South Africa’s Jordy Smith (Durban) will captain the World Team in the World Surf League’s (WSL) groundbreaking inaugural Founders’ Cup of Surfing presented by Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold this weekend.
Taking place at the WSL Surf Ranch in Lemoore, 200 kilometres from the California coastline, the 5,000-strong capacity crowds are expected to watch USA, Brazil, Australia, Europe and the World Team compete on the best man-made wave in history over the two-day competition and festival.
In a series of WSL firsts – the first time the WSL Surf Ranch opens its doors to the public, the first live national broadcast in the USA, and the first co-ed, continental team-based competition format – the WSL Founders’ Cup of Surfing presented by Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold will introduce an exciting new dimension to competition this weekend in central California.
Smith, a two-time runner-up for the world title (2010, 2016), leads a powerful squad comprising of fellow South African Bianca Buitendag (Victoria Bay), Tahitian powerhouse Michel Bourez, third-year Championship Tour (CT) competitor and representing his Japanese heritage Kanoa Igarashi, as well as veteran New Zealand talent Paige Hareb.
‘Being able to captain the World Team is a real honour,’ said Smith whose repertoire of tube-riding, rail turns and above-the-lip manoeuvres are well suited to the picture-perfect waves at the Surf Ranch. ‘Our respective countries may not have the same numbers at the elite level as USA, Brazil and Australia, but we are able to draw from a huge talent pool. I’m frothing on the team aspect, it should be really exciting.’
The other five-person teams include Australia, USA, Brazil and Europe. The squad from ‘down-under’ is one of the strongest on paper with 11 World Titles between captain Stephanie Gilmore, Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, Matt Wilkinson and back-to-back WSL Champion Tyler Wright.
Brazil boasts two of the world’s most exciting surfers in captain Gabriel Medina, the 2014 WSL Champion, and Filipe Toledo, the winner and runner-up respectively of the Future Classic at the wavepool in September last year. Joining those two are 2015 WSL Champion Adriano de Souza, seasoned veteran Silvana Lima and one of the country’s best up-and-comers, Tiana Hinckel.
Team Europe has a combination of talent that spans across the continent, including one of the world’s best tuberiders Jeremy Flores (FRA) along with 2017 CT rookies Frederico Morais (PRT) and Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA). They are joined by a Californian charger representing her German heritage in Frankie Harrer (DEU) and they will be led by Johanne Defay (FRA), one of the most consistent and progressive women on the CT.
USA looks to keep the inaugural Founders’ Cup on home soil as they will be lead by the wave system visionary himself, 11-time WSL champion Kelly Slater. In his first event back after sustaining a foot injury last year, Slater leads a strong team including back-to-back WSL Champion John John Florence, three-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore, and two Californians Lakey Peterson (Santa Barbara), and CT veteran Kolohe Andino (San Clemente).
All of the action at the Founders’ Cup can be watched live via the internet from approximately 5pm (SA time) on each day, streamed across new WSL partner, Turner Sports’ Bleacher Report Live, and on WSL platforms, WorldSurfLeague.com and the WSL app.
Globally, the WSL’s Facebook page will live stream the event, and the event will be broadcast on television in more than 100 countries.
PHOTO: ©WSL/Rowland