Jordy Smith Delivers Perfect 20 Point Heat in Epic Surf at Corona Open J-Bay
World’s Best Produce Four 10 Point Rides in Double Overhead Waves
Competition Called Off After Shark Sighting

A sensational day of action played out at the Corona Open J-Bay, stop No. 6 on the 2017 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), as the world’s best surfers delivered four perfect 10-point rides in epic double overhead waves at Supertubes in Jeffreys Bay on Tuesday. 

South Africa’s Jordy Smith (Durban) created history by recording the first perfect 20 point heat total at Jeffreys Bay and competition ran through Round 3 and the opening two heats of Round 4 before being called off when a shark was sighted breaching about 100 metres outside the competition area.

Smith, the two-time event winner (2010 and 2011) and current No. 3 on the Jeep Leaderboard, posted his PERFECT 20 heat total in his Round 3 match-up with 2017 WSL Rookie Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA). This is only the 10th time the feat has been achieved in 40-plus years of professional surfing, the first time anyone has earned a Perfect 20 at J-Bay and the first ever perfect heat for Smith. 

Despite a strong opening from Fioravanti, the hometown hero found the best waves of the heat to deliver two perfect rides. First Smith laid down two huge turns and a deep barrel for 10 points followed quickly by a display of his incredible power surfing and two more barrels for another Perfect 10 to seal his victory and his place in the history books.

“It feels absolutely phenomenal,” said Smith. “Just be to here at J-Bay where the waves are firing and to have that opportunity is incredible. To do it, to get twenty points in front of all my friends and family and all these local fans, is also just such an amazing thing. It’s Mandela Day today, and I think Madiba was looking out for me and sent me the bombs today.

“My first two heats in the event were really slow and to get blessed with that was absolutely amazing. You go out there and give it absolutely everything you’ve got. I don’t want to take anything away from Leo (Fioravanti), he’s an absolutely amazing surfer, especially on the rail, so I just had to do my best surfing. This heat I was just fortunate to get the bombs. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would get a Perfect 20 and to get it here at J-Bay makes it extra special.”

Fioravanti was equally elated about the quality of the on offer at Supertubes.

“The waves were perfect and it was a great heat,” said Fioravanti. “I knew two 8’s weren’t going to cut it. Every time we had an exchange he always seemed to get the edge even though. Jordy Smith is one of the best out there so I just went out there trying to surf my best but he got two 10’s and made history out there. It’s such an incredible place so we’re so lucky to be here. That was the best heat I’ve ever surfed so I’m stoked to be part of it. I can’t wait to get over to Tahiti now.”

An unbelievable clash played out in Heat 2 of Round 4 between reigning WSL Champion John John Florence (HAW), three-time WSL Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) and Frederico Morais (PRT). The rookie opened with a near-perfect 9.60 for an early lead but Florence stormed into first place with his first Perfect 10 of the year. Morais came back with another big score, a 9.47, and reclaimed the top spot while Fanning, a four-time event winner, put on a clinic and locked in an excellent 9.73 to get himself back in the heat. The two world champions could not better their scores and the rookie won the heat and claimed his place in the Quarterfinals. Fanning and Florence will surf again in Round 5 when competition resumes.

“It was probably the best heat of my life against Mick (Fanning) and John (Florence),” Morais said. “It can’t get any better than that with John getting a 10, me with two nines and Mick was ripping too. The last two heats I didn’t feel like I was surfing my best so I knew I had to give everything and be perfect in this round and that’s what I did. Finally I feel like I’ve been doing my real surfing.”

2014 WSL Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) battled Owen Wright (AUS) and 2017 WSL Rookie Joan Duru (FRA) in the Round 4 Heat 1 in an all goofy affair. Wright was the first surfer to go into the excellent range but Duru, looking to break into the Quarterfinals for the second time season, stole the advantage. After a slow start Medina found two barrels and a series of incredible turns for a 9.07 and the lead. Duru continued to hunt down the 8.91 required but a big ride in the final minutes of the heat fell short and the Brazilian took the heat win with an excellent 9.67. Wright and Duru will surf again in Round 5.

“I’ve been surfing a lot recently to try out my boards,” said Medina. “It’s a bit tricky out there but when you find it, it's so good. I knew it was going to be a tough heat against Owen (Wright) and Joan (Duru) so I’m really happy. I tried to be patient and was trying to pick the good ones, which is hard. Every wave is really good so it’s hard. It’s the best feeling when you finish your last turn and you know it was a good wave.”

Rookie Duru previously caused a big upset in Round 3 when he put a serious dent in Adriano de Souza’s (BRA) title campaign and eliminated the Brazilian in a rematch of their 2012 Qualifying Series final at Jeffreys Bay. Both of the surfers had plenty of opportunities, but it was Duru who found two solid seven-point scores that the 2015 WSL Champion was not able to match and he is sent home in 13th place.

