Here’s Jordy Smith, really losing himself in the desert of West Oz and some running Bells Beach walls. After his performance in Brazil, and in his movie Bending Colours, and in the X Games Real Surf competition (which he won), and even in this clip, it’s hard not to think that 2013 might be one of Jordy’s best years on tour. If not his best.
Is your digital correspondent crazy, or is Noa Deane absolutely electrified? Maybe a clip with some (which is rare) diversity in it now over-excites. Or maybe the kid from Cooly’s surfing really is just totally jacked-up. Either way, if you dig Nirvana, full-rotes, mature frontside wraps, bath water and good vibes, then this’ll most certainly get you juiced to surf.
Track: Nirvana – Radio Friendly Unit Shifter
Who could get tired of seeing Kolohe in the air? Not us. He ain’t in the air here though and he has never looked so good. Let us present the young stud in some big tubes, and what a great tube rider he is.
Jordy by ASP / Kirstin
Jordy Smith just won the 2013 Billabong Pro, Rio De Janeiro over Adriano De Souza, with a 9.30 and an 8.50. “It feels unbelievable,” said Jordy, after joining the crowd in chanting ‘Mineirinho!’ (Adriano’s nickname). “It’s another dream come true for me. I knew I could win a world tour event, I just needed to prove to myself I could do it outside of South Africa.”
Getting to the final wasn’t easy. Jordy had to take down Filipe Toledo, arguably the form surfer of the event until today, then Mick Fanning, before facing Adriano (who’s kinda scary good on a small beachie in front of a passionate home crowd).“I knew it was going to be tough,” Jordy continued. “I was really nervous in the first heat against Filipe. Luckily I got through that one and when I came up against Mick I waited for better waves. When the swell dropped against Adriano and he took to the sky, I knew I was going to have to do the same, but luckily I got a couple of scores.”
Adriano was gracious in defeat: “I did my best out there and thanks to the crowd for being behind me 100 percent,” he said. “Jordy beat me in the final from start to finish. I’m so happy to be here representing Brazil. Jordy was the best out there today and congrats to him.” The runner up finish vaults Adriano into the lead on the world rankings, and puts Jordy into world number two.
Adriano by ASP / Smorigo
UPCOMING BILLABONG RIO PRO FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.80
2 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 16.34
UPCOMING BILLABONG RIO PRO SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 17.64 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.50
SF 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.83 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 8.26
UPCOMING BILLABONG RIO PRO QUARTERFINALS RESULTS:
QF 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.33 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 12.30
QF 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.43 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 14.93
QF 3: Mick Fanning (AUS) 12.50 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 12.37
QF 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.76 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 14.07
ASP WCT TOP 5 SURFERS (Following Billabong Rio Pro):
1. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 18,500 pts
2. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 18,250 pts
3. Mick Fanning (AUS) 18,200 pts
4. Kelly Slater (USA) 16,950 pts
5. Taj Burrow (AUS) 15,700 pts
Taj and a heat-winning drop wallet in the day’s first heat. ASP/Kirstin
…And we’re back in, finally. Did those lay days make you a little crazy? They made Ricardo Dos Santos crazy, so he jumped a plane to Chopes, got in the mix on the two big days, then flew back to Rio to lose in his home country in onshore, overcast, rained-out three foot slop to Jeremy Flores. But, who really won, right? Them’s the breaks though, and playing fields don’t get much more fair than windblown junk. Nobody’s advantaged. Except maybe Josh Kerr, who hucked a frontside full-rote, very high, in the day’s second heat and backed up with a turn to scoop a 9.77. “I was lucky to find those two good ones and I waited forever to get that second good one after that first 9,” Josh said. “Hopefully I can keep it going in the next round.”
