Jordy Smith eased into gear as the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro Presented by Outerknown, Stop No. 6 on the World Surf League (WSL) 2024 Championship Tour (CT) at the iconic Teahupo’o in Tahiti. The current world number 6 unfortunately lost out in the round of 16 but walked away from the event full of confidence ahead of the upcoming Olympic Games
Jordy Smith of South Africa prior to surfing in Heat 3 of the Round of 16 at the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro. (c) Ed Sloane/World Surf League
Reflecting on his performance and the unique atmosphere, Smith remarked, “As far as the feeling goes, being there for that comp felt a little different than in the past. I think everyone’s mindset definitely had a little more emphasis on preparation,” he said. “Just knowing that we are going back there pretty shortly … I left my equipment there so that when I arrive, it’s kind of everything’s waiting.”
We quizzed Jordy on the vibe among the surfers at the event, asking whether it was different (than in the past) knowing that they would soon be competing against each other as part of the biggest sporting event in the world. “I think it’s always the same here in Tahiti and at Teahupo’o. It feels pretty electric, especially when there are waves, everyone wants to get a great barrel. The energy is pretty high. Even more so on land, in and around town, everyone seemed pretty happy and excited about the Olympics coming. There’s a lot of building taking place and preparations from all the teams. You could see that things are ramping up,” Smith added.
Teahupo’o – what a place. (c) Ed Sloane/World Surf League
While his result might not speak it, the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro Presented by Outerknown still served as an ideal opportunity for Smith to fine-tune his equipment ahead of the Olympics. “Yeah, as far as the boards go, this event really gave us the time to prepare and make sure that when the Olympics start, our equipment’s kind of dialled and ready to go. Or change some of the things that we may be lacking in our equipment,” he explained.
The SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro was eventually won by, Italo Ferreira (BRA). Ferreira had only made Finals Day once in 2024 and was sitting at 16th on the rankings. The 2019 World Champion was in desperate need of a big result if he was to be any chance of booking a spot in this year’s Lexus WSL Finals. He started the day with huge wins in his Round of 16 and Quarterfinal heats and built unstoppable momentum on his way to his first Final in Tahiti. The win today propelled Ferreira 11 spots up the rankings into the 5th spot with three events remaining on the schedule before the one-day, winner-take-all Championship event.
Could we see another day like this during the Olympics? (c) Ed Sloane/World Surf League
According to Jordy, while it has been controversial on many fronts and potentially polarising, the decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host the surfing event of the upcoming ‘Paris 2024’ Olympic Games at Teahupo’o, shows their commitment to ensuring the sport’s credibility on the world stage
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