Jordy Smith, a moment of joy, Snapper Rocks, Australia

In round five of the Quiksilver Pro, Gold Coast, Joel Parkinson was leading South African Jordy Smith (pictured here) with a 9.67 and a 6.50. Jordy pushed through a deep tunnel and laid down a volley of turns to score a 9.17. The crowd lining the low-tide sand bank were torn – the hometown hero or the nu-school rockstar? With moments remaining, Jords was in need of a 7.10 to take the lead, and even the competitors in their closed-off area were on their toes.

It was the perfect showing of flare over trad. Parko, after a barrel ride and numerous  turns, did a low-key fist-pump claim, certain he’d won – Jordy, on the ropes, took off, planted a large finner-to-tailslide, a few gouges and a reverse, finishing with a small frontside punt. As he walked onto the sand, the score flashed on the large viewing screen – a 7.50. The shot you see above, taken by Ryan Miller, is the moment Jordy saw the score and realised he’d advanced to the next round.