Back Tracks June

THE NEXT BEST THING TO JOE TURPEL

N U M B E R O N E P R I O R I T Y “ Y o u c a n ’ t t rY to b e o n e o f t h e b e s t f r e e s u r f e r s a n d a wo r l d c h a m p i o n . ”

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ust as we vow to lose weight, drink less and surf more starting every January 1, world tour surfers enter each new contest year with a clean slate and fresh perspective. In the two-month offseason between Pipeline and Snapper Rocks they roll out yoga mats, blow up plyometric exercise balls, dial in fresh boards and change old diets. A world title is the only goal.

This, they all think, is going to be the year.

Yet, in the past decade, only three surfers have realised that goal: Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson.

Not Jordy Smith. At least, not yet.

Since qualifying at the end of 2008 Jordy has two top five finishes (2nd in 2009, 4th in 2013) but has yet to make a serious title run — when he finished runner-up in 2009, it wasn’t until after Mick Fanning sealed the title that Jordy climbed the rankings.

It’s not uncommon for talented surfers to struggle to translate their raw ability into a world title. It took Andy Irons five years to win his first. Mick Fanning six. And Joel Parkinson didn’t win his maiden title until his 11th year on tour.

So. What’s changed for Jordy?

According to photographer Ryan Miller, this article’s interviewer while on a trip with Jordy to Mozambique, everything has changed. “I’ve been traveling with Jordy pretty consistently for over six years now and I have never seen the person I got to see this trip. He is so mellow and collected. Before he used to get so irritable and impatient over the dumbest shit. Now he just lets everything roll off his back.”

Jordy's focus may have shifted away from freesurfing, but you can be sure he'll still be looking to put on a show when he hits the water.

Fe a t ure mo vi e r o l e s. B i o p i c s. m ag az i n e t r ips . t he W o r l d c h am p i o n sh i p to u r .

For t he p ast F i ve ye ar s J o r d y s m i th ha s B e e n t r yi n g to d o i t al l . B u t n o W , in 20 14 , h i s F o c u s i s si n g u l ar .

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Ryan Miller: We’ve talked a lot about this subject the last 10 days. But on the record, why is 2014 going to be different?

Jordy Smith: Every surfer on tour goes into a new season with a really good feeling; hoping to have a great year, win a title, whatever the case may be. But I’ve also had other focuses in previous years, movie parts being one of them. And I’ve only just realised that yeah, I do want to be a good freesurfer, but it’s not what my foundation is built on. I love to compete. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do, since I was a little kid.

When I retire from surfing one day, I want to be remembered as a competitive surfer, someone like Mick Fanning. With the level of surfing out there now you can’t chase both dreams — you can’t try to be one of the best freesurfers and a world champion.

For the last five years I’ve tried that, and it hasn’t worked. I’ve had a couple good runs on tour and a few good video parts, but I was giving both outlets 50 percent of my energy, you know? So this year, all of my energy is going towards winning a world title. I want to be remembered as a world champion, not as somebody who made cool video parts. This is the first year I’m accepting I’m not going to compete with Dane [Reynolds] and John [Florence] and everybody else out there trying to produce crazy video clips because at the end of the day it’s not what I want in my life. What I want is to win a world title. That’s something nobody can ever take from me. Once a world champion, always a world champion.

Do you think that narrow focus will make a huge difference?

Definitely. That goes hand in hand with this trip. We haven’t been getting amazing waves, but I’m not freaking out. Last year I’d be freaking because I wasn’t getting any great photos or clips and I’m about to go on tour. I’d be tweaking right now. Putting unnecessary pressure on myself. But now that my goal is clear it puts things in perspective. I’m here for one reason: To train, try new boards and get ready and prepare for the Gold Coast. I’m not here to shoot photos or film for a movie. That stuff is secondary.

I’ve seen you get super itchy in the past, or get upset if things aren’t going your way…but it seems like this trip you’re at peace with yourself. How’d you get to this point?

This time last year I was here [in Mozambique], but for a different reason. I wasn’t here to train, I was here because I’d heard there are great waves and I thought it could be a movie destination. I discovered this wave is extremely similar to Snapper and so I thought why not come back. I love it — there are no crowds, I can try as many boards as I’d like…and it’s especially great to catch a lot of waves after being injured the past 2 1/2 months. It’s really hard to find high performance waves, especially a running right point like Snapper where I can feel my boards out. Last year I showed up at Snapper and I was trying to feel out 15 boards before the contest but with the crowd it was frustrating. Someone is always in your way. And that’s my whole purpose of coming here — to dial everything in so that when I do arrive on the Gold Coast my preparation is done and I don’t have anything to worry about. I can go and give the contest 100% and know I’ve done everything in my power to achieve my best result.

No matter what, I’ll be able to walk away from that event happy. And that’s how I’m approaching each stop this year.

“Last year I’d be freakIng because I wasn’t gettIng any great photos or cLIps and I’m about to go on tour. I’d be tweakIng rIght now.”

Demonstrating his perfect blend of raw power and technical precision.

