Jordy Smith, an 18-year Championship Tour veteran, has been contemplative of late. The father of two has publicly talked about having to mature, and that his greatest accomplishment won’t come from surfing. It will be how he raises his family. 

In the world of professional sports, that kind of reflection usually means an athlete is close to, or at least considering, hanging it up. But in the final of the Surf City El Salvador Pro against a compatriot nine years his junior, Jordy proved he’s not going anywhere yet. Leaning into his power, agility and expertise on right points, the 37-year-old won his first CT event since Bells in 2017. 

After defeating Cole Houshmand in the semis, Jordy faced Matthew McGillivray in the all-South African final. On paper and in the water, it was an intriguing matchup. Matthew’s style will never be confused with the flow of Ethan Ewing (or Jordy), but he undeniably throws everything he has into those big frontside hooks. He cleaved his way past both Colapinto brothers and event favorite Yago Dora to get to his first CT final. It felt like anyone’s heat. 

Matthew had played a smart game in the first semifinal against Crosby Colapinto, who caught what I believe was a criminally underscored wave — a triple barrel in the dreamiest, cleanest conditions you’ve ever seen Punta Roca. And yet, nothing is certain in the ocean, much less on the CT. While the vision was beautiful, the judges saw a lack of critical sections and snaps. The score was a mere 7.67, and Crosby did not find a backup. Other than that wave, he couldn’t match Matthew’s read. 

By the time the men’s final game rolled around, however, the wind had gone from glorious offshore to tedious onshore chop. But there was still enough size to retain some punch, and Jordy came out swinging. It remained fairly close for most of the heat, but the Big Bru ultimately prevailed 14.26 to 9.33. 

It wasn’t just his intuition and wave selection that stood out, it was his nimbleness and athleticism at 6’3” and 194 pounds. Case in point: the massive fin-ditch layback that sealed the deal. The score was only a 6.93, but it represented a whole lot more. It was kind of high-level surfing we’ve seen from Jordy from years of videos, but it hasn’t come to fruition in heats. On Saturday, that changed, and it brought him to tears.

In the women’s final, raw power also prevailed. Gabriela Bryan and Isabella Nichols went blow for blow as the wind crumbled lips and tore up the wave face. Isabella looked smoother in her transitions, but Gabriela consistently hit the bigger sections. Midway through, Gabriela buckled her go-to Mayhem. She swapped it out and immediately caught the best wave of the heat, a 7.83 for her trademark hooks. 

The wins propelled Jordy and Gabriela into top five slots on the rankings. Jordy lept seven spots to No. 5, Gabriela went up three to No. 2. Up next? More rights, all in Australia. The Aussie leg starts at Bells Beach this month, then Snapper Burleigh and Margaret River. Only three more events before the cut.

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