All photos: Sacha Specker/Monster Energy

If anyone for some reason needed convincing that J-Bay needed to be back on the World Tour, the opening day of competition couldn’t have better delivered the goods. In fact, you have to wonder just why oh why we did actually go two years without?

Anyway now that we’re back on track we thought we’d hit you with a mixed gallery of action and lifestyle from day 1… with big home favourite Jordy Smith chalking the highest combined heat total of the year so far, the event’s first perfect 10 and three other top scoring rides of the day. There was no denying the South African was happy to be home!