The world champ wins the Hawaiian Pro! But it ain't enough!
There hasn’t been this air of invincibility around a surfer since, oowee, Andy Irons in 2004.
Just now, John John Florence, who turned twenty-four in October, completed his inevitable win at the Hawaiian Pro, which ran in good enough four-to-six-foot waves at Haleiwa. Portugal’s Frederic Morais, a light-footed, mostly mistake-free surfer, actually tied for first place with John John but lost because the Hawaiian had a higher-scoring best wave. Morais needed a 7.34 on his last wave to win; scored a 7.33.
A fix? Not even close.
John John’s posture, his positioning, the way he clutched his hands and manipulated with deft precision his Pyzel, was surfing far beyond his peers.
The WQS-rated Hawaiian Pro is the first of the three Triple Crown events, which also includes the Vans World Cup at Sunset (also a WQS event) and the Billabong Pipeline Masters, the final event on the WCT schedule.
In a post-heat interview with Strider Wasilewski and Peter Mel, John John admitted, “I want to win Pipe, I want to win everything.”
And he will.
Imagine if he won the CT, QS (with 3 x 10000 wins its not inconceivable), Triple Crown, Eddie and why not throw in the BWWT as well, in one year.
It was an interesting wave, since John slid out on the 2nd turn & fell on the 4th turn. Imo, the judges were generous because generally they punish mistakes like that. If the 2nd & 4th turns were completed, it would have be close to a 10.0 but they weren’t. For me, the wave was judged on what John tried/attempted to do rather than judged on what John actually did. Overall, John was more radical so I suppose he deserved the win but comps generally don’t work like that. John’s general down-the-line surfing is not as good as the media want us to believe. Sometimes John looks very ordinary & contrived in his basic turns. In other words, still plenty of room for improvement at Bells, J-Bay, etc.
Has anyone heard from James B. or is he trying to cross the pacific on a raft made of broken surfboards to “eliminate” JJF from any further competition?
On another note…JJ was casually flying in all of his heats. Everything about his surfing looks MUCH better than anyone else in the water.
Frederico Morais is 6’1″, weighs 82 kilos, and knocked Kelly and Mick out of the Portugal CT in consecutive years – derailing two title campaigns in the process – on the strength of his massive turns. Light footed?
Actually, not to take away from his recent achievement, but he knocked Kelly out with a flukey air reverse in shitty closeouts. Ditto Mick.
…six-one, eighty-two, ain’t beef. And Gorgeous Fred ain’t jamming on those curvy WQS sleds. As for the Kelly/Mick title hits, blame crummy waves not any superiority of skill.
6’1 and 82kegs is a stick figure in my books!!
How’s all those eights and nines lil ol’ lightfoot kept dropping to come second at 20-foot Sunset! Second on the QS! Winning the Triple Crown! Who ever knew tail slides, foam climbs and lip taps could do so much damage! Big Chief No Beef for the win!
I do believe you’re being facetious, Mr Binns.
Qui, mois?
Everyone bar Johnajon looked like remote control surfers.
Somebody was holding their baby in the air Lion king style behind John John as he got chaired up the beach. I can think of three reasons: the baby is an attention seeker, the father is trying to advertise the baby, or the baby sponsors Johnajon.
I’m just stoked that Jadson lost…..he is the electoral college of the international qualifying series…..
He did surf more aggressively and, well, better than Ace “put me to sleep already” Buchan.