"Foam Ball Ride of the Decade!"
Nathan Florence, brother of US Olympian John John, has knocked the surfing world for six after shucking what some big-wave surfers are calling the “best barrel ever.”
Florence, who is twenty-eight and whose couronne of red hair is masked by the bleaching effects of sun and salt, rode the wave at a remote Irish reef on November 6, the swell generated by the remnants of Hurricane Martin.
“When riding the lightning all comes together!” says Nathan. “One of the rides of me life, thanks all local boys for having me in their beautiful land and inspiring always to send!”
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Compliments were quick to follow.
Mark Healey, no stranger to oversized waves, wrote, “You may have my two favourite backhand tube ride ever.”
From WSL commentator Strider Wasilewski, “Best heavy wave surfer in the world.”
Tube hunter Brett Barley, “Foamball Ride of the Decade.”
Dorian, “Sheesh epic!!”
Pipe Pro runner-up Seth Moniz, “Best Barrel ever.”
Florence’s brother, John John, older by two years was quick to collar tie the middle bro of the Florence triumvirate, writing with a masterfully droll wit, “Could’ve been deeper.
If you’re wondering, Nathan’s on an eight-five Pyzel Padillac, set up as a thruster not a quad and the protuberance from his mouth is a miniature POV camera, although that footage has yet to be loosed.
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Would have been more impressive on a “Gut Slider”
You missed a trick Dezza; something something ‘riding the foamball’ something ‘OnlyFans’.
Nice reference to the ginger there Dez, joining Dusty Payne and Mitch Coleborn.
Mully’s a notoriously hard barrel to make, so fair play to the ‘I do epic footage but annoying and long intros with lots of speaking’ guy.
Is this wave better than Peter Mel’s at Mavs?
waiting for lab results…re: Venice…
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I’m just gonna say No. But in saying that, Yes.
No
How so?
Petes was way more emotive for me, decades spent at the spot playing his dues for it all to come together on one wave.
I see you use the WSL style judging. Favoritism adding an extra 0.5 to 1 to the technical score.
The real question is the difference in size between the two waves in German men’s lower legs?
That remote Irish reef is just in front of the charming little village of Mullaghmore, you can watch the wave explode about 500 meters from the road. The name Mullaghmore might rings a bell aside from surfing, as it’s the exact same place that Lord Mountbatten was killed by the IRA in 1979!
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I remember an article in surfer mag from the early 90s (think it was Evan Slater, Flea and them guys – I might be wrong) on a trip to Ireland. Upon seeing the (at the time unridden) wave and hearing the story about the IRA blowing up the notorious British royal family pedophile’s boat they christened it “Bomb Bay”.
I think it was Chris or Keith Malloy who first surfed it, and then Bundoran’s Richie Fitzgerald and England’s (Newcastle) Gabe Davis who pioneered it. I could be very wrong on that though!
Think it was in Thicker Than Water?
They all blur into each other for me!
Spitting stone cold FACTS!
That’s a surf pub quiz question of the highest calibre.
“Could’ve been deeper”
Good old Johnny
I wonder what his BG commenter name is ?
Ummmm…yeah me too.
@Non-John? @John’s knees? *spelling
Foamball revenue is up up up!
Water you talking about?
Wet did you sea?
Hes terrible at turns
I’d bodysurf that…