Oahu - South Africa’s Jordy Smith has re-qualified for a second year on the elite ASP World Tour despite a medial ligament injury to his left knee that prevented the Durbanite from competing in the season-ending Billabong Pipeline Masters in Hawaii.
While current ASP No. 4 Joel Parkinson recorded only the second perfect 20 out of 20 heat score in ASP World Tour history on Day 2 of the event, the last of the 12 competitors who could have overtaken Smith was eliminated, leaving the 20 year-old rookie amongst the top 27 on the rankings who automatically re-qualify for the following year.
Rated No. 25 before the start of the event and with his fate in the hands of those below him in the rankings, including Pipeline experts Damien Hobgood (USA), Roy Powers (HAW) and Australians Mick Campbell and Dean Morrison, Smith’s chances of a second year on the dream Tour looked bleak when his doctor advised him to withdraw from the Pipeline event.
However, flawless two to 2,5 metre tubes on day one of the event (Tuesday) saw half his opponents eliminated by wildcards and local experts in Rounds 1 and 2. And in slightly smaller but epic conditions on Wednesday, the rest fell away one after another in Round 3, with only Hobgood’s 17th place finish taking him ahead of Smith in the rankings.
Although his final ranking position will not be known until the event is completed, Smith is now guaranteed to finish in the top 27, particularly if Bruce Irons (HAW), who has qualified ahead of Smith for 2009, follows through with his decision to retire from the ASP World Tour after the Pipeline event.
Smith will be joined on the 2009 ASP World Tour by David Weare (Durban) and Greg Emslie (East London) who finished Nos. 7 and 10 respectively in the 2008 ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) rankings.
Travis Logie (Durban), Royden Bryson (East London) and Ricky Basnett (Bluff) finished the year outside the top 27 on the World Tour and failed to re-qualify.
While current ASP No. 4 Joel Parkinson recorded only the second perfect 20 out of 20 heat score in ASP World Tour history on Day 2 of the event, the last of the 12 competitors who could have overtaken Smith was eliminated, leaving the 20 year-old rookie amongst the top 27 on the rankings who automatically re-qualify for the following year.
Rated No. 25 before the start of the event and with his fate in the hands of those below him in the rankings, including Pipeline experts Damien Hobgood (USA), Roy Powers (HAW) and Australians Mick Campbell and Dean Morrison, Smith’s chances of a second year on the dream Tour looked bleak when his doctor advised him to withdraw from the Pipeline event.
However, flawless two to 2,5 metre tubes on day one of the event (Tuesday) saw half his opponents eliminated by wildcards and local experts in Rounds 1 and 2. And in slightly smaller but epic conditions on Wednesday, the rest fell away one after another in Round 3, with only Hobgood’s 17th place finish taking him ahead of Smith in the rankings.
Although his final ranking position will not be known until the event is completed, Smith is now guaranteed to finish in the top 27, particularly if Bruce Irons (HAW), who has qualified ahead of Smith for 2009, follows through with his decision to retire from the ASP World Tour after the Pipeline event.
Smith will be joined on the 2009 ASP World Tour by David Weare (Durban) and Greg Emslie (East London) who finished Nos. 7 and 10 respectively in the 2008 ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) rankings.
Travis Logie (Durban), Royden Bryson (East London) and Ricky Basnett (Bluff) finished the year outside the top 27 on the World Tour and failed to re-qualify.