Little Ivan Florence turns 28 and celebrates by slamming into big, empty Mentawai waves.

The two younger Florence brothers, Nathan and Ivan, have stuffed their burned-out rods into one of the best swells to slam into Indonesia since the last biggest-ever swell.

Although missing elder brother John John, who was busy marauding everyone but Italo Ferriera at Teahupoo, the pair flew to Arawa, at the northern tip of Sipura there in the famous Mentawai island chain, to chase an incoming swell, and to celebrate the twenty-eighth birthday of Ivan on May 25.

(The sell on Bilou Beach Villas, with its private boats, dreamy lil villas, self-serve kitchens etc is compelling. I’m booking!)

As you know, Prince Harry lookalike Nathan Florence is the alpha male of the squad now following his surfer of the year crown, narrowly surpassing older brother John John although a third world title in September would see the passing back of the title.

Ivan, meanwhile, who looks so much like daddy John Florence Snr, has emerged from the shadow of his overachieving oldest brother and hilariously absurdist middle bro in the past half a dozen Hawaiian seasons, proving magnetic in the water as well as the skate park, creative energies suddenly liberated.

The differing personalities Nathan describes thus, 

“Ivan is a serious little guy. Very serious little face. I’m more of the sarcastic one who’s making a joke out of everything and then John is just right in between. He can be super mature, just ’cause he has to deal with so many interviews and business-like stuff, but then at the same time he’s more immature than me and Ivan… especially when he gets drunk.”

The session contained in the video box below is the sort of thing that will have you propped up on your pillows and jiggling your hands in the air.

The moment the empty lineup swings into view. How big you wanna call those sets? Feel the staccato of your heart-beat!

Essential. 

"Caity Simmers is the most talented woman surfer ever. Not many surfers, men or women, would pull half the barrels she did on this trip."

Only four months ago, the San Clemente (sharks!) teenager Caity Simmers and Australian Molly Picklum delivered the best performance ever by the gals at Pipe, with Caity beating hall-of-fame performer Picklum in perfect four-to-six-foot waves. 

“Pipeline for the fucking girls,” said Caity Simmers, in the immediate aftermath of her win. “I respect everyone who wants a part of it and I respect anyone who doesn’t want a part of it.”

Caity Simmers showed how quickly generational change was happening there previous year in Tahiti when she, and Caroline Marks, dominated the Tahiti Pro as Stephanie Gilmore “showed little interest in being there.” 

As Jen See reported,

If you watch nothing else from this finals day, watch this wave from Caity. It shows plainly her unique intuition. It’s as though Caity feels a rhythm on that wave that few others can perceive. 

Setting it up, Caity takes off from deep. The wave sections ahead of her, but she smoothly bottom turns around it. Remember now, she’s surfing backside. Caity throws a quick midface turn to line up the barrel. Then she grabs rail and pulls in.

Shooting through the crumbling lip, she makes a clean exit. She almost looks surprised that she made it. But she still remembers to throw in a quick down carve to finish it. The judges gave it a 9.23. I’m not sure what else they wanted there. Just give her the ten, you nerds!

Despite an early exit from this year’s Tahiti Pro due, mostly, to the WSL’s decision to run the gal’s elim heats in a slowing swell, Caity leads the women’s tour by a decent sorta margin. She is two k points or thereabouts, and is decent sorta bet to win the title, aged eighteen, at her home break, Lowers, in September.

A recent series of films by surf forecasting giant Surfline, and which feature Caity Simmers, demonstrate she ain’t just a contest machine.

And, this B-side edit, which you’ll wanna watch, below, has dragged male viewers’ jaws to the ground.

Caity is the most talented woman surfer ever. Not many surfers, men or women, would pull half the barrels she did on this trip. The fact that she gets more excited doing this than winning comps says a lot about her mindset. And her style is so naturally elegant and functional, sort of like Slater when he came up on the scene, nothing too flashy or hyper stylish(à la Ethan Ewing or Steph Gilmore) but just smooth and no hickups whatsoever. Mesmerizing to watch. A round of applause to miss Simmers!

You absolutely know that you had a great surf trip when the cutting room floor is covered in 9.5 to 10-point tube rides….

My appreciation for what Caity does here….. no words, just go do it some more! Fantastic stuff !

Can’t believe these are b sides. caity is a once in a generation talent.

Right now she is one of the best in the World, imagine this girl in 5 years. She improves each session, with each event… Crazy that Caity still has the potential to grow even more!

The Future is here.

Essential.