“Are there any sharks out here?” – “Nah bru, only Stormers!” – Siya Kolisi was taught how to surf by Jordy Smith… the outcome is the best!
Cape Town, South Africa (28 February 2020) – Siya Kolisi met up with Jordy Smith to swap tips about how to win in Japan. Siya captained a world cup win over England in Japan last year. Jordy Smith will soon be the first South African to compete in surfing at the Olympic Games in Japan later this year.
Jordy’s powerful free surf performances mixed with consistent placings on tour have made him a contender for gold and a favourite among surf fans. He invited Kolisi to learn to surf while they discussed how to fly the South African flag high. The Olympic Summer Games take place from July 26 to August 2.
Jordy and Siya met up on the 26th of January where Jordy handed Siya a custom surfboard shaped by Smith’s father Graham. Despite the choppy conditions caused by an on-shore wind, the 28-year-old took to the new challenge with gusto. Smith taught Kolisi about the ‘pop-up’ – where surfers go from prone to standing on the board in an instant – before he took him out into the waves properly.
“Today was really amazing. We’re both professional sportsmen and love what we do. What I loved about him is he didn’t push me out there. He just worked on getting to get me comfortable, which is amazing.” – Siya Kolisi
Jordy was blown away by the calmness that Siya presents even during tense situations.
“There were definitely a few hairy moments, but he just put his Springbok captain’s hat on and told us all to calm down. I was very proud of him. What a legend.” – Jordy Smith
Siya will be supporting Jordy at the Olympics, watching his progress every step of the way!
“It was pretty cool. We were talking about all the differences, but also all the similarities in our sports – what motivates us and keeps us going. A lot of the same stuff motivates us. I never dreamt when I was a kid that I would be spending time with people like Jordy. I’m really going to get behind him and get the rest of South Africa to get behind him because I think he deserves it.” – Siya Kolisi
Take a look at the video below.
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