The athletes of the World Surf League Championship Tour have now reached the midway point of the 2025 season. Following a stint in Australia and surviving the mid-season cut, all remaining surfers will head to Lower Trestles, California, for the first time in the regular season since 2017.
Leading the pack and wearing the yellow leaders jersey coming into the Lexus Trestles Pro is longtime tour veteran, Jordy Smith. Smith finds himself as the world number one thanks to wins at the Surf City El Salvador Pro and the Western Australia Margaret River Pro. Smith took time out of his preparation in California to speak exclusively to FanSided.
“I think just having a family kind of gives a lot of perspective in life, really, on things that matter and I think that's put my mind at ease on a lot of things, and then at the same time, maybe just made it a bit more hectic in other places,” he said on what has made the difference for him this season. “But I think this way I take away for the comp from them, it's time well spent, and I'd better make it worthwhile. So there's a lot of motivation that comes with it. I think there's a lot more ease that I have, just more lighthearted, not taking things too seriously. The end of the day, win, lose, or draw, the sun's still gonna come up the next day, and I'm still gonna have to take the trash out and change my baby’s bum. So that's pretty humbling.”
Smith is having by far his best season up until this point. Sitting in the number one spot at the midway point has him in a great position to be among the top five heading to the final. Smith is no stranger to success on the tour and beyond. He is a 15-year veteran of the tour and an Olympian who represented his home country of South Africa in two Olympic Games. The goal remains the same for Smith, a World Title, but he never loses sight of his love for the sport on his journey.
“I mean, obviously you want to surf the best you can, and the goal is always a world title, but it's just really living today for today,” he explained. “You always try and stay on top of your health, whether it's physical, mental, or the nutritional side of things, but there are so many different ways of training. It's just really about living the day for what it is.”
Lower Trestles will serve as the surf location in the 2028 LA Summer Olympic Games
Lower Trestles is a high-performance wave that can be ridden to the left or to the right. It is extremely consistent, which allows surfers to showcase their full range of tricks and moves. It is also the announced venue for the 2028 LA Olympic Games. Smith and others can get a leg up on some practice at this location ahead of Olympic qualifying.
“I used to live in San Clemente for quite some time, so I've got a lot of experience here,” Smith explained. “Obviously there's a qualification process and everything to happen still, but yeah, nice to have that opportunity. It's a high-performance surf spot, so you just got to go for it and kind of see where that puts you at the end of the week.”
This interview was conducted on June 8, World Ocean Day. Surfers are some of the ocean's biggest fans and frequenters. Smith knows the importance of keeping the oceans clean for future generations. He spoke a bit about this.
“World Ocean Day, that's a big thing.. You know, the ocean has given me my whole life, basically, and we've got to protect it, we've got to look after it and be respectful in all the communities and the places that we go around the world. Just be really open and mindful about what's going on there, and just trying to add to the environment as much as you can and protect it.”
Smith will continue on his quest for his first World Title at Lower Trestles, San Clemente, CA. The competition window for this event begins on June 9 and runs until June 17. Fans can tune into the opening rounds on WorldSurfLeague.com or on WSL on YouTube. Fans can also check out all the action and more with the WSL app.