There doesn’t seem to be much more for South African Jordy Smith to win, apart from a world title. The 21-year-old prodigy from Durban has once again stolen the limelight with his recent award at the 37th Surfer Poll and Video Awards that took place at Anaheim in California recently, writes Craig Jarvis.

Jordy took to the stage in front of the packed audience to accept his Web Clip Of The Year Award, for the much-viewed flip that he pulled off earlier in the year in the Mentawais. You’ve probably seen it. Rumours are that it was viewed over three million times, but you know how people run away with rumours.

Anyway, his rodeo clown move shut down the also-rans as he walked away the proud winner in this division, the first time it has been presented. On top of this, Jordy placed ninth in the Surfer Poll, the first time a South African has made it into the top ten since Shaun Tomson won the award in 1978.

Beginning in 1963, Surfer magazine invited its readers to take part in a process to select the world’s best. Thirty-seven years later it has grown to be the most important awards evening in all of surfing, because it is the hardest to win.