It was expected to be a heavyweight slug-fest – two of the tour’s biggest surfers going toe to toe at five-to-six foot Bells. Jordy Smith was obviously the favourite, but after Wade Carmichael monstered Tomas Hermes in round one there was already a scent of potential upset in the air.
Last year Jordy put himself in title contention by ignoring his progressive arsenal and sticking to the face. It was effective most of the time because no one could really match him for raw power, however this year he has the likes of Carmichael and Cardoso to contend with; two surfers with more potent weapons of mass destruction than Mr Smith.
Ultimately the result this morning came down to two critical moments. Carmichael crushed his first turn on both of his scoring waves, while Jordy didn’t find connection til further down the line. Wade’s surfing philosophy was simple. Carve deep and hold the rail and then hit the lip as hard as possible on the tricky inside section. Jordy adopted the same approach; Carmichael just did it better. Jordy made a point of questioning the judges about their scoring preferences after the heat but, while his turns may have had a touch of class and torque Carmichel’s lacked, there was no denying he had been overpowered by the Avoca natural footer.
Carmichael also showed plenty of tactical savvy, waiting patiently and holding priority through the middle of the heat and minimising Jordy’s opportunities to respond, then pushing Jordy too deep when he had the chance to capitalise with priority.
Post-heat Carmichael, who isn’t known for excessive verbosity, didn’t seem particularly overwhelmed by the fact he had just eliminated Jordy Smith and suggested he was focused on being in the lineup at solid Bells with one other guy. “When the sun came up I saw that it was cooking and I was pretty much just frothing to go surfing… just do my thing. ”
When asked if his style suited Bells he didn’t get too analytical; preferring to dwell on what he likes to do rather than what he feels he should do. “I’ve been coming here for years and I love doing hacks in the bowl and that’s all I want to do this comp… it is instinctive (surfing Bells) but I’m just telling myself to have fun and enjoy it.”
Talking to another journalist Carmichael suggested he was confident enough to go all the way and ring the Bell. His chances will hinge on the swell staying solid for the remainder of the event, but victory over last year’s bell-ringer certainly gives him good reason to believe he has the right formula to impress the judges.
Meanwhile Jordy was left to ponder how to get himself back into contention for the title. After his second consecutive third round loss the pressure is on and he can’t really afford another bad result. He was followed up the stairs by a forlorn looking coach, Chris Gallagher. What will Gally’s advice be for a struggling Jordy? As mentioned his power game has been neutralized by the presence of Cardoso and Carmichael. Even if they aren’t matched against Jordy it means the judges are no longer so surprised by Jordy’s hacks because they have seen similar turns performed in other heats. With nothing to lose from this point on it would be great to see him reintroduce some of the aerial variations and progression that made him one of the most exciting surfers on tour.
Meanwhile, Wade’s world just got a whole lot better.
