Smith flies SA flag at J-Bay
SA's Jordy Smith was the only South African surfer left in the J-Bay Open on Saturday.
JORDY Smith will fly the flag as the sole remaining South African in the R5.4 million J-Bay Open after Round 2 was completed in small but perfect waves at Supertubes in Jeffreys Bay on Saturday.
Stop No. 6 of 11 on the 2014 Samsung Galaxy ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) features the world’s top 34 ranked surfers plus two wildcards competing for a R1 million winner’s pay-cheque and invaluable rankings points towards the ASP World surfing title
Smith dominated the opening day of competition held in four to seven foot (two metre) waves on Thursday, recording rides of 9.50 and 9.80 in the first five minutes of his heat and then going on to post the first perfect 10 point ride of the event.
His heat tally of 19.80 out of a possible 20 was the highest on the WCT this year and saw the 26-year-old Durbanite advance directly to Round 3. There Smith will be up against CJ Hobgood (USA), the 2000 ASP world champion, when competition resumes.
“To have the contest back in Jeffreys Bay is a brilliant feeling. Not only for the surfers but also for the local people. All the kids get to see their idols surf this wave. This is one of the best right-hand points in the world and it’s an incredible thing that they’ve brought this event back. I’ve been coming here since I was seven years old and I have a real connection with the wave and all the people in the town of J-Bay. I’m really fortunate and happy to be here and thanks to the ASP for putting it back on,” said Smith.
Travis Logie and Dylan Lightfoot, the only other Saffas in the event, were both eliminated in Round 2, finishing in equal 25th position overall.
Logie (Durban), rated No. 24 on the WCT coming into Jeffreys Bay, placed third behind heat winner Kolohe Andino (USA) and Julian Wilson (Australia) in his opening encounter. He was unlucky to draw his teammate and travelling companion Frederick Patacchia (Hawaii) in Round 2 and the Hawaiian dominated in the barreling conditions on Saturday.
A drop in swell size on Sunday and the prospect of better waves later in the holding period, particularly towards the latter stages next weekend, prompted the organisers to call a lay day for Sunday.
