Caity Simmers & The Cigarette Surfboard

Directed, Filmed & Edited by Ben Judkins
Additional Footage by Blake Michel and Ryan Johnson
Music by Tommy Guerrero and Oracle Sisters

“They just flicked it thinking it won’t make a difference… But then if everyone’s thinking that, it’s gonna make a difference.” Caity Simmers, on how all our small actions add up, for better or for worse.

I met up with Caity 3 years ago to the day — 9/13/21. I’ve never seen anyone look so immediately natural on a Ciggy Board — right away she was slidin’ and glidin’, working with the board instead of against it, and making the most of the waves we had. Her transition period onto a Ciggy Board was pretty much nonexistent. I was blown away by her skill and her style, all while riding a board quite a bit bigger / heavier than she was used to (a Seaside Ciggy quad shaped by Rob Machado, built to be ridden by someone more or less the size of Rob).

I also loved witnessing the sibling camaraderie, encapsulated by Caity and brother Timo weaving through waves together on two Ciggy Boards (Timo on the Marc Andreini Ciggy Mid Length). Out of the water, Caity was incredibly kind, full of positive energy and surf stoke, and impressively well spoken. In our interview, we touched on everything from surfing (duh) to ciggy butts (duh) to the importance of environmental education. All around, it was an awesome interview — she nailed it. And she was only 15.

Flash forward 3 years, and she’s crowned WSL Women’s World Champion. Congrats, Caity!

And 3 years later, this unreleased edit — that’s been patiently sitting on a hard drive — finally sees the light of day. Big thanks to Mike Heffernan for being the best PA ever, cheers to Blake Michel and Ryan Johnson for filming with me, and a special shout out to Mike Ciaramella for helping connect the dots.