It's true! The barely 24-year-old John John Florence swipes crown! And contest!
Do dreams come true? Well, yes, sometimes they do. In front of some fisherman and peasants on a Portuguese beach, with mom Alex in Hawaii, daddy who knows where, the barely twenty-four-year-old John John Florence won the WSL world title with an event to spare.
It’s long way from the North Shore, this Portuguese fishing city, Peniche, the morning sun soaking the beach in a flat, subtly modulated red light. But, there, John John, swiping off the aggression and urgency of his semi-final opponent, Kolohe Andino, with stately measure.
In another semi-final, Conner Coffin used tube skills and what the commentator Ross Williams beautifully described as a “Gene Hackman“ to slay the almost-thirty-year-old South African, Jordy Smith, the only hurdle between John John and the title.
Oh, there was quite the back and forthing. Until, with five minutes left, Conner swooped on a six-footer, stood through its length, came out with arms behind back, and going into a second closeout tube, threw a shaka. Unanimous nines from the five judges.
On the beach, John John’s shaper Jon Pyzel whooped at Conner’s tubes, at Conner’s Gene’s.
“Conner is the best surfer in the world!” hooted John John.
There is something of a physical ecstasy in John John Florence winning a world title.
Did you feel the same when Adriano De Souza won the title last year?
John John Florence, best surfer in the world. World champion.
It’s got a nice ring, don’t it.
And the final? John whipped airs and oops to win in the most dazzling manner you can imagine.
The soul, some Arabs believe, can only travel at the pace of trotting camel.
They’ve never seen John John Florence surf.
FLORENCE 2016 WSL CT RESULTS
Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast: 5th
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach: 13th
Drug Aware Margaret River Pro: 13th
Oi Rio Pro: WINNER
Fiji Pro: 5th
J-Bay Open: 2nd
Billabong Pro Tahiti: 2nd
Hurley Pro at Trestles: 13th
Quiksilver Pro France: 3rd
Meo Rip Curl Pro Portugal: WINNER
Billabong Pipe Masters: TBD
FLORENCE CAREER WSL CT FINISHES:
2011: 34th
2012: 4th
2013: 10th
2014: 3rd
2015: 14th
2016: WSL CHAMPION
MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal Final Results:
1 – John John Florence (HAW) 16.67
2 – Conner Coffin (USA) 9.93
MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal Semifinal Results:
SF 1: John John Florence (HAW) 13.84 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 8.47
SF 2: Conner Coffin (USA) 15.00 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.37
WSL Jeep Leaderboard Top 5 (after MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal):
John John Florence (HAW) 56,400 pts
Gabriel Medina (BRA) 45,450 pts
Jordy Smith (ZAF) 41,700 pts
Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 38,250 pts
Kolohe Andino (USA) 38,150
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Thank god he didn’t thank god.
It’s a nice change.
Connor needs one of Gabby’s Samsung Note 7 surfboards
Gerlach texts “Activate Secret Turn Now!!”
And then the Samsung board explodes.
Yes, that’s my understanding too. Unlocks and navigates through the tunnel track, then activates the secret turn
Felt certain Connor was going to activate that secret turn in the Final
The only reason to put in the effort to win the WSL World Title would be an inappropriately long victory hug from Rosy.
Oh man a cursory look of the heat highlight pages on the WSL website and the brazilians are losing their shit.
Congrats to John John. It’s been one hell of a year for him and maybe a Triple Crown/Pipe Masters to close it out?
Has anyone won The Eddie, the World Title and the Triple Crown in the same year?
You are on to something!
MATT WARSHAW GET IN HERE!
No!!!
Only other world champ to win an Eddie was Slater in 2002; he finished ninth on the tour that year. https://uploads.disquscdn.c… Whatever happens, Flo is the first surfer to win a title and an Eddie in the same year.
Love to see him do it.. it would speak volumes. Then walk away from the sport and go be an astronaut or something.
I figured that Slater was the only other person who could have done it. I’m still thinking that Many Johns rounds out his year with a Triple Crown as well.
Surfing’s “White Dove” is the champion! Wish I new him and would probably be very proud of his accomplishment.
john john just threw the WSL a bone today
‘And yes he’ll find the ‘doggy door’ we call it in the sport’……..priceless.
Seriously though, he found at least three non existant doggy doors. The man is a magician.
Strider has just said “I watched him grow up” x 23,689 times in 5 mins. I bet you did Strider, from a vantage point in the bushes outside his bedroom window…
“The Alfred Hitchcock birds”
this finals performance from JJF has already single-handedly rescued the euro leg from QS mediocrity
be honest Dell, in your heart of hearts did you wish JJF was your illegitimate son?
Oh LongTom, every child you encounter is a divine appointment!
Internet traffic can be divine too?
I wonder how many of those little ‘road to the world title’ things they shoot? Did Kolohe get one? Are they like the losing team’s Superbowl hats? All shipped to Guatemala only to be seen back in southern California on your gardener’s kid’s backs?
Exactly. I want to see the ones for Nat Young and Jadson Andre.
What a mind fuck for someone like Jadson. ‘Ok Jaddy, you just won the world title: GO!’
Derek, I have a bone to pick with you. Like many of your readers, I work extremely hard for very little purpose other than to feed my girlfriends growing arse and my most likely disabled or smack addicted spawn that she is hosting. There are very few things that make this life bearable. One of them was the thought that I may get to enjoy watching Heat Analyzer tonight and maybe find out if JJF won the title. Usually on these occasions I choose the heat I’m going to watch with my eyes 90% covered by my fat ciggie stained hand so I dont see the score. However tonight you have deprived me of even this luxury. What the fuck am I going to do now, Derek? Watch porn!? My dying vessel-less semen is on your hands, Derek.
You’re obviously a fan of self-flagellation. Maybe wait until the results come out in print next time to really punish yourself.
I’m covered in your projectile? Such Expressionism!
Finger on the pulse boys!
But can you believe Gigs the shittest cunt commentated the biggest heat of the year?
listening to Gigs is like getting slapped around the ears by someone elses cock
You can slap yourself around the ears with your own cock? I have to admit, that’s pretty impressive.
This…this is funny.
Molly whop.
I’m still reeling from Gigg’s commentary on day two.
“There’s all sorts of innuendo’s playing out in the water right now”
And the deep throating of the barrel – or each other