Josh, move of the day (fully-rotated, with height). ASP/Kirstin
Other highlights included Taj Burrow’s closeout drop wallet (please refer to above depiction). “We had fun on the lay days and everyone was on vacation mode, but it’s good to be back,” Mr Burrow said afterwards. “Even though it’s howling onshore it’s fun to finally have some waves. That little section on the lay back was a fun one to hit and I was hoping the judges would throw me a good score for the one maneuver. It was pretty difficult in the end. I just never got offered another section like that one. I knew Gustavo was catching up and I was nervous the whole time.”
Ace’s high-scoring barrel. ASP/Kirstin
There was also Ace Buchan’s really-deep-or-not-so-deep-depending-on-your-angle tube. “I tried to get busy in the beginning and it’s hard to get out the back,” Ace shared. “I was out of position at the start of the heat and Raoni wanted to surf on the inside. I had one at the start that I didn’t ride out of and found a left, but that 9 was a diamond in the rough. I didn’t know if it was going to be really open, so I didn’t want to be too deep, but it was a pretty nice round barrel. It’s powerful out there and dumpy now that the tide’s gone out.”
Being that this was an elimination round, there was the potential for intensity, but it was a little lost in the dull beach vibe, identifiable even through the webcast. That, however, is what happens when you’ve got heats to play and a fast-depleting waiting period.
But the swell’s gonna continue growing, and this contest is really gonna set it off. This we know. And first heat up, Taj and Kolohe. Thank you!
Event portal, here.
BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 11.34 def. Gustavo Fernandes (BRA) 10.70
Heat 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) 17.94 def. Messias Felix (BRA) 5.07
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) 13.56 def. Jack Freestone (AUS) 9.60
Heat 4: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 11.50 def. Ricardo dos Santos (BRA) 7.47
Heat 5: Michel Bourez (PYF) 10.16 def. Yadin Nicol (AUS) 8.67
Heat 6: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 13.17 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 8.10
Heat 7: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 14.93 def. Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 14.33
Heat 8: Kai Otton (AUS) 12.24 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 12.20
Heat 9: Brett Simpson (USA) 15.10 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 15.04
Heat 10: Travis Logie (ZAF) 11.40 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 10.76
Heat 11: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 12.23 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 10.50
Heat 12: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 10.70 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 4.93
BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA)
Heat 2: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Nat Young (USA)
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 5: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 7: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Glenn Hall (IRL)
Heat 8: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Bede Durbidge (AUS)
Heat 9: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Sebastian Zietz (HAW)
Heat 10: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Heat 11: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 12: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Brett Simpson (USA)
Who doesn’t love Dylan Graves? He is Puerto Rico’s finest, a lover of fine rum (and any kinda beer), the fourth Gudauskas brother (from a different mother and father, obviously), and a general bastion of stoke. We love! Here he is at home, bouncing around and all that good stuff.
Ooooowweeeeeee, Monday May 13, and Tuesday 14, were another wild coupla days in the history of Teahupoo. The first major swell of the season is always heavily chased (and documented), and the last two days saw the world’s best big wave gents do their thing in the biggest swell since Code Red back in August 2012. Mark Healey ruled (check his wild paddlers in here) and Koa Rothman and Raimana Van Bastolaer rode the biggest waves of the first day. Also featured here is Mikey Wright, Pete Mel, Kealli Mamalli, Landon McNamara (yup, son of Liam), Alain Riou, Wade Goodall, Laurie Towner and more.
And below, the footage from yesterday and the day before. Who doesn’t love a hasty turnaround? Bravo, Quiksilver.
Kolohe Andino surfing a south swell at Lowers to the sounds of Santana is quite a thing. It’s been a while between clips of Brother, and this one couldn’t be a finer return to digital presence. Shot by Noah Alani and edited by Jacob Vanderwork, this OC dream should make you very juiced to surf.
Burritos and barrels and below the border and, really, Mexico is all of those things and more. Wave quality, huh? Just ask Tanner Rozunko!
Point-of-view shots, and especially those in barrels, won’t ever get old. Here’s some from the Mad Hueys, on the Gold Coast. Starring Ryan Hipwood, Brent Dorrington, The Harringtons and more.
