Here’s the Wave That Took Jordy Smith Out of the Olympics – TheInertia.com

I think the place you grow up and the style of waves you grow up surfing definitely molds you into the type of surfer that you become. That sentiment, courtesy of Jordy Smith, could not be more evident in Jordy Smiths surfing. Smith is a power surfers power surfer big turns, incredible amounts of speed, and the kind of surfing that comes from the thighs.

He grew up in Durban, South Africa. Its a place full of punchy beachbreaks and sandbars that create freight train right-hand tubes. In the most recent episode of Silver Linings, Smith goes from Cape Town to Durban to chase an east swell that was lining up just about perfectly. Unfortunately, however, the familiarity he has with the waves he grew up surfing doesnt mean that hes invincible in them. And on this particular trip, he got hurt so badly he had to pull out of the Olympics something that was surely a very hard decision.

When I initially took off on the wave, he remembered, I thought, oh, this is going to be the wave of the day. I asked a friend if he was going to go at the very last minute. It was his turn to go, but he said no, no, no. So I spun and went and pulled into the barrel. Next thing, I saw the doggy door, saw a little light. Tried to squeak out and as Im trying to squeak out, the whole lip just landed right on the side of me. I just fell and hit the deck. It was this loud crack. In my mind, Im like, no, no, Im fine. Just gotta paddle it off. Youll be fine. I tried to stand up on the next two-three waves, but I just knew at that point that something had happened.

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Here's the Wave That Took Jordy Smith Out of the Olympics - TheInertia.com