Jordy Smith looks to build on strong start to 2019 at Rip Curl Pro Bells beach

THE 2017 Bells Beach Rip Curl Pro winner is hoping to repeat the dose this year and build on his best start to the event season in his more than 10 years on the World Surf League (WSL) tour.

Jordy Smith finished third at the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast earlier this month, putting him in a good position as he chases a world title that many think he deserves based on his talent, but that has so far eluded him.

The South African had cause to be pleased with the Quiksilver Pro result, but perhaps in a sign of what’s to come for him this year, he showed some regret at not having made the final.

However, he said it’s not necessarily how you start the year that matters, it’s how you finish, as Gabriel Medina showed in 2018 on his way to the world title.

“He only started (his run) at like Tahiti, you know, which is late, late, late, you know, like Surf Ranch, Tahiti, that’s basically where he kicked it off. Got one, two there. I think he like quartered or semied in France, boom, and then he was into the final in I think Portugal or somewhere around there and, bang, final at Pipe. These guys they make runs for it whenever they can. You know, everyone’s just one little turn away from being on a roll.”

While the Gold Coast was a good start, Bells is a homecoming for Jordy in a roundabout way, or at least he feels at home at Bells. In addition to his win in 2017, he’s recorded a number of high-placed finishes at the event, including a second in 2016.

“It’s not really similar to J-Bay (Jeffreys Bay, the famous South African point break with which Jordy is synonymous) in a wave sense, but more just in a place sense its very similar,” Jordy said.

“At Bells, I like maybe just the water – the kind of texture and the colour and the surroundings; everything is kind of very similar to J-Bay, so it kind of gives me this relaxed sort of feel to it, which is really nice.”

Relaxation and competition aren’t necessarily concepts that go hand in hand, but Jordy embodies the laidback spirit that comes from being constantly in the ocean – an environment so vast, chaotic and god-like that often all you can do is submit to its mystery.

The forecast for the start of the competition window (which is open until April 27) is mixed but waiting for the Rip Curl Pro to get under way doesn’t bother Jordy.

“This whole tour is built around ‘hurry up and wait’.

“So I just kind of take every day as it is.

“You’ve also got to remember that you are travelling this beautiful world and you are in a kind of super cool part of the country, so take advantage of that when you can.

“Some people are, you know, super energetic and need to do something every single day, whereas I can kind of kickback for a day no problem.

“In your mind, though, you have that switch that’s really just hovering to go into competition mode.”

More from Jordy

On finishing third at Pipe last year

“I felt comfortable out there. You know that wave is just really a wave you have to surf it non-stop like all the time to really get experience and then to get confidence out there.”

Competing there against Kelly Slater, John John Florence and Gabriel Medina

“They’re incredible out there.

“Yeah those guys are so good. I mean one of them is the greatest of all time (Slater). The other one’s a freak who grew up on the sand there (Florence), and then Medina is just, you know, a competition machine. And so yeah I mean you’ve got to compete with those guys. I mean you need to put in time, you’ve got to do something.”

Approach to this year

“I think the whole thing is to really just make the most out of every single opportunity that you get and just leave nothing on the table and you get to the end of the year and you’re just like: “Well that was it”, you know. I don’t care if I win lose or draw, whatever. If you just put everything in and you come out fifth, sixth, seventh, that’s all you have to give. Maybe you got to work a little harder or work a little smarter or, you know, pull up off the gas pedal a little bit, you know, sometimes if you feel you’re kind of forcing things too much and then they don’t go your way.

“And as we know the ocean just plays such a big role. You can be like surfing the best you ever surfed and go out in a heat and just come last. I don’t think in any other sport you know 150 can beat number one in one second.

“My whole career has been based around timing and technique. And if you can just really focus a lot on that and try to get the better waves then that’s all you can do. That’s all I can do.”

Sharks

“It’s like, obviously, I don’t like them. Yeah it’s scary.

“I don’t know. I just kind of roll with them you know, whatever. They are out there and they’re gonna do their thing. I think that in that sense surfing is probably the most extreme sport in the world. They should put a couple lions on the cricket pitch and see how the boys play; and you can see the lions, you can’t see the sharks.”

The claim in the 2017 Rip Curl Pro Bells beach final

In the final, after completing a high-scoring ride, Jordy mimed ringing the Bell as a way of claiming the ride. The commentators jumped on it, as history dictates that only the winner can ring the Bell trophy and Jordy at that stage, was yet to win the final. When he received the winners Bell at the presentation, the Bell chipped his tooth.

“It (the Bell on the trophy) came back and knocked me right in my tooth, it chipped the back of my tooth. I just go on feeling. I don’t care what it is. I’m definitely not superstitious.”

“They (the commentators) were flying right into it.”

Fear

“I think anyone that would say they’re not scared of Teahupoo or Pipe, I think they’re lying. You know, those waves are life threatening, like they’re serious waves. But you know in a jersey, you kind of just tend to not forget about it, but I always believe we’ve got the best water safety in the world. We’ve got everybody watching, everything is there for you to to succeed.”

Perfect conditions for competition

“My ideal conditions are probably like four to six feet for big turns and stuff. When it starts barreling, probably six to eight feet is what I really like.

“Those those sort of sizes just seem to work better with winds and with directions and everything like that, as soon as starts getting bigger than that then winds become serious factors. There are more like crazy storms like that sort of bring those types of conditions whereas the four-to-six-to-eight-feet range sort of can sneak under the radar with variable winds to clean conditions and it can just be really beautiful to watch.”

Surf Ranch

“Well it’s a different sort of strategy they are trying to pitch there. For me, it’s a tough one. It’s a smaller wave. It’s tough for me to really fit in the barrel there. You can’t dwell on those things. It is what it is. They’re going to have another event there this year and I’m just going to have to try and make my turns bigger and that’s kind of my strong point and I just need to really highlight those.

“It’s something new in surfing. I’m sure I’ll be standing probably on the sidelines in 20 years from now kind of looking at something so much grander and more amazing than that you know. I think that’s the next step, you know, is how do we get it bigger.

“If you go there with a friend, it’s a really fun place to go for a surf trip. Do I think it was probably ready for a contest? Probably not.

“But yeah, you know, it’s on the on the list.”