windswell
heard ya been ripping
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words: romain ferrand photo: andrew shield
John John Florence
the fresh prince of banzai
John John, we heard ya been ripping? Not really, just having fun at home. You just won the Triple Crown. What does that mean to you? It means everything to me. I wasn’t expecting it at all because it’s so hard to do well in all three contests, but it ended up working out. In some ways it still doesn’t feel real. It was only a few years ago I was on the beach trying to get autographs from the guys I’m competing against now. For sure winning the Triple Crown was great, but my dream is to one day win the Pipe Masters. Because you’ve been slated as the next big thing for so long do you feel like you’ve got to step up now you’re on the World Tour? There hadn’t been much pressure until Pipe, but before that contest I was leading the Triple Crown and I got super nervous. I didn’t want to lose my first heat and blow it. Fortunately, as soon as I got in the water it melted away. I was just happy to be out there with a few other guys. The whole Florence family surfs, and they travel with you a lot of the time. What role have they played in getting you where you are? I travel a lot with my mum and my brothers and it’s great because my brothers surf amazing. I’ve always got someone there to push me.
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surfinglife.com.au
Right now it just feels amazing to be considered a threat on the World Tour. Next year my ultimate goal is win an event. My first choice would be Pipeline, obviously, but I’ll take anything I can get. My mum’s from New Jersey, but she moved to the North Shore when she was 17, and me and my brothers were all born here. Growing up in Hawaii and having all the pros come to do the Triple Crown every year it’s hard to not become a surfer, it’s your life. If I wasn’t a pro surfer I have no idea what I’d do. Snowboarding maybe. When the waves are flat I do a lot of skating, so maybe I’d chase that. How much of a role has Pipeline played in your development as a surfer? It’s such a scary wave, but at the same time it just makes you want it more and more. I remember surfing out there when I was super young and it was really small, then once I started getting a few I was hooked. I can’t remember the first time I surfed it, but I definitely didn’t just go straight out there on a big day! I was really lucky having it right there (the Florence house backs on to Pipe) so I could just build up my confidence. Of course I’ve fallen out there and hit my face a few times, but I always just want more.
Do you think your brothers, Nathan and Ivan, will follow in your footsteps? I hope so. They’re both keen to keep surfing, but we’ll see. I just want them to do whatever they want to do. Nathan is really into big waves and Ivan will probably get into doing contests soon. You started competing young. Do you worry about burnout? I love competing. Sometimes it sucks when you lose, but then when you do well you love it. Lately I’ve been having a lot of fun and I can’t see myself getting sick of it. Right now it just feels amazing to be considered a threat on the World Tour. Next year my ultimate goal is win an event. My first choice would be Pipeline, obviously, but I’ll take anything I can get. You and Gabriel Medina are the two young guys everyone is talking about right now. Are you friends, or rivals, or have you not even figured that out yet? Well he’s younger than me, but I look up to him. He surfs so well and he’s the ultimate competitor. Everything he does is pretty perfect. We say hello and we’ve been to a few parties together. I’ll
probably get to know him better next year I’d imagine. Do you think yourself and the new generation can keep Kelly from more titles? Kelly is amazing and I wouldn’t be surprised if he comes back next year. He’s the best surfer there’s been in the past few years. Actually, what am I saying, he’s the best surfer ever. It’s unreal how he just keeps getting better. He keeps adapting. We’ll have to wait and see. You obviously can hold your own in heavy water, but in Lost Atlas you blew everyone away with you aerial skills. Is that the future of surfing? All the new air stuff everyone is doing is crazy, but I think it’s important not to forget about turns. If you look at a lot of turns guys like Dane Reynolds do, they’re just as amazing as a lot of aerial surfing. It’s just as fun to watch. Might you be the next Hawaiian to bring a World Title? I think about it sometimes, of course. When you’re on the World Tour, that’s your goal. My ultimate dream is to win one, that’d be the best. So that’s the plan for next year, to win one? Exactly, that and to have a lot of fun. I’m only 19, so having fun is still what it’s all about.