Jordy Smith On Being In Contention For “The Most Barreled Surfer Of 2020”

“I’d say I’m in contention for being the Most Barreled Surfer of 2020,” Jordy Smith plainly claims. 

After spending the early days of the pandemic at his home at Log Cabins, while the North Shore enjoyed what many called the best late-season in decades, Jordy returned to South Africa, and after a two-week quarantine in Johannesburg proceeded to bleed his homeland dry.

For the last four months Jordy has crisscrossed across the southern tip of the African continent, from Cape Town to Durban, Durban to J-Bay, back and forth, and back and forth (“headlocking” legendary SA lensman Paul Daniels for many of these delirously long hauls across South Africa). 

It’s been a decade and a half since Jordy was home for his native South Africa’s high winter season, and it has been serendipitous indeed that it has coincided with their best winter in decades. Four months of pumping surf, good winds, and “the whole stretch of South Africa” enjoying the best sandbanks in recent memory.

“They’re calling the the best winter in twenty years” – Jordy Smith

For this episode of No Contest we’re joined by Jordy’s childhood competitor, longtime best friend, and current manager/handler, Damien “Dooma” Fahrenfort, from his home in Topanga, California, where he maintains a roster of surfers that include Mikey February and Jordy, as well as a handful of new entrepreneurial endeavors such as Kirra, and his thoroughly intelligent surf-centric podcast, Surf Center. 

Amongst other things, Jordy and Dooma discuss the good work that both Jordy and Dooma are involved in, with Tom Hewitt and Surfers Not Street Children, as well as Let’s Feed J-Bay, an effort headed up by Jeffrey’s Bay Matron Saint, and legendary Billabong South Africa matriarch Cheron Kraak. 

“She’s truly one of a kind.” Jeffrey’s Bay iconic matron saint, Cheron Kraak.

“If you’ve ever been to J-Bay, or you ever plan on going to J-Bay, you need to donate,” Dooma says of the dire economic situation in Jeffreys Bay, after travel restrictions cut off the international tourism dollars the small surf community relies on. 

Donate here, a few dollars goes a very long way.