Jordy Smith should have won Sunset before now. Sunset is a wave for power surfing, and Jordy has that in spades. Yesterday, he proved it–as if we needed more proof. “He always fits this wave really well,” Torrey Meister said. “He’s always one of the best guys out here. Just his hacks, he’s got probably the best hack in the business. He really suits this wave and he’s really powerful.”
In a final that included Frederico Morais, Torrey Meister, and Tanner Gudauskas, Smith used his signature power carve to keep his rivals at bay. This is his first win not only at Sunset, but in Hawaii. “Early in my career I made a couple finals out here,” he said. “I really had something going with the place. I don’t know, it’s been like six or seven years where I just couldn’t do a thing right. And then, everything just came together this year so I’m just really happy.”
This event was an interesting one for a few different reasons. As the final QS event of the year, all the CT hopefuls were digging deep for much-needed points. The top ten weren’t decided until the final hooter sounded. Some were luckier than others–Tanner Gudauskas, although he made the final, found himself just shy of the top ten. Others, like Jadson Andre and Jack Freestone, just managed to squeeze through the door before it slammed shut.
Between injury, tight losses, and illness, Jadson Andre’s 2016 season on the Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour has been far from smooth. But when competitive surfing is your only means of survival, you figure out a way to fight through the pain. Today, the Brazilian finally got the break he was looking for when he secured his CT future in the final Qualifying Series event of the year at Sunset.
Andre has had a tough year. He’s didn’t get the results he needed–largely due to injuries or sickness–and his whole season came down to the fourth round, which happened to be against Kelly Slater. Both moved on to the quarters, and with that, he found his way onto the CT next year.
For those that have forgotten, Jack Freestone didn’t requalify last year. It came as a bit of surprise to many, but this year he was determined to get back on tour. As with Andre, it all came down to a final heat. In Freestone’s case, it was the semis. Also in the heat was Ezekiel Lau, another CT hopeful. When Freestone took third place, he secured his place on the 2017 Championship Tour and relegated Lau to another year of the QS, beating him by only 50 points.
Next up in the Triple Crown in the Pipeline Masters. Watch it live on WorldSurfLeague.com.
