Jordy Smith set off one of the biggest bidding wars in industry history after winning the World Junior Championship in 2006 and the Qualifying Series in 2007. Though he was being lobbied by the likes of Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan to join Nike, he elected to go with O’Neill, who he’s been with ever since. He earned his first two Championship Tour wins in front of a home-country crowd at Jeffreys Bay, South Africa.

The large, powerful regular footer from Durban who’s known for speaking his mind is a two-time runner up to the World Title (2010, 2016). But after his breakout 2010 season, where he came second to Kelly Slater, Smith endured a string of injuries that nagged him for five years. In 2015 the issues compounded into serious pain in his back, and he was forced to sit out half the season to mend.

In 2016, his first full year back, he finished runner-up again, this time to John John Florence. Smith turned in three more Top 5 finishes in 2017 and 2018. In 2019 he was selected to represent South Africa at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games and gained yet another top-five finish.

However, yet again, injury struck at the cruelest of times. After a strong start to 2021, a knee injury saw him miss both the Olympic Games and the WSL Finals. Yet again Smith put the disappointment behind him and vowed to come back stronger than ever.

Instagram: @jordysmith88