Jordy Smith’s Exit Strategy
Just before Jordy’s heat, we heard through the grapevine, that Jords planned to be in J-Bay tomorrow. It was a rumour, and a rumour we didn’t take too seriously. People say a lot of things around these contest sites. As the start of Jordy’s heat was counted down, he was still making his way out over the rocks. An innovative paddle out strategy and one we hadn’t seen before since everyone was paddling from the beach.
While Jordy’s competitors, Seth Moniz, Samuel Pupo and Noe Mar McGonagle waited for waves that were worthwhile, Jordy proceeded to fiddle around on the inside, pulling into tiny barrels, pooh manning out, doing flicky ally-oops and pushing off a submerged rock into waves. Tom-foolery that you’d expect if you weren’t even taking a free surf seriously.
After a rotation of Jordy’s competitors, he found himself in the hot seat with priority, a set wave on its way and his name written all over it. With no reason not to go other than the fact that he maybe just wanted to be in J-Bay tomorrow, Jords stroked his way in. He pumped down the line. Bottom turned ‘round the section and went straight into a tail high air-revo. Some guys look flicky when they take to the air, like a cute little Boeing 747’s but Jordy – never! He looks like an A 380 when he takes flight. It’s a man air and all the kids ‘round town know about it. Jordy looked in complete control spinning his board round, perfectly executed. And then as he straightened it out, he saw Supertubes, FIRING, rolling away endlessly without him, deep barrels at Impossibles, and he stepped off the side. Perhaps, some rumours are true.
Jordy Smith punts a #ManAir for all them children on the beach. Image: Ewing
Isn’t it Wonderful to Posses an Air-Game – Yago Dora
Having airs in your arsenal of weaponry at a shifty beach break is like having a ‘get out of jail free card’ at the Monopoly table. Imagine this; you’re making your way around the Monopoly board, you roll the wrong number, straight to jail baby, don’t pass begin, directly tronk toe. Your competitor cracks a cheeky grin, ‘cause his icon, the dog, was about to make its way through your street of houses and hotels. The roll of the dice is on his side. But out of nowhere you whip out the ‘get out of jail free card’. You’re back in this baby.
In heat 15 of Round 2, Yago Dora took great pleasure in whipping out his ‘Get out of jail free card’. On wave number one, Yago put together a couple backhand whips for a 6.73, he then, on the way back out swung round and landed a backhand rotator for a 5.17. He sealed the deal by landing one more big backhand full rotation for 6.57. Safely in second and with the clock winding down, Yago booked himself a place in the next round. At this level of competition, having rotations on lockdowns is a like owning the purple properties in Monopoly.
Leo Fioravanti sticks to the face, but you know if the opportunity presented itself, he’d take to the skies. Image: Ewing
Krystian Kymerson: Rotation Station
You get three types of surfers at the Ballito Pro; guys that just do turns, like Jeremy Flores, guys that stick to the open face but will take to the skies when the correct section presents itself like Leonardo Fioravanti, and cats who stalk the lineup in search of clear runways. Krystian Kymerson is surfer number three. He takes to the sky so often, Cyril Ramaphosa considered placing him as the CEO of SAA. A man who spends such an abundance of time in the air should know how to bring such a badly managed airline out of the throngs of corruption.
Krystian spent most of his heat sending it. On his 8.17 he did a number of backhand speed jams and then did a huuuuge backhand rotation on the closeout. Krystian has declined Ramaphosa’s job offer and has decided to go freelance: Kymerson Airlines. Apparently, you get a free glass of winners champagne when you fly with them.
Kymerson airlines clear for take off. Image: Ewing.
Matty McG Knows How to Fight Dirty
Matty McG made his way through heat 19 of round 2 with probably the lowest heat score total of the event thus far. The wind went from offshore to onshore and it picked up during Matt’s heat. The wave face became extremely bumpy and halfway through the heat, just landing a turn became a serious obstacle. Matty found a wave where he landed two cracks for a 3.90. And then the wheels came off. Not just Matty’s wheels, everyone else’s wheels as well. And nobody had spares. Josh Moniz and Matt Banting were like lost children in a dark forest searching for a way out, looking for a path, a path where there was none.
I’ve spent a large portion of time following Matty’s career. And during that time I’ve seen him lose some painfully close calls. Calls that could’ve gone either way. And if I remember correctly, last year this time he lost a heartbreakingly close heat at this very event. When Matty came in he looked dejected considering his performance, but he shouldn’t be, he just won a filthy scrap. Sometimes life gets scrappy, and you’ve got to roll with the punches. Let’s hope Matty doesn’t take his second life for granted!
Sometimes life’s a scrap, and you got to roll with the punches. Image: Ewing.
Enjoy this here gallery of the day’s action courtesy of Greg Ewing:
and what about all the RSA guys not making it to round 3 besides MattG