Two-time world champion John John Florence looms large in surfing’s landscape. The eldest of three brothers, Florence grew up on the North Shore, where his mom took the family to the beach every day after school. He quickly made a name for himself as a kid, inching his way from bodyboarding the shore break to sitting center peak in the lineup at Pipe. That evolution would result in world titles in 2016 and 2017, an Eddie victory in 2016, and Triple Crown wins in 2021 and 2022, among numerous other competitive accolades. His knowledge, talent, and skillset extends beyond the jersey: His short and feature-length films continue to set standards in performance. It even extends beyond the surf: His most recent interests have settled on photography and open-ocean sailing. A paradigm of the waterman’s tradition, Florence sits down with Jamie Brisick in this episode to talk about the trajectory of his career, staying wholesome, his biggest inspirations, self-optimization, his proudest moments, his complicated relationship to competition, family, synchronicity, his brand, and what the future holds.
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Produced by Jonathan Shifflett.
Music by Farmer Dave & the Wizards of the West.
Feature image by Arto Saari.