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Olympian Caroline Marks, surf champion Tomson and Surfrider to receive SIMA honors

March 11, 2025

Caroline Marks has earned a world title and an Olympic gold medal — and now she will be honored as “Waterperson of the Year.”

The Surf Industry Members Association recently announced the honor for the San Clemente-based surfer, as well as a Lifetime Achievement award for ’70s surf champion Shaun Tomson and Environmentalist of the Year honors for nonprofit Surfrider Foundation.

The industry association will hand out the awards at this year’s Waterman’s Ball, which will return to The Ranch in Laguna Beach in June after being held the last few years in Huntington Beach. The change in dates and location aligns for when the world’s best surfers are in town for a World Surf League event, the Lexus Trestles Pro, to be held just south of San Clemente at Lower Trestles.

The Waterman’s Ball is not just a celebration of surfing, but a powerful reminder of the “responsibility we all share in protecting the oceans and the sport we love,” said SIMA Executive Director Vipe Desai.

“This year’s event is a testament to the surf industry’s dedication to preserving our environment for future generations,” he said. “We’re excited to honor those who have made a lasting impact on both surfing and ocean conservation, and we look forward to another unforgettable evening of unity, inspiration, and action.”

The Waterman’s Ball started in the late ’90s, a way for the surf industry to gather to raise funds for organizations benefiting ocean health and the environment. Through the years, more than $10 million in grant funds have been given to groups such as the Ocean Institute, Surfrider Foundation, Heal the Bay, WildCoast and Save The Waves Coalition, said Desai.

Marks’ honor comes following several stand-out years, with a world championship in 2023 and Olympic gold last year. It was her second Olympic appearance, the Florida-born surfer also competed at the first-ever event for Team USA in Japan in 2021.

San Clemente's Caroline Marks, who earned a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Teahupo'o, Tahiti in 2024, has been named this year's SIMA Waterperson of the Year. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) — San Clemente’s Caroline Marks, who earned a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Teahupo’o, Tahiti in 2024, has been named this year’s SIMA Waterperson of the Year. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

“Talk about an incredible story,” Desai said. “She is surfing’s Wonder Woman. We are just incredibly proud of her as an industry, but also what she’s doing for women’s surfing. She’s continuing to elevate the sport on a global scale. What an incredible couple of years for her.”

Tomson’s award isn’t just for his competitive legacy from the ’70s era, but also for his work that continues to this day as an entrepreneur, environmentalist and motivational speaker. The renowned author not only works with large corporations, but also travels to schools across the country to share messages of positivity.

Tomson in 2002 earned the SIMA Environmentalist of the Year. He was Surfrider’s first pro surfer spokesperson when the organization formed near Malibu, helping the nonprofit grow in the early years.

“It says a lot about what he’s accomplished, but also more importantly what’s given back and what he continues to do,” Desai said. “He’s such a good voice and ambassador and a spokesperson and advocate.”

Desai said Tomson embodies the “aloha spirit” of Duke Kahanamoku, considered the grandfather of modern-day surfing.

South African surfer Shaun Tomson, who lives in Santa Barbara, at the Waterman's Ball in Laguna Beach in 2016. He will be awarded the SIMA Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's event in Laguna Beach. (File photo by Paul Rodriguez/SCNG) — South African surfer Shaun Tomson, who lives in Santa Barbara, at the Waterman’s Ball in Laguna Beach in 2016. He will be awarded the SIMA Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s event in Laguna Beach. (File photo by Paul Rodriguez/SCNG)

“He is such an advocate for our sport,” Desai said.

Tomson wrote the book “Surfer’s Code,” which compares life to surfing and the lessons learned along the way, and for years has done motivational speaking tours at businesses and schools centered around the book and others he has written, all aimed at inspiring others.

Surfrider Foundation is often on the list of recipients that benefit from the Waterman’s Ball, but this year the nonprofit will take center stage as an honoree “for its four-decade-long commitment to protecting coastlines and surf breaks.”

San Clemente-based Surfrider Foundation is named this year's SIMA Environmentalist of the Year. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) — San Clemente-based Surfrider Foundation is named this year’s SIMA Environmentalist of the Year. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Last year, the foundation marked its 40th anniversary, a major milestone that made the timing just right to officially recognize its work, Desai said.

“You look at their victories around the world, their advocacy, the grassroots movement — they’ve literally been on the front line to protect our industry,” he said. “Without a healthy ocean, the surf industry can not exist. Surfrider has been doing this important work on the front lines.”

The Waterman’s Ball happens June 13 at The Ranch in Laguna Beach. For more information, visit watermansweekend.org.

Olympian Caroline Marks, surf champion Tomson and Surfrider to receive SIMA honors Orange County Register

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Olympian Caroline Marks, surf champion Tomson and Surfrider to receive SIMA honors

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