Day Two: 2025 J-Bay Open

A full day of competition, consisting of Men's Opening and Eliminations Rounds, and Women's Elimination Round, was concluded at 6 foot+ J-Bay on a day that threatened, but did not quite reach, the threshold of a classic day.

Only two years have elapsed since the last CT at J-Bay in 2023 but there was a very different feeling to proceedings, especially on the women's side of the draw where the loss of Steph (5th in '23) and Carissa (3rd in '23) seemed most glaring in terms of a competency deficit.

We were presented with the J-Bay paradox, whereby one of the world's best waves can make pro surfers look truly awful. Not just my thoughts either. Kanoa surfed well to get through his Round 2 heat but described his first few years at J-Bay as high anxiety and sleepless nights that he would be humiliated in front of the world surfing audience out there. He actually wished, if you can believe it, that J-Bay would be permanently scrubbed from the schedule.

Caity (WSL/van Gysen)

Similar thoughts expressed by current women's World Champion Caitlin Simmers in a very revealing post-heat presser after her ER win over Sarah Baum. She described a “weird relationship with this wave” and even in her heat “felt weird on my waves”. She told us she had never, up to this point, got over a 4-point ride and all she wanted to do was pick a decent wave and do a couple of turns and have fun.

Its strange that someone so naturally gifted at surfing should feel so awkward at one of the world's best points, and it stands in stark contrast to the people she's named as inspirations for surfing here: Joel Parkinson, Steph Gilmore, and Tom Curren.

Tom's first ever ride at J-Bay has been etched into cinematic legend after being captured by Sonny Miller and showed zero signs of the awkwardness and angst that seems endemic in the current crop of pros. Joel Parkinson likewise won at his first showing as an 18-year old wildcard in 1999. He described arriving with a toothache which instantly disappeared when he spied the lineup. “I paddled out through the keyhole,” he later recounted, “caught my first wave and that was it. I was gone. I lost my mind. Next thing I was standing there on stage holding the trophy, not sure what had just happened.”

What is it that makes pros look like kooks out there - taking a deliberately provocative position. Is it equipment, attitude, technique, experience or lack of?

In the modern age of video and coaches it would seem an anomaly requiring explanation. We know it can be done, because it has been done. But still, people show up here and look very, very ordinary. Any solutions to this paradox are much appreciated.

Kanoa (WSL/van Gysen)

There was some devil wind in the opening heats which created some difficulty. Set waves were inconsistent and arrived at random intervals. A successful ride on a bomb set usually led to a heat win, as in Heat 1 for Jake Marshall and Heat 2 for Kanoa Igarashi who has overcome his J-Bay phobia to become one of the best out there.

Yago was silky in Heat 3. He took the devil wind and used it to launch a massive backside rotation for a 9.33 which did offer succour for aerialists in later heats although no-one nailed another one of that magnitude. It was his back-up 6.5 which I found more impressive. In terms of pace and flow it was perfect, stripped of all the unnecessary pumping and weird movements which marred so many rides. He found the fall-line, put his board and body in synch with it and started laying every turn into a crescendo-like ride.

These are big heats for Yago, as they are for every member of the 5 and the aspirants currently pacing the citadel walls. Absent any major stumble he would go into Cloudbreak, at any size including giant, as close to favourite. That holds wherever he is in the Final 5.

Yago (WSL/van Gysen)

Not so much for Jordy, where his pole position is more crucial. How many heats could Jordy win against a rampaging goofy-footer with perfect speed control at 6-8ft Cloudbreak? Over time, the advantage accruing to the goofy would make that number shrink.

As well as his big, beautiful surfing, this year Jordy has constructed for himself a beautiful “aw shucks” mindset based on a true story. I'm just a surf dog, so the story goes, biggest frother who loves surfing and enjoying this pro surfing caper more than ever. By creating this space between pro surfing (this thing that he does to go surfing) and himself (the eternally frothing surf dog) he's allowed himself to surf pressure free.

Can he hold that mindset, though, as the reality of his situation sinks in? Slater won a Title at 39 but more than likely this is the last shot for Jordy at 37.

