Surfing
Surfing
Join Jordy Smith and Mikey February on a South African surfari
Hop on board as two of South Africa's finest board-riding exports drive over 1,500km in search of waves.
For itinerant professional surfers Jordy Smith and Michael February, the proverbial 'silver lining' on the cloud that shrouded 2020 was a spitting barrel in an uncrowded lineup. And it was on home soil.
Not only that, there were numerous spitting barrels, each. In fact, too many to count.
Unable to travel internationally, Smith and the man known as 'M-Feb' took full advantage as soon as lockdown restrictions were lifted locally – loading up Smith’s Jeep Wrangler and going surf tripping.
Watch Jordy Smith and Mikey February cruise the South African coast in search of waves in the video above.
Somewhere on the wild coast
© Anthony Fox / Red Bull Content Pool
The duo's timing turned out to be perfect, as they scored some of the best spots in South Africa in what was one of the best winters for waves in recent memory. The pair had never done a trip together because of their busy schedules and Smith's plan was to "take a few feathers out of M-Feb's stylish cap."
You see, February did his time on the competitive circuit and ticked the Championship Tour box in 2018. After failing to qualify for the 2019 edition, he smoothly shed the contest singlet for good and carved a niche as the poster boy for smooth lines, alternative craft and one-footed Judo floaters. Smith wanted to tap into those vibes.
Michael 'Freestyle' February
© Tyrone Bradley / Red Bull Content Pool
"Mikey – as far as his style goes – I mean, it's just really effortless. It's easy on the eye. He's very pleasing to watch. I think he's an old soul as far as a surfer goes," Smith says.
On the search for waves
© Anthony Fox / Red Bull Content Pool
The boys started their journey up in Durban, where Smith grew up. From there they made their way down the East Coast, stopping at some known (and other much-lesser-known) spots along the way, connecting with various surfers as they went.
Then, via the famed right-hand point break of Jeffreys Bay – with which Smith has such a close connection – and the Southern Cape (known as the Eden District), before ending up in the clear, icy barrels of Cape Town. An epic journey of more than 1,600km.
Jordy Smith lofts an air reverse while shooting for Shaping Jordy Smith
© Anthony Fox/Red Bull Content Pool
"I don't think it could have come at a better time," Smith says. "On tour, your mindset stays in that competitive zone the entire year. This year, with everything that's happened, it's allowed me to break away from that and just really relax. That's been really refreshing."
Way up west
© Tyrone Bradley / Red Bull Content Pool
While the underlying theme of the trip and the subsequent film is about the coast and people who shaped Smith's career, it's also very much about the alternative surfboard shapes February chooses to ride. For Smith, fully focused on performance the entire year, it was an eye-opener into a different angle on how to approach waves and it got him even more amped to surf.
Ditching the high performance board
© Anthony Fox / Red Bull Content Pool
Dawnies were the norm
© Anthony Fox / Red Bull Content Pool
Mikey at J-Bay
© Anthony Fox / Red Bull Content Pool
Got rails? Mikey February laying one over at home
© Anthony Fox/Red Bull Content Pool
"I think the more I free surf and the more I score those really good days, the more I grow and I fall even more in love with surfing," says Smith. "I often think to myself: 'Is that even possible?' But I do. I just continue to get that excitement of where you're just chomping at the bit to be able to get on that next swell. To drive all hours of the night just for that single wave – you know, it's the greatest high ever."