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Despite not getting the result he wanted on the Gold Coast, you can see why Jordy picked this destination to warm up for Snapper.

Driving through a Mozambique speed tunnel.

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Clockwise from main pic: Fins free and flying in front of a dreamy backdrop./ What's your poison?/ A trademark Jordy gaffe./ Fresh catch for lunch?

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On this trip you’ve talked a lot about recently finding out who you are as a competitor. It was striking what you said about Fiji last year, about that CJ [Hobgood] versus [Josh] Kerr heat and what that meant to you.

Yeah, that heat really struck me. The heat itself was terrible. Kerrzy needed a 2.5 at the end of the heat and couldn’t get it. Guys had been getting barreled all day, and before that heat all of a sudden there were no more barrels…but CJ adjusted to the conditions, did a few turns and won the heat. He came in really fired up, like he had just won the world title. I was right there on the boat and I took a lot from him right then. He’s been on tour 12 years, he’s a world champion, he’s been through everything. And still at that point there was so much hunger for a win. It made me open my eyes and go, “Hey, that’s what I want to be.” I want to come out of heats that fired up and that pumped I made it, because every heat on tour is really hard. And for a while [on tour] there was this unsaid thing where it was uncool to show passion and claim waves, but now I’m calling bullshit. I’m taking a page out of Adriano [De Souza]’s book, because you are competing for your livelihood, you travel all the way across the world and sometimes lose first heat. If you win you should be over the moon. Every single heat. It costs you thousands of dollars to get to every stop and the last thing you should be okay with is getting knocked out.

I like that. People have written off claiming and caring but the audience wants to see people that are psyched. They want to see passion.

Definitely. People want to see emotion — both when they win and lose. Everybody wants to win and nobody wants to lose but showcasing passion on both sides makes the sport better. If we don’t then you might as well tune out. Because why watch the sport if the competitors themselves don’t give a shit?

You recently turned Miss Jarvis to Mrs. Smith. Obviously that’s positive and amazing on a personal level, but how does getting married transition to success as a sportsman?

I couldn’t have asked for a better situation. I loved having fun with all the boys, partying, going out — especially when I first got on tour — but when we [Lyndall and him] met, I knew straightway she was the one to buckle down with. And she’s really helped me focus on what I want to achieve. She’s brings out the best in me. I was doing everything for myself but now it’s for us. And she’s helped me realize success comes in so many different ways. It can be as simple as waking up and having an early morning surf. I used to only think of success as one way. Like, “success is only if I nail five air reverses this afternoon, and that’s it.” I guess I’m not so narrow-minded anymore. I’m open to other people’s advice, help and opinions.

And obviously being married, or in a serious relationship, it’s difficult at times. I’ll kid you not I’m a selfish person. Not so selfish in a way that I’m not going to share my chocolate with you but selfish with my time. I still only want to do the things I want sometimes, but then I remind myself that Lyndall sacrifices a lot to be with me and she makes me a greater person every single day.

So being away from home, you have a piece of home in Lyndall at your side.

Yeah. Being on the road can be super tough, and having someone there to understand me and my needs, that is the biggest thing I could ask for. Lyndall knows what makes me happy and she can always put me in a good headspace. If I come back from surfing all frustrated and I’m like, “Oh shit, I just tried six boards and none of them felt good,” she’ll be like, “It’s OK babe, you put in the hours, tomorrow is a different day, don’t sweat it,” and it’s exactly what I need to hear. She puts things in perspective and keeps me from dwelling on things that in the past might’ve done my head in on the road. Doing it alone is really, really hard.

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Jordy fishing for still-frames with an inverted hook in the pocket.

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Mozambique does have lefts too, and apparently they offer nice ramps.

N What are your biggest surfing weaknesses? What do you need to improve to win a world title?

Backside tube riding, for sure. Growing up in South Africa I surfed right point after right point. No lefts at all. And every time I’ve gone to a location with hollow lefts I’ve improved in that area, but it’s always at the end of my stay that I get to a point where I feel like I’m really clicking. So this year is going to be different. I’m going to take that on as my number one goal, improving in that area. Fiji, Tahiti and Pipe are hugely important events and the ones I’ll spend the most time at beforehand.

Last year you finished 4th, behind Mick, Kelly and Joel. Those guys are the only three to win world titles since Andy Irons. What are they doing that you’re not?

Consistency, most of all. And those three aren’t out trying to shoot video parts, either.

They’re also a lot more mature, at least than I’ve been in the past. But honestly it’s not what they’re doing, it’s what I’m gonna do. I’m finding what works for me, and it’s different from what works for each of those three, and that alone is important to realise. Everybody tries to copy what everyone else is doing, but they lose sight of what helps them. I’ve been guilty of that plenty in the past. It takes a while to figure out what makes you a better surfer, but once you figure that out, it’s yours alone. It’s your best friend. And that’s where I think I am now and that’s why this year is going to be different. It’s not about Kelly, Mick or Joel or what they are doing. It’s about me.

Everything about the way I’m approaching this year is different. I can finally say I’m putting all of my eggs into one basket: A world title.

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