History won't remember the failed attempts or the mindset that got him so far. Sometime between now and Fiji that realisation will slowly but surely start challenging the free and easy surf dog and will require resolution.

Jordy (WSL/McGregor)

Based on today's performance, Jordy is up for it. He took his first heat in cruise control and got overrun by Crosby Colapinto with a last-minute ride featuring an air rev onto the bricks. His second performance, against wildcard Luke Thompson was vintage Jordy. It was vintage J-Bay.

It pumped both before and after an interruption from a white shark drive-by which sent the dreaded sleds in, thankfully with no harm done. The sight of those skis rushing in still gives me flashbacks to the Fanning incident.

Wildcard performances up to that point had been mild, to say the least, even allowing for Matty McGillivray's grand entrance where he appeared above the line-up below a parachute before a perfect landing on the sand.

Luke came out swinging, with real intent to take down the yellow jersey. He got the better of the opening exchange by almost a point before the shark break. Plenty of time for Jordy to formulate a response. His next wave was the best ridden of the day. A full repertoire Jordy special with the gorilla claim as exclamation point for a 9.43.

Luke threw five rides back at him, with the best an 8.13, but still not enough to get past Smith.

Luke (WSL/McGregor)

Have you heard of Luke Thompson? Before Ballito I mean. 

I can't recall seeing him in a single heat on the Changa and now he shows up looking ultra-competitive at CT level.

Of the rookies only Marco Mignot got through, without looking spectacular. The best Joel Vaughan could offer was a 5.5 in a losing heat to Joao Chianca. Alejo (not technically a rookie I know) came up with a 4.73 while Al Cleland Jnr did surf one set wave to a 7.63 before capitulating meekly in his ER heat with Connor O'Leary.

Extremely variable would be the kind way of describing Jack Robinson's performances in heats this year. Schizoid might be more accurate. So to today. He fell, he looked terrible in his carves. He launched and landed a messy air for a 6. Nothing about his heat looked remarkable, even the last-minute wave he chose to ride.

Jack (WSL/McGregor)

Jack cruised along a medium set with not much intent. His pace increased as he saw something down the line. Somehow he squeezed in from a low line into a barrelling section that just didn't appear to be there until Jack squeezed himself into it. The offshore wind was gone so there was nothing holding it open except fate. Emerging from this tube he came out, threw a quick fist pump and pulled straight back into another barrelling section, emerging for a close-out hit. Sitting at seventh with this world title opportunity now dependent on him finishing above others in the five, the tube shaman needs his cosmic mojo more than ever.

So far, it seems to be functional. He has to get past Leo Fioravanti, who looked great today, in the next round to have a shot.

Expert tube-riders find tubes when others do not. Jack Robbo illuminated that principle for us, Barron Mamiya confirmed with a deep tube of his own in his Round 1 heat, which he still ended up losing to a competent display from defending champ Toledo. Toledo wins this comp and he's in the 5.

Mamiya is in a similar predicament, likely needing a win at Teahupoo to ascend to a Final's berth.

He remains alive in the draw after an easy win over Seth Moniz and faces Toledo in the Round of 16.

Tyler (WSL/van Gysen)

All the rookies and wildcards were eliminated from the women's draw with no standout performances.

Highlight heat was Tyler and Erin Brooks. Tyler took umbrage to a priority call at the start of the heat, saying later she “angry snapped” and then expressed frustration with Brooks, saying “she dragged us way down the line and put us in a weird position.” Tyler's analysis was she didn't catch great waves but she did great surfing, which I agree with, especially on her last, winning ride.

There seems to be some real feeling in this rivalry between Brooks and Wright, possibly as a result of the hype surrounding Brooks. Rage is a functional emotion to surf a heat, with Tyler saying she felt OK about it.

It was also the first heat she has been pain-free for a while. Describing her injuries as being to the SI (sacro-iliac) joint and L5-S1 disc causing her constant pain, which I can confirm as being extremely debilitating, Tyler's willingness to push through pain and her record at J-Bay demands a bit more respect than currently being shown by surf fans.

Taken piece by piece the day seemed a little lacklustre, each dish just slightly underwhelming. In aggregate though, it was a fine day of competition.

// STEVE SHEARER