Jordy Smith, Middles, Puerto Rico

A week-and-a-half ago, when Jordy Smith fell to the ground clutching his ankle at a charity event for the Santa Cruz youth, the rumour mill went into overtime with tonsils shaking about the end of the world title race and Jordy’s certain absence from the next WT event, the Rip Curl Pro Search, Puerto Rico. Jordy was at the O’Neill Cold Water Classic, held at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz, California, when he rolled his ankle playing a charity dodgeball game. Doin’ it for the kids. He withdrew from the contest to prevent further injury to the ankle, and opted to rest up so he’d be tip-top for the Puerto event. The above sequence was fired off by Ryan Miller during Jordy’s first turn, on his first wave, in his first heat of the Rip Curl Pro Search. Certainly seems as though the ankle’s recovered. – Elliot Struck