A-LIST

THE TOM SERVAIS PORTFOLIO (PART ONE)

John John Florence, Teahupo’o. This contest had the best conditions ever for a World Title contest. The last day was on the verge of being too big to paddle. JJF had that semi-final heat with Kelly where they both tied with near perfect scores. Kelly won. But John stayed so casual even in the most critical parts of a ride. Whether it’s 2 foot Brazil or 30 foot Waimea, as a surfer and a man, John is a surfing treasure.

Tom Dosland, Pe’ahi. This day was good and big, but very tricky because of the strong tradewinds. Tom thought he made a good decision going for this wave, but Mother Nature had other plans for him. The wind grabbed his board and he flew off it and then, still attached to his leash, it pulled him upside down. A horrible situation. He came up a different man, dazed and confused.

John Florence, Backdoor Pipe. JJF is the best at Pipeline, like Kelly and Gerry Lopez were. But Gerry only went left, while Kelly and JJF are equally as good going either way. Still, John has a way to go before he equals Gerry’s mystique or Kelly’s eight Pipe trophies.

Gabriel Medina, Kelly Slater. The rivalry is strong, and no one is as aggressive as Gabe. If there’s not a rule against it, he’ll do it. Kelly was behind in this heat but still very dangerous at Backdoor. Holding priority, Gabe saw Kelly take off and immediately dropped in on him. From a spectators viewpoint, it looked pretty hairy, but Kelly just banged rails with Gabe and said fair’s fair. Pro sports? Rules are there to be used.

Kai Lenny, Pe’ahi. It’s in those eyes. The desire. He’s done it all, the new Laird Hamilton and much more. He took what Laird and crew invented and revolutionized it all. Seven World Titles in SUP. Big wave legend, being the first to blow minds by doing aerial 360’s while dropping into XXL size Nazare. One of the world’s top windsurfers and kiteboarders. He’s only 30 years old and you can expect to see him blow our minds for another 30.

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Cloudbreak is one of Kelly’s favorite waves. Generally quiet when he has a great day of surfing, or maybe after one of his 56 CT wins, he becomes very open and talkative. Like a shy person after a couple of drinks. That’s what happened this day.

Commitment Power Fear Love

Tommy Sobry, taking his Bingin act to small G-land, throwing his full force into a rare off the lip at a jungle spot known more for seat-of-your-pants survival than high performance hi-jinks.

Photography by Donny Lopez