Jordy Smith’s YouTube Channel Is Scandalously Underappreciated

Who woulda thought, back in 2007, when a British kid went viral lamenting his brother Charlie’s finger nibble, that YouTube would become the undisputed headquarters of surf cinema?

The times are odd, no question, but they’re the only times we’ve got. Among the noise of channels and self-important vlogs, it’s 37-year-old Jordy Smith’s that deserves the privilege of your mental real estate.

Jordy cranks out high-production clips, mostly from his time at home in South Africa, always, as expected, with an absurdly high level of surfing.

His latest is a 4-minute, single-session clip from some remote, very shallow-looking beach break up the West Coast of South Africa.

“When you go to new spots, it’s always something fresh and that’s the exciting part of hunting for new spots,” says Jordy. “You just don’t know if you will score or not.” 

Jordy also claims he hasn’t looked left once since Finals Day in Fiji last year. “Living in South Africa, there’s no options for lefts here. It’s the land of right points.”

So, he should be in prime shape for the first half of the CT, which, aside from Raglan, is basically a tour of right-handers, exactly what Jordy’s been logging hours on back home. And with John out of the picture, could Jordy be Pyzel’s iron-branded stallion on tour this year?

“Pyzel has offered to make me some boards with John being off tour,” says Jordy. “And I’m sure I will dabble with a few others. At this point, I’ve been working with my dad at SMTH Shapes on a few things. But it always excites me when other shapes want to make me some boards.”