Next weekend sees the first World Tour event commence in Australia. The Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast is set to take place at Snapper Rocks, at the fabled Superbank, sometime between February 28 and March 11 2009. This waiting period will make sure that there will be enough time to score the Superbank good.The South African contingent has taken a bit of a knock this year, with three surfers relegated to the World Qualifying Series. Of these three, Ricky Basnett, Royden Bryson and Travis Logie, only two will be competing full time on the tour this year, with Basnett choosing not to compete full time. While we may have lost a few, it's not all doom and gloom for the South African surfers and fans of World Tour surfing. Greg Emslie from East London has requalified after a brief hiatus, along with Davey Weare from Durban.The only surfer to legitimately requalify from the 2008 World Tour is young Durbanite Jordy Smith. Despite suffering a debilitating knee injury in the final of the O'Neill World Cup at Sunset Beach and having to sit out the final World Tour event of the year, Jordy managed to squeak through. He was 'on the bubble' when the Billabong Pipeline Masters began, and the result of the final event saw him qualify for the 2009 World Tour.Jordy, who has recently signed with Red Bull energy drink, is one of the most hyped young surfers on the World Tour today, and there is big expectation that he could change the face of pro surfing, as we know it. Jordy's new school style of surfing, along with his powerful physique, has already turned heads the world over, seen him surf some incredible heats, and win events. While his 2008 year might not have been the best year for contest results, Jordy is first to state that he learned more than he's ever learned, and is keen to put that experience to the test this year.Apart from Kelly Slater going for his big ten this year - if he wins a world title he would have ten such titles under the belt - Jordy's biggest threat from a peer and rival would no doubt come from the USA's Dane Reynolds. Another surfer who is blowing minds with his unconventional approach to surfing waves, Reynolds has been neck-and-neck with Jordy in the hype stakes over the last few years. On paper Reynolds scored more heat wins than Jordy last year, but the experts are claiming Jordy's surfing as being superior on many levels, particularly in big surf.Even our former world champion Shaun Tomson has recognised Jordy's potential as a future world champion. I spoke to Tomson recently, and his advice and theory is a simple one. "If Jordy can concentrate on current board and on the next wave, he will be guaranteed great success."
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