Press Release

Jordy Smith (Dbn) is carried up the beach after winning the 2010 Mr Price Pro Ballito defeating Casey Grant (Scottburgh) in the Final. Image Credit: © Kelly Cestari

Jordy Smith (Dbn) lifts the 2010 Mr Price Pro Ballito trophy after defeating Casey Grant (Scottburgh) (pictured left) while KwaDukuza Mayor Cllr Thulani Khuluse (pictured right) cheers him on during prizegiving. Image Credit: © Kelly Cestari

BALLITO, KwaDukuza Saturday July 10, 2010 – Twenty- two-year old Jordy Smith (Dbn) etched his name into the history books Saturday whenhe became only the third ever South African winner of the Mr Price Pro Ballito. His victory in this five star International event moved him into the No. 1 position on the ASP One World Rankings.

Smith defeated South Coast star Casey Grant (Scottburgh) in the final to claim an emotional victory before his home crowd. Riding high on the shoulders of his friends, some of Durban’s finest surfers, Smith claimed the win and pocketed the R121 000 winner’s cheque.

“I haven’t won an event in front of my home crowd since I was fifteen,” Smith said (Smith won the ISA World Junior Championships in Durban). “This is just wild! I am so happy right now I don’t event know what to say!”

A standout from start to finish, the powerful natural-footer who is 188 cm tall, used his experience to wait patiently for the better-set waves. Unleashing a devastating combination of power carves and fin drifts, in the first 13 minutes of the heat Smith posted 7.50 and 6.33 (out of ten) scores off the bat, which left Grant needing a combination of two scoring rides.

Grant clawed his way back with an impressive three-second barrel ride to score a 7.33 but it was not to be for the 21-year-old. Smith replaced his 6.33 score with a 7.93 which the judges gave him for a series of savage on the rail carves to seal his victory.

“Casey has been one of the most outstanding surfers of this event and I knew I had to bring my A game against him,” Smith said.

Despite damaging his board during the semi finals, as well as breaking his favourite board during a free surfing session earlier in the week, Smith looked comfortable and in control throughout the week long contest which enjoyed some of the best surfing conditions the KwaDukuza coastline has to offer.

“I haven’t had waves this good for a while, I’ve been travelling all around the world and it’s crazy to say that the best waves in the world are in my back yard,” Smith said. “We’re so lucky we’ve had the opportunity to surf here and I’m really happy that a South African won and made the finals.”

Advancing into World No. 1 on the ASP One World Rankings, Smith’s result puts him in a fantastic position heading into the next World Tour stop the Billabong Pro Jeffrey’s Bay next week.

“Its great to be at number one but it’s a long road ahead,” Smith said. “I kinda look at it like boxing. There are 12 rounds and we’ve only been through four so there’s plenty more to go and you have to hang tight.”

Standing shoulder to shoulder with his surfing icon, Grant could not have been happier with his runner-up result. While he could barely afford to buy a cup of full breakfast on the morning of the final his runner up spot made him R68 222 .

“I never dreamed I would be up here alongside Jordy,” Grant said. “It’s such an honour because I have looked up to him my whole life. It’s been an amazing day and I can’t wait till that prize money comes in! It’s been a blessing to be in contention for the title and to win all this money. Words cant even described how stoked I am right now!”

Picked by the international judging panel as the next big talent to come out of South Africa, Grant displayed incredible flair and style throughout the event, recording one of the single highest wave scores of the competition, a 9.33, earlier in the week.

“It’s definitely given me a lot of confidence and a lot of people have said to me I better start stepping it up,” Grant said. “I think I’ll be doing a few more events this year and then hit the Star Tour full time in 2011.”

Placing equal fifth today were Royden Bryson (EL) and Klee Strachan (Winkelspruit) both of whom took home R34 112 .

After an impressive victory over Damien Fahrenfort (Dbn) during the quarterfinals, Bryson proved no match for Smith during their semi final.

2008 ASP Africa Pro Junior Champion Klee Strachan found himself on the losing end of a seesaw battle against Grant as the pair of South Coast surfers went toe-to-toe with almost identical scores. Eventually it was Grant’s 7.17 score that eliminated Strachan.

Damien Fahrenfort (CT), Greg Emslie (EL) and Beyrick De Vries (Umhl) took top honours during the Island Tribe Expression Session, earning R7000 each.

- ends

RESULTS

Quarterfinals
Heat 2: Royden Bryson (ZAF) 11.00 def Damien Fahrenfort (ZAF) 8.60
Heat 3: Casey Grant (ZAF) 14.50 def Travis Logie (ZAF) 12.20
Heat 4: Klee Strachan (ZAF) 8.74 def Brendon Gibbens (ZAF) 8.64

Semifinals
Heat 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.83 def Royden Bryson (ZAF) 11.50
Heat 2: Casey Grant (ZAF) 13.34 def Klee Strachan (ZAF) 11.16

Finals
Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.43 def Casey Grant (ZAF) 12.43