The San Clemente home of Caroline Marks is a trophy case.
As a wooden sculpture trophy from a competition in Tahiti stands on her mantle, a bedazzled surfboard she received for winning second place at the Hurley Pro competition at Sunset Beach is standing tall in one corner of her home.
And on her dining table is the 75-pound trophy she brought home last summer.
“I just eat dinner and look at it,” Marks said.
The world champion is taking none of the memorabilium for granted as she grew up dreaming of winning awards, medals and trophies in surfing.
Being number one is not anything new to Marks. She won 17 national titles by the age of 15.
What’s missing from the menagerie is an Olympic medal.
“I got fourth,” Marks described what happened in the Tokyo Olympics. “People say it’s one of the worst results to get because you just missed out from the medal, which kind of sucks.”
But the 22-year-old still said surfing in the Tokyo Olympics was one of the best experiences of her life.
Maybe in French Polynesia for the 2024 Paris Olympics, she’ll have an even better experience, especially after winning a competition in Tahiti last year.
“Chopes is very powerful. It’s easy to break boards,” Marks explained.
Chopes or Chopoo, a nickname for the South Pacific’s famous monster waves, can be intimidating, she said.
“Chopoo has so many different faces, and it’s such an incredible wave. It’s also a really scary wave,” Marks described. “You really have to choose the right waves.”
Her coach Mike Parsons agreed the waves in Chopoo has all the makings of an incredible competition.
“It has a chance to set the Olympics on fire,” he said. “If we have a great swell there, it’s a big day.”
Another motivating factor for Marks’ second Olympics appearance: Her family will be able to watch her compete.
“My parents could be like, ‘Oh, we watched our daughter in the Olympics,” which is super cool.”
