John John Florence world title signals end of Brazilian Storm’s “peak kook style”

Pretty surfing is back!

A recent article called ‘The Style Renaissance’ by our collective pal Steve Shearer (Longtom) suggests that style in surfing is better than ever.

Well researched, it makes one of few references in our surf media to Brazilian surf journalism. Wrapping up the 2024 season, the article considers that CT surfing is – at last – valuing style again. So what to make the development of competition surfing over the last decade?

Since Medina’s first title in 2014, the reverence for style amongst Australian, Hawaiian and Californian surfers (call them Colonialists) far exceeds everything that the Brazilian Storm brought in victories and egregious behaviours. It began in sharp contrast between peak-Colonialism – honed by the highly evolved Coolie Kid and Andy eras – clashing with early-Storm behaviour verging on kook.

The overly energetic upstarts came in with disregard to otherwise absurdities in the culture. There was disdain to years of perfecting a figure-8 cuttie, sticker placement, wetsuit colours. There was claiming. Lots of pumping. One manoeuvre waves. There was noise. It was small wave performance over charging large, hollow waves. It was all win at the cost of style. It changed the CT.

But Colonial style is collective subjectivity, not quantifiable to the uneducated eye and with mystic gatekeepers. It is a peculiar pursuit of surfers mainly around the edges of the Pacific in Australia, Hawaii and California. It is often regional, heralded by the likes of the Surfcore Instagram account, local tilers, Margo, Rasta. And style is historic: Andy Irons, Curren with his Curren-isms, MP. Entry into the style club comes with difficulties, is complex and layered.

Throughout Brazilian title years, Colonialists held onto style as the bastion of superiority over the South Americans’ uprising. When style wasn’t scored on the CT, surfers complained and quit the tour, deeming that they wouldn’t compete unless on their own terms. Titles rain down for Brazilian surfers. The reaction from both sides was to defame. Chat rooms lit up. The term ‘Brazzos’ lurks next to death threats among tones that are cringeworthy at best, deeply troubling at worst.

While women’s surfing on the CT has been a safe place for Colonialists, on the men’s side the uprising is in plain sight. Seven Brazilian titles and three to John. Yet plenty of shade is thrown and the proverbial ‘asterisks’ are noted below.

2014, Gabriel Medina: He rips, he charges (Tahiti, 18.96 v 18.93 (Kelly), but he cried losing to Julian in Portugal. His boards were a bit wide and a bit flat with neon sprays. Charlie and mum on the beach. There was too much emotion and not enough graciousness in the back story.

2015, Adriano de Souza: Plenty to love in the backstory but we called him the Li’l plumber. He was an early victim of peak-Kelly and never recovered in Colonial eyes from comments about his wide stance.

2016, John: Expectation.

2017, John: Hope.

2018, Medina: Should have been Julian’s year. It was peak-Charlie. On the one hand we had Ross Williams and Tommy Whits, then there was Charlie.

2019, Ferreira: It was a power vacuum with the first year in forever without Parko and Fanning. John busts his knee with two wins and a third after four events. There was some Colonialist softening after Italo’s victory over Medina at Pipe on the final day, which was ruined by excessive Storm scenes on the beach.

2020, COVID.

2021, Medina: wins at Trestles. It is the first year without Charlie but Yasmin is there. Parko and Fanning had been creating some positive noise about Medina, but the Colonial jury was still out. This is pre-divorce era Medina, pre-mental-breakdown and recovery-in-the-jungle Medina. John was injured again and WTF-are-we-doing-deciding-the-title-at-Trestles, it’s a half asterisk.

2022, Toledo: Wins at Trestles. Where to start on performances in Tahiti and in hollow waves?

2023, Toledo: See 2022.

2024, John: Relief.

While John’s title came to the joy of pure Colonialists, the comments section in the final five broadcast was divided – there were those that thought his numbers were being pumped up by the Colonialist Illuminati. However had Italo won, it would have been another asterisk-title for the Brazilians. The flapping and hopping, the single manoeuvre waves, the Red Bulls, victory decided by Trestles, the system, it would go on.

So with John’s title against the thrilling run by Italo, the Brazilian Storm era as we have known it over the last decade surely closes. Italo’s style is one of the outliers amongst his compatriots and most tour surfers. Ethan Ewing, Griff, Jack and John occupy the top of the CT.

Brazilian style is maturing and with that their assimilation into the domains of the Pacific style-lords and the end of the Brazilian Storm as we have known it for the last 10 years.

As the final five decider moves to Fiji in 2025 and assuming they get pumping Cloudbreak in September, the consequential nature of the contest creates a title without asterisk, regardless of their nationality.