During the recent 6-star swing through Southern California in August we had a chance to talk with with Jordy Smith and Kelly Slater about their 2010 world tour campaigns. With both staring at a possible world title we wanted to get a status report on their mental state at the halfway point of the season.
In our last interview with Jordy back in May, we found him watching Invictus at home when we arrived. The 2009 film is is a compelling reminder of the power of sports to bring people together. In this case, it was the South African rugby team's historic victory at the 1995 World Cup, which, with help of Nelson Mandela, ultimately played a big role in giving the fledgling new republic of South Africa a sense of unity and global pride.
Jordy was only 7-years-old when it happened, and though he can recall a bit of the celebration, the true weight of the story and his country's massive journey hadn't registered until that very day as he sat watching in his living room a half-world away.
And little did Jordy know he'd be starring in his own miniature version of the film one month later, shortly after the entire globe turned its eyes to South Africa for the World Cup. By winning the Billabong Pro at Jeffreys Bay one week after the country's biggest bash ever, Smith became the number one ranked surfer in the world. His takeover of the world rankings kept the celebration going, and on Nelson Mandela's birthday, no less.
Smith won the same day that South African golfer Louise Oosthuizen shocked the world by winning the British Open. The two athletes were hailed as heroes, gracing the front of every major paper in South Africa, and instilling a renewed sense of world-leading pride to their country.
Now Jordy Smith is slated to meet Nelson Mandela next year. An honor few surfers have ever matched. And he's still got a title race on his hands. Given all that's going on Smith seems to be handling things well. The pressure of a the title race seems hardly a bother. He's still acting like the underdog, focusing purely on what's directly in front of him. "The next wave, the next heat, the next event," he says. "I try not too look much further out than that."
Slater, meanwhile, seems to be burning as bright as ever. The 38-year-old legend is having as much fun as at any time in his career, reveling in everything from his equipment, new moves, and new waves, to just enjoying his world full of friends that he's gathered over two decades of non-stop travel. Keeping things fresh, according to Slater, is all about keeping things fun.
Given how balanced these two are -- how comfortable they are in their own skin -- it shouldn't be surprising that their at the top of the heap. Listen closely to how they're approaching things, and ask yourself if these guys will be dueling things out in Hawaii.
