“I Did Whatever I Wanted:” Caity Simmers’ On The Offseason That Changed Everything

A cut off Black Sabbath’s 1971 album, Master of Reality, “‘Sweet Leaf’ might be my pre-heat song,” admits Caity Simmers.

With an extended Championship Tour offseason, it’s been more than six months since the 2024 world champ pulled on a jersey. And after a quick chat the other day, it's apparent that her approach, attitude, and perspective are exactly what surfing needs right now. She's a breath of fresh, youthful air in a scene stagnating on corporate takeovers and social media stardom. She's a surfer's surfer, and that's why the world loves her.

“I just kind of did whatever the heck I wanted,” Simmers told SURFER in an exclusive interview. “It was new to have that much freedom. Part of it was scary, and part of it was really nice.”

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Over the fall and winter months, Oceanside’s 20-year-old reluctant hero opted to drop off the radar entirely. She went camping, spending time in the mountains around Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. She traded her thruster for bodysurfing, longboarding, and what she calls “little funky boards.” For Simmers, the break hasn't been about progression in the conventional sense. It’s been about evolving perspective and experiences.

“Just distancing myself from everything I had been kind of consumed by… having to be in certain places at certain times, it adds up,” she explained. “Going somewhere like Yosemite, you’re reminded of who you are. That was pretty healing.”

The healing process bled directly into Simmers’ surfing. She’s used the away time to explore, in the words of George Greenough, the innermost limits of pure fun. For a minute, she even put the performance shortboard aside for the sake of drawing new lines. 

“I feel like I’ve been learning so much about surfboards,” she says. “It’s like a different language. Bodysurfing, riding longboards, different ways of riding waves, it makes it all more exciting. I think it improves my surfing, or at least it makes me happier.”

That last distinction matters. For Simmers, happiness and performance aren’t necessarily directly linked, but they’re not unrelated either. As she gears up for the 2026 Championship Tour, her preparation hasn’t followed a rigid program. There was no dramatic ramp-up, no hyper-structured training regimen. Instead, she surfed consistently, listened to her body, and then, perhaps most importantly, she shut it down.

“A couple of weeks before, I was just sleeping a lot,” Simmers says. “I think my body knew I needed it. Now I feel great. I feel ready.”

On tour for four years now, winning a world title along the way, that would typically make her a veteran, but this year’s different. Legends Carissa Moore and Stephanie Gilmore are returning to the arena. A more frothy, outspoken competitor may relish the opportunity to smash the greats of yesteryear, but Simmers is a soft-spoken student of the game. 

“I’m excited to watch Steph and Carissa surf,” she says. “To be an observer of the year as well as someone who’s part of it.”

“There are those super young girls too… doing crazy reverses and being super precise and consistent,” she adds. “It’s going to be fun to watch.”

That mix, icons, peers, and prodigies, creates one of the most dynamic competitive landscapes women’s surfing has ever seen. And Simmers seems uniquely positioned within it: grounded enough to appreciate the moment, talented enough to shape it. As the 2026 season looms, she isn’t chasing a specific outcome (of if she is she’s being coy about it). She’s chasing something much deeper—meaning.

“I want to enjoy it,” she says. “Just experience it with the people around me.”

Simple, maybe. But in a sport, and a life, that moves as fast as hers, it’s a radical approach.