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Ryley and Holly Smith celebrate yet another victory. Picture: SUPPLIED
Ryley and Holly Smith celebrate yet another victory. Picture: SUPPLIED

New global golden boy Ryley Smith’s rapid road to world surf-ski glory actually started off in orange, the mighty Orange River in fact.

Because it was as a four-year-old youngster that dad Miki and the family went on a trip down the Orange River and the rest is watersport history.

Earlier this month Ryley, 16, and sister Holly, 18, teamed up to win the U18 Mixed Doubles category at the Ocean Racing World Championship in Madeira, Portugal.

While Ryley’s revving up only now, Holly’s already a three-time world champ, having won the U18 canoe doubles title in 2023 and the women’s singles U18 Ocean Racing event late in 2023 in Australia.

“I was more of a surfer/lifesaver at Llandudno Surf Lifesaving club,” says Ryley.

“But I really enjoyed the Orange River trip and ended up trading a surfboard for a paddle with my current coach Peter Cole’s son Jarryd who’s a close mate of mine now.”

It wasn’t long before he moved up into Cole’s formidable Orka squad at Sandvlei, Muizenberg where Cole’s wife Alexa (a former Berg Marathon champion) coached them.

“We had a jol,” recalls Ryley. “The more you push, the more you enjoy it, the more time you’re in the boat, the better your stability, your stroke, strength, all-round fitness.”

Ryley Smith sets the pace at the world canoe championships in Croatia in early 2024. PICTURE: SUPPLIED
Ryley Smith sets the pace at the world canoe championships in Croatia in early 2024. PICTURE: SUPPLIED

In Madeira in September he raced in the junior division but could only manage sixth: “I cramped up badly, which was pretty bleak”.

But he put that all aside and threw his energy into the mixed doubles with sister Holly. “We were pretty confident as we’d done Fish River Marathon before but we just wanted to do our best.”

The start wasn’t what they wanted as they got boxed in pretty badly.

“But we went along with everyone and sat on the wash as we turned at the can [buoy] 2km out. We were on another team’s slip and looked over to see the Spanish team and I said to Holly, we must go now! We broke away from them and thought we were in the front.”

But that wasn’t the case as there proved to be another Spanish crew ahead which they caught and jousted with for a fair way.

Big players

“Then the Spanish crew saw a Great Britain boat and assumed they were also juniors but they weren’t, they were in another division! So they went hard and we just sat on their wave. The Spanish crew fell off after all the chasing and we sat on the British wave almost till the end... I was so stoked.”

But Smith junior is quick to not take the credit. “Coach Peter and Alexa [who makes all our paddles] and great support from the Bamboo Warehouse all had a big part to play in us winning.”

When he’s not on the water he and Holly can both be found at Camps Bay High School, him in grade 10 and Holly in her final year.

And he’s got a rather wise head on those young shoulders.

“I’ve got dyslexia [so does dad Miki], which makes school a bit harder for me but I don’t let it affect me. All I do is, as soon as I get home from school, I make sure I get it all done as soon as I can so I can go and train.”

Training consists of daily paddling at Sandvlei (or Fish Hoek if it’s an ocean paddle) and then he runs at least three times a week in Hout Bay where the family lives and he does body-resistance and strength-work a few times a week as well.

“Actually, the hardest thing for me is the waking up early to train, then going to school and trying not to fall asleep in class and then I also try and fit a bit of water polo in at school and have a social life. Just have as much fun as possible and get to travel.”

For her part Holly is just as excited, if not more excited than Ryley, to bring back another gold to SA and the Smith household.

Ryley and I are both the drivers of the boat when we’re with our different partners so I’ll be in the front with my partner and he’ll be in the front with his partner, so I trusted him completely.

I knew our race was going to be tough but I had a feeling we could actually win it.

“Last year we did the Fish and we tried the combo with me steering, which didn’t work, but the other way around it worked perfectly.

“In Madeira it was awesome to win the title with him and bring home a medal ... it was very special and meant a lot. Especially as he didn’t have his best singles race because of the cramping.

“I knew our race was going to be tough but I had a feeling we could actually win it. We worked very hard together all race and I couldn’t be more stoked than to have done it with Ryley!”

World Surf Ski champs comes to Durban in 2025 and with Holly moving up to U23s there won’t be a repeat performance by the Smiths, though Ryley may look for another partner.

He says sport is a very real glue in the family.

“Our sport plays a big part in keeping everything together, especially water sport. Dad works but is also a keen paddler himself. Mom [Caroline] doesn’t paddle but she looks after absolutely everything else, like feeding us properly when we get home late from paddling.”

Beyond school and he hasn’t really thought much about that — probably because he doesn’t have much spare time. “I love working with my hands and have a workshop at home so maybe something like plumbing or electrical, though after school I wouldn’t mind taking a gap year and seeing as much of the world as possible,” says the young new world champion.

Last word goes to father Miki, an accomplished sportsperson in his own right, having won age-group surf-life-saving titles and playing provincial rugby at U20 level.

“I’ve just given our kids the tools to succeed and will buy any sporting equipment for them, but the ocean is our church, our happy place. We did a big downwind paddle this week and it’s a joy to see them so absolutely at home in the water.

“He may be my own son but he’s truly a phenomenal laaitie, just so ‘together’ and the seniors at Llandudno surf-life-saving are very fond of him.

“He’s just an exceptional sportsman, in fact I should have pushed him into soccer,” jokes Smith senior.

“I have to add that Camps Bay High have been phenomenal in their approach. As long as Ryley and Holly’s schoolwork is up to date and their marks are good, the school makes a plan for them to take time off.”

It’s well spent time for sure, in fact most times are golden times!

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