Surfing
Surfing
Who is Jordy Smith
An insight to South Africa's biggest surfing export.
Jordy Smith established himself as one of the world’s best up-and-coming surfers in 2003 when he won the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Championships. In 2006 the regular-footer (surfs with his left foot forward) was crowned ASP World Junior Champion and ISA World Champion. Then in 2007 – aged just 19 – he won the WQS (World Qualifying Series) to qualify for what was then elite ASP World Tour and is today known as the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT).
Smith finished runner-up in his first year on the ASP World Tour in 2010 after winning the Billabong Pro at his beloved J-Bay. He won at J-Bay again in 2011 and moved to the top of the rankings, setting up what many thought would be his World Title year. Unfortunately a rib injury sustained at Teahupoʻo put an end to his campaign that year.
In 2012 he released his biopic Bending Colours (from the studios of Kai Neville) which went on to earn a 2012 Surfer Poll ‘Movie of the Year’ nomination and no doubt adorns the collections of thousands of aspiring grommets around the world.
36 min
Bending Colours
Travel the globe with Jordy Smith and filmmaker Kai Neville and discover a stylish portrait of the surf pro.
Fast Facts
- Shares a birthday with Kelly Slater
- Dad Graham is a surfboard shaper nicknamed 'Gee Force'
- S.L. Benfica is his favourite football club
- Enjoys the odd glass of red wine
Smith carved into 2013 with a free-surfing trip to tropical Mozambique and it set him up for a huge year – he won the Billabong Pro in Rio, claimed gold at the X-Games and finished runner at the Mr Price Pro in Durban. Outside of the contest arena Smith solidified his standing as one of the most innovative surfers in the world with the release of 'Now Now' which became a YouTube sensation.
2014 saw the dynamic regular-footer win the Hurley Pro at Trestles in the USA, finish third at the Quiksilver Pro, France and second at the Moche Rip Curl Pro, Portugal. The 2014 season didn’t end on quite the high Smith was lining up for with his mid-year run, when a shoulder injury in round two of the Pipe Masters against Dusty Payne ended his season.
It setup a 2015 where the 28-year-old Durbanite spent more time out of the water than in, and being unable to compete on the World Surfing League’s elite Championship Tour.
He bounced back in 2016 however. After a slow start to the year he kick-started his campaign by winning his second Hurley Pro at Trestles and made a charge through the second half of the season to finish second overall on the World Rankings for the second time.
Smith turned in another Top 5 finish in 2017, this after claiming the iconic Bell's Beach title in April.
2018 was an up-and-down season for the man, yet a string of third-place finishes, including a very impressive run at the season-ending Billabong Pipe Masters, saw him finish in fifth once-again.
He came out blazing in 2019, riding boards shaped by his dad under the label they co-own, SMTH Shapes. He was consistent throughout the year with two runner up spots and three 3rd place finishes which saw him finish third overall on the Jeep Leaderboard of the World Surf League (WSL), Championship Tour (CT).
When not globe trotting or at home braving the cold Atlantic Ocean off Cape Town (which he has grown to love), he splits his time between San Clemente and Hawaii.
