Jordy Smith’s seventh career victory this past weekend was undoubtedly the headline of the Surf City El Salvador Pro. In his 18 years on tour, Smith has, at times, been a perennial title contender and a regular top-five finisher in the standings. On the flip side of that coin, his last Championship Tour victory came in 2017 (Bells) and his last top-five finish in the rankings was pre-COVID (2019). Many fans will say he was due for a big win like this one, but beyond that, it’s a refreshing jolt for the tour to have a longtime fan favorite back in the mix and inserting himself into the race for a spot in the WSL Finals.
“If I could dedicate this to two people. My wife, and all the wives and husbands who let us do this, it means the world to me. And to my father. I wanted to ride my father’s board in this final and win on it, and to do it is incredible. I just kept telling myself you can do it, you’re going to do it. It’s just four more waves, and you’re going to do it. It’s just so hard to take it all, it’s been so long. And I’m just happy to do it with another fellow South African,” said Smith, referring to his competition in the men’s final, Matthew McGillivray.
For McGillivray, the runner-up result marked his career best since joining the CT in 2021. And that fact brings something interesting to light: through four contests in this 2025 season, the men’s final has seen four separate winners and seven different competitors. This year’s tour really feels like it’s up for grabs, and that’s a good thing.
On top of getting a little bit of parity injected into the CT’s race for a title, the league also got some waves in El Salvador. Some good ones. Finals day at Punta Roca was objectively good, like really good, by all standards. And regardless of storylines, winners, losers, mid-season cut implications, and all of the other drama that fills a CT season, good waves are really what make the world tour a fun show to watch.
