When asked about his travelling rituals Jordy recommends, “get to the airport early so it’s not too stressful. Listen to music, try do some stretching so I don’t get too stiff then, when I get off the plane, I try get into the water and climatise a bit so I’m refreshed and ready to compete.”
Pro surfer, Jordy Smith is currently ranked 1st in South Africa and top 10 in the world - having finished in the top 5 in 2017.
Besides travelling the world for the best surf competitions and in search of the gnarliest surf spots on Earth, he is also a partner in local bar, Surfa Rosa in Harrington Street. The 30-year-old is married to model Lyndall Jarvis and the couple split their time between San Clemente, California and Cape Town - when Jordy’s not busy competing.
Jordy never goes anywhere without a few surfboards, “anywhere from 7-14 depending on where I’m going and for how long. I’ve brought around 10+ to Europe now.”
He shares his essential checklist of items he cannot go anywhere without:
He shares his essential checklist of items he cannot go anywhere without:
- Muzik headphones
- Hard drive
- Apple laptop.
“Headphones, definitely, when I fly I listen to a lot of music... which leads me to my laptop and hard drive”.
Jordy says he always packs Red Bull, “I need one after a long flight to perk me up. Sometimes you’re landing early hours of the morning or need to get back out there and surf after a long flight.”
The rest of his bag is filled with items quite specific to a professional surfer:
For someone who is constantly in the water whether he’s free-surfing or in competition, he also cannot go without what he calls his “ear stuff” - mixture of rubbing alcohol and vinegar, “to get the water out of my ears when I surf.”
And then of course, there are his sunglasses “because I travel to a lot of sunny tropical places”.
Lastly, he won’t leave home without his SA flag! “I fold it up and it goes everywhere with me, it’s like taking a piece of home with me everywhere I go.”