France and the Quiksilver Pro weren’t kind to Jordy Smith. He went in as the Jeep Leaderboard numero uno, and was defeated by a local wild card. Even worse, Marc Lacomare ultimately beat him with a blocking move.
Jordy was on the hunt for a 7.11, a very achievable score in the firing conditions, and he had been surfing on-point thus far, smashing his first round heat against Lacomare and Kanoa Igarashi and had been showing wild free surfing skills around the contest site. A wave came through that Jordy liked, but Lacomare had priority. Jordy paddled with intent and Lacomare paddled with him. At the last instant Jordy pulled out as Lacomare had firmly established his intent, but then the wildcard pulled back along with Jordy.
The ruling states that when using a blocking tactic, the priority changes from the surfer doing the blocking to the surfer being blocked. Jordy assumed priority thereafter, but it doesn’t help if there are no more good waves to be ridden in the heat. So Jordy was out.
Then the attention moved back to John John, and ultimately focused on Gabriel, as the winner of the event and a great climb up the rankings of five places to number three, behind Jordy and ahead of Owen Wright. With the rest of the narrative thereafter emanating from the event being focused on the two, it’s almost as if Jordy is out the game.
Let’s examine.
John John has 49,900 points with Jordy on 47,600. Gabby had 40,750. There are two events left with 10,000 points for a first place finish, to state the obvious.
Last year John John won Portugal, against Connor Coffin. Jordy was in the semi-final against Coffin.
In 2015 John John finished lowly, while Jordy didn't surf due to injury.
In 2014 Jordy got a second and John John got a third. In other words, they both like Supertubos.
Last year at Pipe John John and Jordy both got a fifth place finish. The year before John John placed ninth, while Jordy came in thirteenth. Gabby got a second.
The point being, while Jordy lost the yellow jersey in France, this party is far from over. His results in Portugal and Pipe match John John’s pretty much, and he has been showing the best form ever the whole year, and he has plenty left in him to give. John John’s surfing is looking fucking dynamic, there’s not too many other ways to look at it, and he has an arsenal behind him when it comes to Hawaii, more so than Jordy and Gabriel. However, it doesn't always come through in the Championship Tour events at Pipe.
Either way, it is turning out to be one of the most electrifying world title runs in years. Sometimes scrappy, sometimes unpolished, but with loads unexpected twists and turns. Enough to keep everyone in the drama.
Portugal starts October 20th.
* Jol – a word that the South Africans use for party, or to express; "I'm having a good time."
