SA Man of the Week: Jordy Smith

An SA man who hangs his country’s flag proudly upon achieving, stirs patriotism, pride and emotion in the hearts of all its people. Jordy Smith, the 23 year old surfer that has taken the win of the 2011 Billabong Pro Jeffery’s Bay is such a man and our Man of the Week.

The moment of greatness
On Sunday, Jordy was draped proudly in the green, gold, black and red when he took out the 2011 Billabong Pro Jeffery’s Bay in a hard fought final from Mick Fanning (Australia). The No 4 of the 11 events on the 2001 ASP World title Season, ended in a dramatic fashion with challenging weather conditions, three to four foot (1 to 1.5 metre) surf and the world’s best surfers ready to battle it out.

Smith continuously scored throughout his quarter-final, semi-final and final heats, but it’s the Durbanite’s local knowledge that gave him that extra edge helping him select the best waves in the final to overtake Fanning. This win bumps Jordy from 5th to 2nd on the ASP World Title rankings, the young South African is now firmly in the hunt of the number one spot and the confidence attained today will propel him through the rest of the tour.

“It’s been an incredible week for me," said Jordy on winning “All the support of the people at Jeffreys Bay, Garth (Tarlow), Steve (Smith), my girlfriend Lyndall (Jarvis), my mom and dad and everyone else. It’s been a really special week for me and I’m so happy right now.”

How he surfed before walking
At the young age of three, Jordy was already becoming accustomed to surfing, his father a shaper and a surfer himself, drove his son to local beaches and began pushing him into the waves. New Pier, a surfing haunt in Durban groomed him into a surfer that he is; it taught him how to excel in both small and large hollow surf. By the age of sixteen, Jordy rejected any other sports he excelled at, both soccer and tennis, by then he knew for sure that surfing was his calling.

Making it pro
His family has always been at the foothold of his success, his father’s constant guidance and support; he always is accompanied on tour by his family. So when pressure mounts for him to succeed, as it did after he won the ASP World Juniors Championship in 2006, the Triple Crown Rookie of the Year Award in 2007 and landed the World Championship Tour in 2008, with the support of his family Jordy always remains level headed. Before officially joining the WCT, Jordy earned a wildcard spot on the Billabong Pro-tour in J-bay, finishing it off at a coveted 3rd place.

As all Legends do
Jordy’s approach to championships with full dedication and a focused manner has led him to be compared to surfing legends like Kelly Slater and Mark Anderson. What sets Jordy a cut above the rest is his innovativeness; landing manoeuvres such as the Rodeo Flip, which some have called the most awe-inspiring manoeuvre to date. Known for tricky moves like a full rotation, Alley-oops, Jordy was awarded the Best Manoeuvre Award at the Surfer Poll in 2010.

His constant performance and innovation make for compelling viewing. Jordy has proven he is a force to be reckoned with and the future of world championship surfing. His consistent performance has earned him the number two top spot in the world and he is in a prime position to become world champion. So when he sets sails for the next leg of the WCT, the Billabong Pro Tahiti, Jordy knows all of South Africa’s eyes and hopes are on him to bring home that number one victory.  

Written by Janice Matthews for SA Men Online