Can Jordy Crack it?

It’s kinda lame journalism, especially seen as it is surrounding a topic like Jordy Smith, our national treasure on the World Tour and the man who Kelly Slater opined has ‘ a number of world titles in him.’ But then, most would d want to read about Mr Smith and where he's out right now after a disappointing world tour, if you can call being in the top 10 bad.

You’re here now, so you might as well carry on reading about Jordy and his Banzai Pipeline campaign for 2012. We caught up with the man, and asked him all we could about Pipeline, and how he wants to smoke it.

WS: To us mere mortals Pipeline is a horrid place where people get seriously hurt, sometimes they even get killed. They often get bitch slapped to fuck and gone by the locals as well. All in all, it’s a fairly horrendous scenario. As a professional surfer you take it all in your stride, but what emotion does the very thought of Pipeline evoke? Does is make you scared, nervous or excited?

JS: I think it’s a bit of everything really, but mostly I get excited. I think it gets me excited because I could be in for one of the best barrels of my life, and one of the most prestigious event wins ever. So I'm really excited to get over there and give it my best.

To dominate at Pipeline takes some serious skills. Who are the three best surfers that you have seen at Pipe?

That’s a really tough question cause there have been many greats that have come and gone, but I feel that the guys that are the most comfortable out there are Jamie O and John John, and obviously Andy Irons was the man at Pipe.

I would seriously not want to get caught inside there. Have you ever faced a really big and gnarly wave at Pipe and what did you do?

Last year I got slammed on the bottom pretty hard. I don't think the slam is what hurt me; it’s just that I landed on the exact same spot where I broke my ribs earlier last year in Tahiti. For the most part I get hurt going Backdoor, not too much at Pipe.

Backdoor looks so gnarly at times. Are you more confident going left or right?

That totally depends on the swell direction and swell size, but anywhere from 6-foot down I like the rights, and then anything bigger I like the lefts.

Shaun Tomson is of the opinion that to be a world champion one needs to totally master Pipe and Sunset. On a scale of 1 - 10 what do you think you mastery is of Pipe and Sunset?

For Pipe. I would say about a 5, and for Sunset I’m on about an 8 or 9. I’m getting there.

Have you ever been intimidated at Pipe by locals while competing?

Oh yes. When I was younger it was the worst thing in the world, but as I’ve got older I’ve developed a relationship with the guys and the wave.

Do you have anything new in your strategy for 2013 World Tour?

Let’s just wait and see…)

You seem to never ever get bummed out by anything, at least not for long. What do you think it is that keeps you always cheerful and smiling despite some crappy decisions by the judges and all the hacks of travel?

It’s not that I'm not angry because I am, but if I had to spit the dummy then how does that make me look? Like a sore loser, and that’s not me. I believe that the cream will always rise to the top.

You always have time for the groms as well.

I was once in their shoes and I know how it feels to speak to your heroes, and I know how it feels when they turn you down. That’s not a feeling I want for any kid.

Good luck for the event. We’ll be watching, along with the rest of the world.

Thanks.

**The Billabong Pipe Masters is set to run 8 – 20^th December, and will be webcast live through www.aspworldtour.com

Jordy goes into the event rated 12^th.