Jordy Smith (Umbilo) was awarded 2006 Surfer of the Year title at the glitzy Zigzag Surfing Awards at the Riverside Hotel on Saturday evening.
Smith achieved a remarkable string of results both locally and internationally over the past year, including winning the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Award in Hawaii, being crowned the Billabong World Junior Champion in Australia, reaching the semifinals of the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, while winning the entire Pro Junior Surf Tour back home.
Smith collected his prize and champagne magnum, thanking his family and friends for their support and promising to be back up there next year.
The 2006 Pro Surf Tour winners were presented with their respective trophies, including Pro Junior Surf Tour champion Nikita Robb (East London), Pro women's champion Sarah Maritz (Warner Beach) and Pro Men's winner Warwick Wright (Durban).
An impressive list of international winners were awarded for their accomplishments including Grant Baker (Durban) for his big wave victory at Mavericks, California, Ricky Basnett (Bluff) winner of the six star Mr Price Pro in Durban, David Weare (Durban) winner of the five star Rip Curl Boardmasters in Newquay, England, Royden Bryson (East London) winner of the six star Yumeya Tahara Pro, John Whittle (Durban) winner of the Red Bull Big Wave Africa, Mathew Moir (Cape Town) winner of the ISA World Longboard Championships in California, Christ Knusten (Durban) winner of the ISA World Masters Games in Puerto Rico and the SA Masters team who took the team title in Puerto Rico.
The contribution to surfing award went to longtime surfing administrator and chairperson of Surfing South Africa Robin de Kok (Cape Town), while Alan van Gysen (Cape Town) took home surf photographer of the year award and former Zigzag editor Craig Jarvis (Hermanus) took home the writer of the year award.
2007 WCT qualifiers including Roseanne Hodge (East London), Bryson, Basnett, Travis Logie (Durban) and Greg Emslie (East London) were also acknowledged for their success.
All the old legends of the sport including Mike Larmont, Tony van den Heuwel, Jonathan Paarman, Shaun Tomson, Gavin Rudolph and George Thomopolous were added to the Zigzag hall of fame. Meanwhile, the 11th annual Billabong Junior Series gets under way at St Mike's on the KZN South Coast from February 22 to 25.
With more than R220 000 in total prize-money, this prestigious event crowns five divisions (U12, U14, U16 and Pro Junior (U20) for boys and Pro Junior (U20) for girls) and offers competitors the unique opportunity to win invitations to the annual R450 000 Billabong ASP World Junior Championships in Sydney, Australia.
Over 200 surfers will participate at stops around the country, including in Durban (March 29-April 1), Cape Town (May 17-20) and Victoria Bay in the Southern Cape (August 9-12) before wrapping up in the legendary surf Mecca of Jeffreys Bay (September 21-24).
Defending champions in the Pro Junior division Damien Fahrenfort (Cape Town) and two-time champ Tammy-Lee Smith (Ballito) have graduated to the open ranks, while Shaun Joubert (U16), Michael February (U14) and Max Armstrong (U12) will be back to defend their 2006 titles.