Two Olympic surfers from San Clemente departed for the Paris Olympics full of Southern California pride on Thursday night, but not before receiving a surprise sendoff from friends and family.
Twenty-five-year-old Griffin Colapinto and 22-year-old Caroline Marks were headed to a family dinner, getting ready to represent the U.S. in the Olympics, when they were surprised by loved ones who would be joining them for the evening.
As the pair entered H.H. Cotton's restaurant in San Clemente, they were greeted by loved ones wishing them good luck on their journey. They were honored with leis and showered with praise.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
A couple of hours later, the two surfers headed off to LAX to fly to Tahiti, where the surfing portion of the Paris Olympic Games will be hosted. The Tahiti waves are known to be more shallow and dangerous than typical Olympic waves.
“I feel like I've been creating a ball of luck my whole life and now it's time to use that thing,” Colapinto said.
Colapinto, born and raised in San Clemente, is a first-time Olympian who has been surfing in SoCal since 2011. He is currently ranked second in the Men’s World Surf League.
Marks is a returning Olympian, having placed fourth in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as only one of two women on the U.S. Surfing Team. The Florida-born surfer moved to San Clemente over a decade ago. She ranks second in the Women’s World Surf League, and third overall.
“To feel all the support here is so amazing,” Marks said. “I'll do my best to bring home the gold. Let's go, USA!”
Colapinto and Marks will begin competing on July 27.
