Drop what you’re doing and go follow South African surfer Jordy Smith on YouTube right now. Go, do it, we’ll wait. Since Kelly Slater retired, Jordy Smith (37) has become the most senior surfer on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT). That says a lot when the exuberance of youth counts for so much in professional surfing.
Nevertheless, Durban-born Jordy Smith is unarguably one of South Africa’s best-ever athletes to compete internationally in any code. The strength, fitness, skill and bravery to compete in top-flight surfing for close to two decades is something no other South African has done.
SOUTH AFRICAN SURFER JORDY SMITH
Now the decorated South African surfer has a dedicated YouTube channel where you can indulge in all his wave-slaying histrionics. Followed around the world by the supremely talented photographer Nick Christy, the channel is a new outlet for short behind-the-scenes videos, as well as extended cuts of older movies. Back in the 2010s, Smith gained prominence with early movie parts like the genre-defining ‘Bending Colours’.
Currently uploaded to the channel is ‘Plus27’ (above), ‘Just Now’ a film by Dale Staples, and ‘Shaping Jordy’ (below) featuring South African free-surfing icon Mikey February. Each video has accrued hundreds of thousands of views in mere days since the channel launched. And an added benefit of the channel is being able to catch Jordy Smith in action in one spot. Previously, video parts of through his O’Neil and Red Bull partnerships were not available just anywhere.
2025 WSL SEASON AND MORE
Jordy Smith has also made a strong start to the 2025 WSL CT season (his 17th). The veteran South African has managed excellent scores (8.0 and above) at each stop on tour so far in 2025. First at the massive barrels of Pipeline and Backdoor in Hawaii and the wave pool of the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro. The next stop is just two-weeks’ away at the beach break of Pernich, Portugal (Saturday 15 March 2025), a wave where Jordy Smith has excelled before. Don’t miss any of the action. And, until then, catch some of his mesmerising film parts online HERE.
DO YOU AGREE JORDY SMITH IS ONE OF SA’S BEST-EVER ATHLETES?
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