Jordy Smith has been a perennial world title contender for some time now. To be exact, last year was the first time we saw him finish outside of the top five since 2015. And even that was in large part due to an injury that forced him to pull out of the Olympics and eventually withdraw from the last two events of the 2021 season.
This season hasn’t given surf fans the bounce back many might have expected or at least hoped for. Smith made the mid-year cut but two Round of 32 exits have uncharacteristically lined him up outside of the Top 10 as we’re sliding through the back half of the season. If we hit the rewind button and go back to March when the CT was gearing up for three events in Portugal and Australia in the span of two months, Smith had reason for optimism. He’s won Bells, backed up by a handful of big results over the years, and Margs and Portugal have also been two places he’s performed well and made his fair share of Finals.
Episode 8 of Silver Linings followed Smith through those two Australian events, focusing on his time between the action at Bells and Margaret River. He has a common CT athlete routine: set up shop before the Opening Rounds and use time to prep for those first heats, finding waves and getting rid of jet lag.
“I’ve got so many friends in this zone,” he says. “Every year we kinda get together, have a bit of a barbecue, shoot some hoops, and it’s just really good to connect with people.”
Smith eventually lost in the Round of 32 at Bells and Margs was shaping up well for him before drawing a matchup with event winner Jack Robinson in the Quarterfinal. Watching and waiting for a return to form from Jordy Smith is one of the most intriguing storylines on the World Tour right now. He’s one of the easiest athletes on the roster to root for, and for now, he’s still just one or two big results away from jumping into the Top 5 of the leaderboard.
