Inspirational Jordy Smith still riding the crest of the wave as Olympic dream comes true

Jordy Smith during heats two, round two of the Oi Rio Pro 2017 at Itauna Beach on 17 May 2017 in Saquarema, Brazil. (Photo: Buda Mendes / Getty Images)

By Gary Lemke in Paris

22 Jul 2024

Veteran South African surfer Jordy Smith will make his Olympic debut this week.

Durban’s Jordy Smith looks at the cover of the magazine. The underwater image is of a surfer and the headline reads: “He Walks On Water. And surfing’s new god is South African.”

That was August 2010. He was 22 years old. Globally, Smith was already a big name on the circuit, after having qualified for the elite ASP World Tour in 2008.

Tiger Woods had asked Smith to sign with Nike. “I wasn’t sure what to say, but he was cool,” he said at the time. A few days later he reportedly signed with O’Neill for a seven-figure sum. In Hawaii, he stayed with A-list actors Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller.

jordy smith olympics surfing Jordy Smith of South Africa in the first heat at the 2024 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach on 26 March 2024 in Bells Beach, Australia. (Photo: Morgan Hancock / Getty Images)

At one point, Smith was ranked No 1 in the world and had featured in several surfing movies. You get the picture.

Now, aged 36, he is the oldest surfer on the professional circuit.

“Wow,” he says, looking at the magazine. “So much has happened since then.”

We’re chatting in the Bidvest lounge at Cape Town International Airport where Smith and Team SA are about to embark on a journey that will take them to Dubai, Los Angeles and on to Tahiti.

Their final destination is the village of Teahupo’o where the surfing event for the 2024 Olympics is being held. The venue was chosen not only because of its spectacular waves, but Tahiti is an island in French Polynesia and it’s part of a wider plan to align France with its territories.

Second chance

Smith is a veteran of the world tour, but an Olympic newbie. He should have been in Tokyo in 2020 when the sport was introduced as an event, but he tore ligaments and had to have knee surgery a month before the Games.

“When that happened, I thought I’d never represent South Africa at the Games. No one knew how surfing would be received at the Olympics and whether the opportunity would come round again. I never stopped believing, though.”

In Tokyo, Cape Town’s Bianca Buitendag was one of only two Team SA medallists and did much to put competitive surfing on the map. Smith hopes to inspire more support and recognition for the sport in South Africa.

jordy smith brazil Jordy Smith during the heats four – elimination round of the Oi Rio Pro 2022 at Itauna Beach on 24 June 2022 in Saquarema, Brazil. (Photo: Buda Mendes / Getty Images)

“You know, driving to the airport today, it hit me. I’m going to the Olympics – for South Africa. The tears started to flow. It’s such an honour representing one’s country, and with everything that I’ve been through, to be on that plane is something special.”

Surfing is one of 19 sports being represented by Team SA at these Games.

Smith’s teammates are Matt McGillivray from Jeffreys Bay and Kommetjie’s Sarah Baum. The trio will be flying the flag on the stunning Tahitian island some 17,730km from Paris, separated by a time zone of 12 hours.

Just over 52 hours after taking off from Cape Town, they arrived in Tahiti.

While Tokyo had far smaller waves, Teahupo’o is known for its thunderous left that breaks on a very shallow reef.

“They’re powerful waves… great for a big guy like myself. We have to see what Mother Nature delivers on competition day, though.”

The journey

Trying to fill in the gaps between 2010 and 2024, Smith says, “Gosh, where do I start?”

Maybe a career highlight? “That’s an easy one. In 2011 I won my first event on the tour in Jeffreys Bay. To do so in front of my family and friends who had been around that town since I started out, will always be a moment I’ll cherish and never forget.”

Since then, much has happened. “I’ve won multiple times on the championship tour, got married, had a kid… lots of amazing things. It’s kinda wild to see that I’m still here, still doing it, still loving it – I’m just super passionate about what I do.”

Smith splits his time between Cape Town, Jeffreys Bay and Hawaii. “I’ve been going to Hawaii since I was 12 and have a long list of friends there.

“It’s a nice place to be in their winter time, which is our summer, so we spend about two or three months there at the end of the year. For a South African, it’s always a fun trip.”

With surfing not being one of the mainstream sports in SA, Smith says he manages to fly under the radar when at home.

Jordy Smith during heats two, round two of the Oi Rio Pro 2017 at Itauna Beach on 17 May 2017 in Saquarema, Brazil. (Photo: Buda Mendes / Getty Images)

“Surfing is a bit unappreciated [in SA], but as a sport it’s big on the global stage. It’s massive in places like the US, Brazil and Australia. This means I can walk around unrecognised at home, whereas that’s not the case in those countries. So it’s fair to say I have the best of both worlds… I can be anonymous in SA, plus it’s a different way of life.”

His son Ziggy will be four in a few months.

“When he was born we decided to name him Ziggy, after Ziggy Stardust and Ziggy Marley. Besides, with a surname like Smith we had to spice it up a bit for him. He really loves skateboarding and surfing and it’s strange to see myself in him… it’s very cool.”

Dad duties aside, Jordy is still highly motivated to surprise the youngsters on the circuit.

“I’m the oldest guy on tour so it’s very motivating and inspiring to be able to compete against guys who are 15 and even 20 years younger,” he said.

“There’s no limit to it – look at Kelly Slater, still competing at the age of 52 – and if you feel you’re still good enough to do it, then the only thing left is for you to do it.

“My goal is to inspire South Africa’s future surfing generation. I want my achievements to bring more attention to the sport and to show people that surfing can be a professional job. It’s not just guys hanging around the beach all day and messing around.

“For me, if I can get involved with schools, charities and organisations and help benefit youngsters, then I’ve done a great job.

“I think that one should do whatever one loves, every day, and if someone appreciates what you do, then good, if not, that’s also okay. It doesn’t really matter.”

He knows there will come a time when he has to pack away his surfboard, in a professional sense, and move on to the next phase of his life.

“Maybe in three to five years. Experience over age can be a great leveller in this sport, so I still have ambitions, starting with these Olympics.

“But I don’t want to be that person who hangs around too long. I want to retire at the top. Plus, in a couple of years, my son will be coming into his own.”

So watch out for Ziggy, who, like his father for so many years, will soon enough be sprinkling some of his own magical stardust on the waves of the world. DM

Gary Lemke is in Paris as part of Team SA.

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