to be hot - but there are a few key names that we’re particularly looking forward to seeing.
Of these, four women stand out in particular as some of the most experienced surfers at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and these include the following big names. These include Carrisa Moore, Caroline Marks, Caitlin Summers, and Bethany Hamilton.
Carissa Moore - Hawaii
When it comes to women surfers, perhaps the best-known name has to be the incredible Carissa Moore from Hawaii. This hugely reputed surfer was born in 1992 and has achieved FIVE World Surf League Championships!
Even more notably, the Paris 2024 Olympics are set to be the end of her long standing and successful surfing career, meaning that she’ll likely be planning on going out with a bang for this all-important event. What better way to round off a career than by (hopefully) coming home with Olympic medals?
Of course, it’s not just her performance while riding the waves that has made Moore an incredibly popular and adored international surfer, but also her charming smile and kind demeanor.
As a result, many people are keeping Carissa Moore in their hearts as one of the most popular hopefuls for the Paris 2024 Olympic surfing events, and whatever happens, she’ll definitely go down in surfing history.
Caroline Marks - USA
Coming from Florida, Caroline Marks is widely reputed for her incredible surfing skills and experience. After all, as the youngest surfer to ever qualify for the World Surf League’s Championship Tour, she’s definitely made her mark on the sport already - and people are undoubtedly expecting even higher things from her now at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Even in her very first season, she came seventh at the very highest level of surfing, and Marks has only continued to hone her style and skill since then. She also won the Boost Mobile Pro Gold Coast in 2019 and finished as a runner-up at the MEO Rip Curl Pro in Portugal. If that’s not an impressive career, nothing is - and it will be interesting to see if Marks can achieve even greater results on such a massive international stage as Paris. Definitely one of the best surfers to watch this year!
Caitlin Simmers - USA
Another USA Olympic surfing hopeful, Caitlin Simmers, might be one of the youngest competitors at the games, being born in 2005. However, despite her career barely having gotten off the ground, it’s safe to say she’s already made waves in the surfing world - and this new venture into Olympic surfing could also prove incredibly lucrative for the talented surfer.
Notably, Simmers credits a lot of her early inspiration to growing up in the digital era, being able to watch her inspirations compete on the computer and the TV - and she’s definitely looking to use this event as an opportunity to grow in the world of professional surfing.
She even won the US Open in 2021 and was offered a place on the 2022 Championship Tour! So, it’s safe to say she’s got the talent, and we’ll all be watching with bated breath to see how she fares.
Bethany Hamilton - Hawaii
Another Hawaii star, Bethany Hamilton is one of the older competitors in this list - but that certainly doesn’t rule her out as one of the most astounding women surfers to watch for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Indeed, this incredibly talented surfer has had a career marked by success at every stage.
This is even more impressive and inspiring when we consider that Hamilton lost her arm in a tiger shark attack at just 13 years of age - and yet, despite this, she still went on to become one of the most celebrated women surfers of recent times. If that’s not a story to hold onto when things feel tough, I don’t know what is.
We’ll definitely be watching her with a great deal of interest and wish her all the best; still, there’s no doubt that she has already inspired a whole new generation of surfers with her bravery and commitment to achieving her dreams, no matter what life throws at her. What a woman!
Final Thoughts
If you have been planning to watch the Olympic surfing this year at the Paris 2024 Olympics, it’s important to make sure you know who’s competing - and today, we’ve summarized some of the hottest hopefuls of the year.
Have you got a favorite for the Paris 2024 Olympics? Let us know who you’re rooting for - but remember, no matter what happens, it’s the camaraderie and collaboration between competitors from many walks of life that counts most.