The meditative nature of yachting! It's beautiful!
Briefly, brave little Hawaiian Keanu Asing is the toast of Hossegor and of world surfing. And let’s sing and do little dances on the spot and praise Jesus and so forth because there is nothing more edifying than watching a man defy the longest odds in sporting history.
But, if we zoom out, we must concede that there is one surfer, above all, who matters. And that is, of course, and obviously, John John Florence. His seven-part web series Twelve, made by Bill Ballard, and peerless I believe in its ability to strike a narrative, continues its excellent form in episode four.
We sail with John John along the Hawaiian coast, cut to a narration by John on the meditative nature of yachting, and of surfing, of their essential, and complimentary, simplicity.
“Surfing and sailing, it’s doesn’t seem like there’s any limits. You’re trying to learn about a natural force that’s never the same. It’s going to scare you at times and it’s going to be the most beautiful things at times. But. The most exciting thing about the ocean is you don’t know what’s coming. It’s all being an artist in your own way and being creative in your own lines.”
Surfing? Yeah, it’s nuts, too.
Watch.
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Everything good about the BG commentary team is on show here! Wit! Expertise. Love of language. And drunken angel posting a boy-man in a sailor suit.
Yes Nick! Hey, I posted a comment in the Warsaw/nobody interview yesterday… re random wildcard gaining entry to Coke classic. Hoping you can fill the gaps in my memory?
Oh fuck yeah. What a great idea that was. I can’t recall the name of the lucky man but a) he wasn’t a very good surfer b) he won the same back end prize money as the losing pros c) he had a hell of a time. It was a magic moment in pro surfing history! Couldn’t do it now! God no!!
It’s amazing isn’t it really, I never thought I’d see the day when Golf was looser than pro surfing.
He was a prawn fisherman from north Queensland. Came down with an esky of his produce. Scared the daylights out of Ross Clarke-Jones in round one with a pair of twos. Tim Baker wrote about the event beautifully. Do you think Tim might be coaxed into a little cameo?
One can only try.
I’d love to see the story again!
Sounds like my parents.
My poor brother was stuck working for the State, raising his family in an apartment in South Santa Monica (yeah, it ain’t Covina, but still..) Surfing Venice breakwater will only stave off the madness so long.
So he found a guy unloading a decent 23′ sailboat for not that much (like 2k – is that right?). Small slips in Marina Del Rey are not that much either. Now, he surfs when it’s worth it, if it’s not, weekends or summer evenings, he just motors out the channel and he’s g o n e. Madness defeated.
And the kids can sail now, he goes to Catalina a few weekends a summer, he feels like a human being. All in the time most people spend watching tv. I don’t know why more people don’t do it.
Fantastic! Being a sailor myself I found that exhilarating. I prefer catamarans to monohull, but that didn’t take away from my overall rating.
What is required to call oneself a “Sailor”? It has a certain ring to it…
I’ll list some attributes of a sailor, maybe that will help to define. Endurance, courage, knowledge, a healthy respect for the sea, self reliance, experience, and the extensive vocabulary of nautical terms. Application of said attributes along with sea time make for the title of sailor to be given. After sailor one moves onto mariner, a coveted title. This takes an enormous amount of time and dedication to attain. And rum, rums good too.
Fuck, that’s me out then. Was hoping you’d say a good beard and a pipe.
How about tying stuff in knots? A peg leg? Deep pockets?
Knots are important too. I only use about 5 different ones, keeping it simple. Peg legs are pirates, deep pockets are a myth. You don’t have to be rich to sail, that’s motor yachting.
5! What more do you need if you can whip a bowline and a reef knot into shape?
Those are important, but not anymore important than a sheet bend, clove hitch, or a figure 8. If you can master a monkeys fist then all the others are simple. I recommend YouTube for the monkeys fist and a smooth rope.
Love a clove hitch and aim to achieve the cool flick over and under action when hitching to a post one day. My wife went on a youtube monkeys fist binge and scared me. Those are handy weapons.
What about rabbits? Bad luck to mention rabbits down my way and talk about boats in general.
That’s a new one for me. Here in my neck of the woods it’s just bananas, super bad luck to bring bananas on board. Might I press you to explain the rabbits?
Similar to bananas but you just can’t mention rabbits. From the moment you decide to go on the water they’re banned. No thinking of them. Nothing. If you mention them on board it’s a total disaster. I think it’s more of a fishing thing but round my neck of the woods it’s tantamount to disaster.
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Cap’n Chas!
Why the lean towards cats?
Speed, I have a bimare javelin F-18 from Italy. Carbon fiber mast, mylar sails, carbon fiber spinnaker snuffer system, and full trapeze setup. It’s fast, really fast. You get wet, similar to a hobie, but much more advanced. Monohull in my opinion is a cheese and wine type of experience. While fun sometimes, the racing cat is more challenging to crew. It’s more like balancing on the razors edge, always one puff away from flipping over.
…oh god, I’m sold. Take me with you!
Less esoteric yachtsing stuff, more surfing stuff like at the end. Soundtrack rating; like the version of ‘Grapevine’, not convinced it works completely, but will give it 3 stars. David?
You didn’t think the yachting sequences were, ultimately, to the good of this episode? That it showed John John to be more than a contest jock? Someone who, with those deep Hawaiian (and, yes, white Hawaiian) roots, brings an ocean culture to a sport that appears inexorably headed to pools and Olympics?
Oh man! John John is the antidote to all of surfing’s woes!
I find little inspiration in the born-to-rule jocks, but JJF gives surfing a deeper purpose, a meaning, and if I was 12 again, I’d be saving every single damn shekel for a little boat.
12! I’m 43, not easily impressed or influenced… but boy oh boy, after watching that clip, I want the boat and his life!
Always rent the boat! Rent, not buy! Unless y’soaked in cash like JJF.
Or get the sponsors to pay for it.
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JJF’s interest in sailing strikes much more of a chord in me than, for example, Slater’s interest in MMA and people punching other people in the face until they bleed externally and internally. But that’s just me.
Tio Sam cries over-rated, sez Gabi’s twice the sailor he is.
Does it not strike your heart with fear – the yacht? Didn’t America’s greatest ’60s surfer (Phil Edwards) give up surfing to go sailing, or maybe I got the story wrong! What if JJF just sails off into the sunset after he wins pipe and the world championship? What will happen to us? Let’s chip in to buy a torpedo!
Um, and Eddie Aikau…
Or a bigger motor so he can return fast!
Thought they dragged on a bit. Nice to go for a sail and all, jump off some rocks, catch some fish and philosophise on the surf/sail similarities. Beautiful images, just could have been done quicker. Liked the waterman vibe with the diving and the ability to get the bird to fly past the cave on cue. The surfing at the end showed how far beyond contest jock he is, I reckon.
Yeah there should’ve been more philosophizing on how he is gonna win this thing. He is in close contention with gabs and I would like to hear his next move.
Just going to take it one heat at time?
giving it a 100%? yeaaaaah
That’s The Slits’ CLASSIC version of the Motown hit. An appropriate choice for any situation!
Ahhhh, ignorance on display. For what it’s worth, I thought it was a more recent version than those halcyon days. Must do some research…
Why don’t you just shut up for once in your god damn life Margaret.