On 8 January 2011, Smits took over the lead in the Swatch TTR World Tour for 2011, after finishing fourth in Davos. One week later, at the 2011 world championships in Barcelona, Smits won a gold medal in the slopestyle competition and finished third in the Big Air after losing the tie-breaker for silver from Zach Stone. Smits ended third in the final results of the 2010–2011 Swatch TTR World Tour, after three-times winner Peetu Piiroinen and Yuri Podladchikov.