“My relationship with the boat is definitely a love, hate relationship," says John John.
Four months ago, John John Florence, brother of Surfer of the Year Nathan Florence, listed his forty-eight foot gunboat for sale in New Zealand for $1.3 million American dollars.
It followed a terrific voyage across the Pacific where John John Florence and pals sailed the catamaran 1200 miles to Palmyra Atoll. The accompanying video series drew gyspy rings around all the edits and series’ doin the rounds at the time.
In 2015, Florence had declared, “My ultimate goal with sailing is to be able to travel fast, cover long distances, and go surfing. I want to combine the two.”
And, so, once monied enough to realise the dream Florence bought snowboarder Travis Rice’s forty-eight foot cat, Falcor, which was promptly renamed Vela, with its three “queen berths” (everyone’s a queen at sea), one thousand feet of sail area and a main saloon where all sorts of naughty and dangerous activities often take place at sea.
“My relationship with the boat is definitely a love, hate relationship,” says John John Florence. “Sometimes I’m like, this is the most amazing thing ever. Look at it. We’re sailing at 15 knots and it’s beautiful and everything feels great. And then the next moment something breaks and I’m like, this is the worst. I hate this. I don’t know why we’re doing this. Why do I put myself through this stress? I’m selling the boat. When we get to Fiji, I’m selling the boat, we’re done.”
Now, after apparently failing to sell the catamaran, John John Florence has taken to exploring the New Zealand coastline, surfing hither and yon, and thrilling locals with his coolly explosive lines.
“John – thanks for being so friendly and patient with us frothy kiwis in your travels here. You were so kind to my son at the beach today!” wrote one fan. “He hasn’t stopped talking about it, and may never! Mihi nui!”
The most recent sightings have been at Ocean Beach in Whagnarei Heads as well as a high-speed sail with America’s Cup holders Emirates Team New Zealand.
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“We’ve had it all, everything from fifty knots of wind to perfect little barrels,” writes John John Florence. “We are loving New Zealand.”
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I’m late to this party but it’s Whangarei (Fah-ngah-ray), not Whagnarei
I can’t speak for the whole of NZ however we are all very thrilled with the prospect of this over exposed, entitled Canadian (that’s clearly been kicked out of pipe by O’Brien’s crew) coming down here with his surname the same as an Italian hovel.
Thieving our best waves, littering our pristine inside point breaks with used taco bell and KFC wrappers is a small price to pay for global recognition that NZ is the best place to make the next point break movie.
I like this future of surfing better than WSL
If it fucks, floats, flies or drives rent don’t buy
Yea John, love your surfing mate.
You don’t need likes and internet $$$$$$d$$ like your halfwitted brother so keep the fucken cameras below decks and no problems !
Smartest Surfer < Halfwitted
money? you’re all fired~
Selling a boat like that ain’t an overnight, slam dunk deal. Could take years.
look for the neon light…Beef & Beer’s Saloon and Barbershop…need a solar/diesel generator?
As the old saying goes “The boat owner has two happy days in his life – the day he buys his boat and the days he SELLS his boat”
Having spent a year and a half of my life on boats in many places from Indonesia to Nouvelle Calédonie to The Philippines to the Andaman Islands of India, I have never been on a boat anywhere that did not have something broken –
Very true.
West Marine…
“My relationship with my shitty car is definitely a love, hate relationship,” says V3 Rocket. “Sometimes I’m like, this is the most amazing Torana ever. Look at it. We’re cruising at 100km/hr and it’s beautiful and everything feels great. And then the next moment something breaks and I’m like, this is the worst. I hate this. I don’t know why we’re doing this. Why do I put myself through this stress? I’m selling this bogan car. When we get to the worksite, I’m selling it, we’re done.
same here. no room for racks! https://carsoid.com/wp-cont…