One role of the artist has always been to reveal something otherwise unseen or unfelt, thereby opening our minds to new possibilities and nuances of emotion. This is exactly what Caity Simmers does when she skips down the line; board beneath her wiry frame, blue-water canvas out front and a whole chocolate box of manoeuvres at her disposal. Everything’s happening so fast but somehow Caity can slow it all down in her mind. Even though we’ve observed and ridden thousands of waves before, we just don’t see what’s coming next. Caity picks a line that seems like it was ripped from a different universe, and we watch on fixated as she takes us there with her, to that other place, for a fleeting moment in time.

Of course, this kind of surfing artistry is partly the outward manifestation of whatever Caity is feeling at that time. You could break it down in the dry jargon of biomechanics  – ‘dipped shoulder, heel pressure on board’s inside rail, followed by half-head rotation and shift of weight to back foot’ – but you could also go looking deeper for the forces which shape Caity’s surfing and give it that ethereal quality.

In an attempt to unravel the riddle of Caity Simmers we asked her a lot of questions. She answered a few. Like her surfing, the results were pleasantly surprising.

Is it important to find a balance between critiquing your own surfing and just enjoying it and staying positive about it? Do you watch footage of your own surfing to help improve on it?

I feel like all three above questions go together. I don’t think you have to choose between criticising yourself and enjoying surfing. I just enjoy moving towards a place in ...