"No, thanks," Jordy said to Tiger Woods and Michael
Jordan!
Almost ten years ago, a twenty-year-old Jordy
Smith became presumably the first person, male or female, to tell
Tiger Woods ‘no’.
In what context could such a situation transpire?, you
should be asking.
The year was 2008 and Jordan Michael Smith, a South-African
native, was surfing’s brightest co-star (see: Dane Reynolds). From
what I remember, Jordy’s longtime sponsorship with Billabong ended
on sketchy terms (perhaps even with a lawsuit?), making him
surfing’s hottest commodity leading up to his rookie year on
Tour.
A bidding war ensued, wherein the likes of Quiksilver, Hot Tuna,
O’Neill and other top brands attempted to seduce the young Saffa.
To memory, Jordy enjoyed the cat-and-mouse affair, once stating
something along the lines of, “I like to keep the companies on
their toes. Some days I’ll wear Quiksilver boardies, an O’Neill
T-shirt and a Ripcurl hat,” (Somehow I can’t find the actual quote
on the web). Oh to feel young and wanted!
But it wasn’t just surf brands after the big man. At the time,
athletic kingpin Nike was keen on permeating a then-promising surf
industry and, naturally, ruling the market space. This meant
purchasing the sponsorship rights of surfing’s top talents.
I’ll let the Sydney Morning
Herald, in an article dating back to March 2,
2008, take it from here:
Jordy Smith took a phone call from Tiger Woods. He received
an email from Michael Jordan. He was sent the shoe that Ronaldo
used to kick a goal in a World Cup final. Nike offered him $5.3
million a year … but he knocked them all back.
[Jordy] was flown to Nike’s US headquarters in a private jet
to meet the company’s co-founder, Phil Knight. A set of Woods’s
clubs turned up in the post. They spoke on the phone for 45
minutes, and the message from the greatest golfer on the planet was
simple: jump on board the good ship Nike.
“He gave me advice on how he went about it when he was my
age, and told me about the company he was with,” Smith said. “It
was kind of baffling in the beginning. You don’t know what to say
because he’s such a high-profile guy, but you just cruise with
it.”
Also,
Smith was a marketing dream for the swoosh. His first name
is Jordan, his second Michael. Nike planned to run a worldwide
advertising campaign with the slogan of “Air Jordy”. It was a play
on the famous “Air Jordan” that helped make the American
basketballer a household name across the planet. It was a perfect
fit. When Smith gets air on a wave, he gets big air.
(One of my favorite paragraphs in all of surf writing. Anyways,
continue.)
But then he signed with Californian company O’Neill,
basically because it was a traditional surfing brand. It was still
a seven-figure deal, making him one of the top five highest earners
on the tour before he had even entered it. But he had to be content
with about $3 million less a year. He’ll survive.
And do you remember all this fun stuff? I don’t. I must give
thanks to the commenter Eugene Du Plessis, not only for
cluing me into a pivotal moment in surfing history, but also for
shining a light on a host of current events.
This story, interestingly, lends itself to a myriad of
present-day BeachGrit themes. Let me explain.
1. Jordy chose O’Neill: On top of the
fact that we’re mourning the death of industry legend Jack O’Neill
(or
at least enjoying his incredible tribute reel!), it’s
intriguing that Jordy chose O’Neill over Nike (and its 3 million
extra dollars) simply because the former is a “traditional surfing
brand”.
Like, who even really cares, right? Money is time and to make 5
mil for rocking a little swoosh on your nose is… certainly
palatable.
Or maybe, in surfing’s golden era, everyone made enough money to
hold personal and moral standards about which companies they
endorsed. It’s either that or Jordy feared that a Nike sponsorship
would hinder his shoe collection capabilities. Regardless of the
reason, it would be fair to say that Jordy made the right call,
considering Nike’s rise and splat in the surf world.
That is, until…
2. Nike is coming back:
Or so Chas says.
Apparently they’re selling Hurley and attempting to join our
penniless cult once more. Assuming this is true, how much do you
think they’d offer Jordy Smith today? Would they even want the man
who, nearly ten years ago, declared he’d like to win a world title
within his first three years on tour, and now, at age 30, has
exactly zero?
That is, until…
3. Jordy will win the title:
Or so says Chas. I’m
starting to realize that much of this article is contingent on the
rumors and opinions of a forty-year-old professional receding
hairline, which, in hindsight, is maybe not the smartest
decision.
But honestly, if they’re looking to hop back inside this sinking
surf industry vessel, I suppose neither is Nike.