“I was pretty nervous because I lost to Adriano (de Souza) like this five years ago here,” said Duru. “I got lucky this time and the waves are pumping to it’s going to be a crazy day.”

Earlier in the day Round 3 saw its share of big scores with Julian Wilson (AUS) posting a Perfect 10 of his own in his heat against Jeremy Flores (FRA). The Australian, currently in 8th place on the Jeep Leaderboard, is yet to make it past the Quarterfinals this season and today’s third round victory is a step in the right direction.

“What a magic week, that was such a beautiful wave,” said Wilson. "It was such a nice feeling the way the wave lined up for me. I felt like I had a pretty good read on the conditions out there and there’s room for me to improve so I’m just going to focus on my own game.”

Conner Coffin (USA) also delivered big scores and posted two excellent nine-point rides in the opening 20 minutes of his Round 3 heat to eliminate 2012 WSL Champion Joel Parkinson (AUS) from the competition. The two-time event winner and current No. 6 on the Jeep Leaderboard was left in a combination situation and is sent home with his second 13th place finish of the year.

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” Coffin said. “That was unreal, I was just so excited. I love surfing against those guys. Parko (Joel Parkinson ) is one of the best surfers out there so it awesome to have a heat with him. We both love surfing this wave more than any other on the planet so it was a really fun heat. I’m so happy to be here and having so much fun, it’s a dream come true.”

No. 1 on the Jeep Leaderboard, Matt Wilkinson (AUS), also made it through Round 3 by defeating Jack Freestone (AUS) in Heat 12 with a 16.54 heat total.

“That’s a pretty scary round because it’s the difference between a result and a throwaway,” said Wilkinson. “It’s really intense being in the last heat of the day because I’ve been watching all day, which was tough. Jack (Freestone) is a great surfer and anyone on their forehand is a danger out there so I knew I would stick to big turns. The waves are just so good and I’m stoked to get to go back out there.”

Heat 3 of Round 4 was called off following a shark sighting and, following protocol, the response team was activated and the heat was called off.

“Judges and ski drivers saw a shark breach about 100 yards out behind the lineup so the heat was put on hold,” said WSL Commissioner Kieren Perrow. “We’ve made the decision that we’re not going to restart the heat again today and we’ll come back tomorrow when there will still be great waves on offer.”

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. local time to assess conditions and make the next call.

Surfline, official forecaster for the Corona Open J-Bay, are calling for:

Early Wednesday should still have good size surf, although we do expect to see a dropping trend through the day. Conditions will be favourable through most of the day, with a brief period NW flow early morning possible. 

The event will be broadcast LIVE via WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL app and on Facebook LIVE via the WSL's Facebook page. 

For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com.

Corona Open J-Bay Round 3 Results:
Heat 1: Joan Duru (FRA) 15.50 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.40
Heat 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.83 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 12.57
Heat 3: Owen Wright (AUS) 16.83 def. Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 9.67
Heat 4: Frederico Morais (PRT) 13.07 def. Connor O’Leary (AUS) 12.16
Heat 5: Mick Fanning (AUS) 14.24 def. Caio Ibelli (BRA) 12.67
Heat  6: John John Florence (HAW) 18.27 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 9.94
Heat  7: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 20.00 def. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 16.17
Heat  8: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Kelly Slater (USA) INJ
Heat  9: Julian Wilson (AUS) 18.27 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 15.30
Heat 10: Conner Coffin (USA) 18.67 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.90
Heat 11: Michel Bourez (PYF) 16.73 def. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 16.07
Heat 12: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 16.54 def. Jack Freestone (AUS) 13.47

Corona Open J-Bay Round 4 Results:
Heat 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 18.74, Joan Duru (FRA) 16.07, Owen Wright (AUS) 13.10
Heat 2: Frederico Morais (PRT) 19.07, John John Florence (HAW) 17.17, Mick Fanning (AUS) 14.90

Corona Open J-Bay Upcoming Round 4 Match-Ups:
Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Filipe Toledo (BRA), Julian Wilson (AUS)
Heat 4: Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Conner Coffin (USA), Michel Bourez (PYF)

WILLARD BEACH, Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal / South-Africa (Saturday, July 8, 2017) — Jordy Smith (ZAF) won the Ballito Pro pres. by Billabong in front of a packed beach of partisan spectators today, defeating powerful Brazilian Willian Cardoso (BRA) in a pulsating final to add the 2017 event title to his previous victory in 2010.
 
The big South African overcame a stomach bug that almost derailed his charge in mid week to reach the final of the first World Surf League (WSL) QS10,000 rated event of the year where he used his trademark repertoire of aerial manoeuvres to post an impressive heat total 18.06, including near perfect 9.73.
 
