World no. 1 Jordy Smith powers to VICTORY in Australia
First, the 37-year-old Durbanite had to dispatch Crosby Colapinto in his semi-final heat. Something he did with astute surfing in dropping swell on Australia's west coast. Rather than wait for inconsistent set waves disrupted by strong off-shore winds, world no. 1 Jordy Smith set to work on the inside. He caught multiple waves to build up a winning heat total, while his competitor sat rooted out the back, only surfing one scoring wave. Smith sets to work on a larger set wave at Margaret River, Western Australia in the final against Griffin Colapinto. Image: World Surf League
Then it was onto the final with another San Clemente phenom, Griffin Colapinto. Arguably the form surfer of the competition – scoring a perfect 10 in the quarterfinals – Colapinto would be no pushover in a man-on-man heat. However, world no. 1 Jordy Smith clicked into high gear and dominated the exchanges (watch the highlights below).
There is no denying that world no. 1 Jordy Smith is surfing the best he ever has in his long career. He is able to combine shrewd heat IQ with his signature power surfing that always looks controlled and elegant, no matter the conditions. Video: World Surf League on YouTube
Victory for world no. 1 Jordy Smith cements his position atop the WSL Championship Tour rankings. He currently sits on 36 130 points, with the next best surfer, Brazil's Italo Ferreira, on 31 290. Rather shrewdly, Smith opted not to surf in the leader's yellow jersey today. But he almost certainly will wear it in Lower Trestles, California, next month.
The rest of the 2025 WSL Championship Tour sees four stops that will suit the powerful surfing of world no. 1 Jordy Smith. The top five competitors on the ranking will battle it out in Fiji for the world title. The remaining stops are: June 9-17 – Trestles Pro (USA)
June 21-29 – Vivo Rio Pro (Brazil)
July 11-20 – J-Bay Open (SA)
August 7-16 – Tahiti Pro (Tahiti)
August 27-September 4 – WSL Finals Fiji (Fiji)
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
18 hours ago
- The South African
All Blacks lose key player for Springbok Tests
The All Blacks will be forced to make changes ahead of their second Rugby Championship clash against Argentina in Buenos Aires following confirmation that Patrick Tuipulotu and Anton Lienert-Brown have both been ruled out due to injury. Tuipulotu, who sustained a facial fracture during New Zealand's 41-24 win over the Pumas in Cordoba, will undergo surgery and is expected to be out for at least six weeks, missing upcoming fixtures against the Springboks in Auckland (6 September) and Wellington (13 September). Lienert-Brown, meanwhile, failed a head injury assessment after a head-on-head collision that also earned him a yellow card. He will return to New Zealand and could be available for selection if he clears concussion protocols in time for the Springboks tests. Coach Scott Robertson confirmed on Tuesday that both players are out of contention for Sunday's rematch against Argentina. 'They won't be available for this week, but we have cover. We'll make sure we get combinations right and give opportunities to players who need minutes,' Robertson said. Timoci Tavatavanawai and Quinn Tupaea are being considered for midfield duties, while Josh Lord, already with the squad as cover, could step into Tuipulotu's role in the second row. Samipeni Finau is another versatile option capable of playing lock or blindside flanker. Wallace Sititi and Tamaiti Williams, recovering from earlier injuries, are also expected to feature in the match-day 23. With squad depth in focus ahead of the looming Tests against South Africa, there is speculation that uncapped players like Kyle Preston (halfback) and Leroy Carter (wing) may be handed their debuts this weekend. Robertson emphasised the importance of balancing cohesion with development. 'Some guys need football, and some combinations need time together. But you also have to look ahead in the cycle and build depth.' Robertson also touched on South Africa's recent shock loss to the Wallabies in Johannesburg, noting the narrow margins that define Test rugby. 'It's a game of moments – discipline, accuracy, errors. It can swing quickly. We know how the Springboks play, and they'll go back to their DNA. It's about how we stop them, and how we impose our own style.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
20 hours ago
- The South African
Oscar Piastri to have Australian Grand Prix grandstand named after him
Oscar Piastri will have a grandstand named after him at the Australian Grand Prix from next year, an honour the McLaren driver said was 'surreal'. The Piastri Grandstand will sit opposite the pit lane at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne, the home race of 24-year-old Piastri. 'It is pretty surreal, it still feels weird racing at home – it is very cool racing at home,' the world championship leader said on social media. Other notable drivers with stands at Albert Park include Jack Brabham, Arthur Waite, Alan Jones, Daniel Ricciardo and Mark Webber. Piastri currently tops the drivers' standings with 284 points, narrowly ahead of McLaren team-mate Lando Norris, with 10 grands prix left in this campaign. Australia hosts the first race of next season. The naming of a grandstand is an honour typically reserved for sporting legends with a long line of achievements. Former F1 driver Webber said it was a reflection of Piastri's promising results so far as he pursues a first world crown. 'Clearly he is very comfortable at the elite level and making his presence felt, which is brilliant, and representing Australia in the way that the country likes to be represented,' he said in a statement. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
21 hours ago
- The South African
How much did Dricus du Plessis earn despite defeat?
After first winning the UFC middleweight belt, Dricus du Plessis successfully defended his title on two occasions, but this past weekend that 'bubble' was well and truly burst by Russian Khamzat Chimaev. Du Plessis ultimatley had no answer to Chimaev's wrestling strengths, and there could be no doubts about the unanimous decision, although the bout itself was really terrible entertainment. Despite the result, multiple reliable reports have suggested Du Plessis will still walk away with around $3 million (nearly R53 million). However, had he won the fight, this amount would have increased by a further $500,000. Interestingly, Morne Visser – the longtime coach of Du Plessis- has made it crystal clear that there will be no immediate rematch with Chimaev. 'I've been asked, 'Do you want to do him a rematch?' I said, 'Absolutely not,'' he admitted. 'Obviously, we'd like to fight him very soon again, but there is no way I'll take the rematch with us being a little bit behind in our Russian style of wrestling. That is what it is, nothing else. He just knows how to control you on the floor. 'In the meantime, we've got to fix our sh*t asap, and I know what to do. I know exactly what to do and where to do it. It's a big change, we're going to have to do a big move to fix things,' Visser added. 'Instead of spending time preparing for going to another fight camp to prepare for RDR, I would rather spend that time to fix the problem that we've got, and then go into a camp. So, I won't just take a fight because fights are available. I want to fix this problem, because we're going to face Khamzat [again] and I want to destroy him this time.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
