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Jordy Smith goes two from two and keeps the Billabong Pro trophy in South Africa |
Photos. ASP
After all the cursing of Huey over the last week, he decided to show us exactly what he is made of. We knew today would be stormy, but didn’t expect the surge until midday. Right now scaffoldings to VIP areas are closed off because of the wind, should-be covered areas are flooded with sideways rain and the few game spectators who want to see a champion crowned are cowering from the rain in font of TV screens located in the onsite shops. The line to get a coffee spans out into the rain and the poor blokes manning the espresso machine are pushed beyond their capabilities – this is one wild and woolly South Africa.
On days like today, I feel for the shooters. Whilst, writers, bloggers and tweeters like myself all stuff ourselves into the media room and watch the contest via the webcast, the photographers don makeshift raincoats, and come up with caveman-like contraptions to keep their gear dry simply to take photos of a grey, stormy ocean. But people need their surfing fix right?
Jordy dominates his first heat with a local knowledge of these conditions. His game plan is to catch anything and catch everything. Damien Hobgood in the mean time struggles on his backhand Jordy is one step closer to a second win on home soil.
Ace is on fire. He is the only goofy left in the event and the odds were stacked against him when he came up against an in form Julian Wilson who is hungry for his first world tour scalp. It’s hard to see the action from the few dry vantage points available and the camera’s struggle to keep the surfers in focus through the rain. Julian and Ace have no idea their heat has started and by the end of it have no idea who scored what. They shake hands on the beach and hope for the best, but Ace gets the nod. Julian is out but he has definitely left a mark of what he is capable of on tour.
I find myself sheltering with team Parko for his quarter final against Alejo Muniz and it has the feeling of a winning team. Occ’s on the mic, Luey’s confidant in his soldier and Monica Parkinson chuckles at Joel’s dominance of the heat. It’s Andy’s birthday and we all know it’s added an extra driving force for Joel to win. However he will have to take down his mate Mick Fanning in the semis first after his solid performance against Josh Kerr.
Things do not go as planned for team Parko. Half way through the semi, Joel looked good. He had banked a solid score and an ok back up and Mick had fallen on his. Joel has the win ratio in his favour against Mick but it’s not enough to see him through. Mick picks off a bomb and he squeezes the most out of every section. Mick secures his place in the final against Jordy and Joel heads for cover and warmth.
The heavens really open up for the final. There are some shivering people around the contest site, but the locals don’t mind. They want their fellow South African to hold onto the trophy. Right from the get go, it looks like he will too. Despite a controversial priority call against Mick, Jordy dominates the heat. In the final 30 seconds a wave comes to Mick and we sit with our hearts in our mouths. He kicks off knowing full well he won’t get the score required and as the ocean goes flat, the South African crowd stand and cheer. Their boy has done them proud and he remains their champion.