“I had a bit of a slow start, but I ended up sticking that first air and from there I was actually enjoying my surf out there and just taking my time as the waves came through,” said Smith. “Eventually I got that one wave with a nice section and got one of the biggest ramps all week and just went for it and I landed it.
 
“I’m really happy with my performance this week and hopefully I can take this momentum to J-Bay. Willian is a tenacious competitor as all the Brazilians are. He’s one of the most powerful surfers in the world and we’re both bigger guys so we were matching fire with fire.
 
“It’s such an honour winning this event with so many of my friends and family here. Thanks so much to everyone who’s come down to the event, your support makes a huge difference for us local surfers.”
 
His haul of 10,000 points sees Smith jump straight into fifth position on the QS rankings along with a massive boost of confidence as he heads to Jeffreys Bay for Stop No. 6 of 11 on the WSL Championship Tour (CT) starting on Wednesday where he is a former two-time event winner (2010 & 2011). 
 
While he was disappointed not to claim the win, Cardoso was happy with his runner-up finish which bumped him up into No. 2 on the QS rankings heading into the second half of the year.
 
“I knew with Jordy it was going to be crazy in that heat and I tried to find the really good waves, but I just found one,” said Cardoso. “I’m just super stoked to be in the final, it’s been about two years since I was in a final so it’s really good to be in that position again. 
 
“This result puts me in a really good position, but I’ve been in this position before so I hope to get more results in the next two primes (QS10,000 rated events) and a few 6 stars so I can go to Hawaii at the end of the year relaxed.”
 
Cardoso’s patented power moves saw him charge past Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) in the quarterfinals and Mikey Wright (AUS) in the semifinals on his way to the final.
 
Wright had delivered the highest single ride and heat total in the event with his blend of powerful carves and progressive aerial manoeuvres. But the brother of reigning  WSL Women’s World Champion, Tyler, and men’s world title contender, Owen, came up just short against Cardoso and finished equal third at Ballito.
 
“I went out there to do my thing and catch a few waves, but I didn’t really catch the fun waves that I wanted to. I got a little ramp halfway through the heat, but I fell on the landing. Willian was surfing really good and I’m stoked for him,” said Wright. “This result gives me a lot of confidence. It’s my first year doing all the QS events and this is a really good setup for the rest of the year. I’m just going to try and keep it going.”
 
Crowd favourite Michael February (ZAF) had an incredible run through the event, posting his career-best result on his way to third place after suffering a narrow loss to Smith in their all-South African semifinal encounter. The Capetonian matched Smith ride-for-ride in the early stages before the heat burst into life in the last five minutes with a flurry of rides that saw Smith nail down his berth in the final with back-to back excellent rides that February could not equal as time ran out.
 
“When you surf against Jordy you’ve got to be at your best, he’s so good, and it was pretty cool to watch him from the water,” said February. “It’s awesome to surf against him because he is such an amazing surfer. And to have a heat against him at this stage of the contest is really good for me. At the end of the contest you’re always going to surf against the best in the world, and Jordy is definitely one of them. 
 
“It boosts my confidence so much making semis in a 10 000 and I’m looking forward to keeping the positive vibes going, taking everything I learned from this event and just keep it going. It gets pretty busy now, it’s the US Open and after that the European leg so that’s my focus now, and then Hawaii. I had some nice words from Jordy after that heat which was really cool from someone I look up to, it gives you that extra push.”
 
His third place finish saw February leapfrog from 21st to No. 4 on the QS rankings, giving him an solid base from which to challenge for a place in top 10 in the yearend rankings and qualification for the elite CT
 
“Secretly I was a little bummed for Mikey February. I would have liked to be in the finals with him but that’s just the way our sport goes,” commented Smith on his compatriot. “I just wish him all the best, I really hope he brings it and joins me on the tour next year. He’s got the ability and the confidence to go all the way.”
 
Full results, video footage, photos and news from the Ballito Pro pres. by Billabong can be found at www.worldsurfleague.com and on the WSL App.
 
BALLITO PRO PRES. BY BILLABONG FINAL RESULTS:
1 - Jordy Smith (ZAF) 18.06
2 - Willian Cardoso (BRA) 15.37

BALLITO PRO PRES. BY BILLABONG SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.10 def. Michael February (ZAF) 13.10
SF 2: Willian Cardoso (BRA) 14.00 def. Mikey Wright (AUS) 10.84

BALLITO PRO PRES. BY BILLABONG QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Michael February (ZAF) 15.33 def. Jesse Mendes (BRA) 12.43
QF 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.50 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 14.20
QF 3: Mikey Wright (AUS) 14.66 def. Wade Carmichael (AUS) 6.70
QF 4: Willian Cardoso (BRA) 15.83 def. Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) 12.77