Jordy Smith shone as the men’s Corona Open J-Bay completed Rounds 3 and 4 in pumping 1.3-2 metre waves at the world-famous Supertubes to determine the quarter-finalists of stop No6 on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT).
In an All-Star heat to open Round 4 South Africa’s Jordy Smith put in a scintillating performance of high performance surfing to grab second place behind Conner Coffin (US) as the pair eliminated former world champion and two-time Jeffreys Bay winner Joel Parkinson of Australia from the event.
Smith delivered the highest score of the 40-minute encounter, an excellent 8.33 out of 10, for a ride that saw the 2010 and 2011 J-Bay champ carve the wave up with powerful turns and finish with a gravity-defying close-out manoeuvre 300 metres down the rock-lined Supertubes point.
Coffin celebrated American Independence Day in style by posting two excellent rides of his own, an 8.0 and an 8.03, to squeak just 0.47 of a point ahead of Smith in the final tally while Parkinson, who announced that he will retire at the end of the year, finished his final competitive heat at Jeffreys Bay in third place..
‘What an honour to surf against those guys at pumping J-Bay,’ said Coffin. ‘It doesn’t get any better than that. To surf with Parko (Joel Parkinson) after he’s announced his retirement is such an honour. It has been so cool for me to get to know him. He is such a cool guy.’
Parkinson’s ninth place result marks his final time competing at J-Bay, the event that launched his career in 1999 when, as a 19-year-old, he won his first event.
‘Those guys have become my favourite J-Bay surfers of the modern era, so to be against them was just an enjoyable heat,’ said Parkinson.
‘The saddest thing about that heat is knowing that was the last time I’ll ever have priority at J-Bay. I know it is fresh, a loss, but I feel like I’ve won. I’m so thankful for all my family on the beach. I’m really stoked for what this wave has done for me. The career I’ve had here, I am proud of myself for it.’
Current Jeep ranking leader Julian Wilson of Australia won the second Round 4 heat and he and Smith, who’ve been adversaries since they were in their early teens, will do battle when the event resumes with the winner of the clash progressing to the semi-finals.
Defending event winner Filipe Toledo of Brazil revelled in the outstanding surf pouring through the line-up. Finding one of the largest waves of the day, Toledo produced his own special brand of magic that the judges rewarded with a near-perfect 9.50 and the heat win
That set up an all-Brazilian quarter-final against 2014 WSL champion Gabriel Medina, who was runner-up to an on-fire Kanoa Igarashi (JPN ).
The Japanese surfer posted the highest heat total of the event so far, 18.04 out of 20, and will take on Hawaii’s Sebastian Zietz in the fourth quarter-final.
The WSL Commissioner’s Office reconvened early on Thursday morning to reassess conditions and make the next call on when to get the remainder of the event underway.
Photo: Smith in action at J-Bay, by WSL/Cestari