"What was fun and exciting now has us tired and worried. We're 600 miles from our destination."
While the world tour staggers along, led by the almost forty-year-old South African albatross Jordy Smith, John John Florence has been creating an ode to life, assembling his life, wife Lauryn, baby Daz and brother Nathan down there at the bottom of the world in New Zealand.
After a brief cameo at the tour’s opener at Pipeline, John John Florence set off to explore some of New Zealand’s most dramatic coastal scenery, a decision made easy by the fact his forty-eight foot gunboat Vela née Falcor (back when Travis Rice owned it) which had been sitting dockside there after listing it for sale almost two years ago for $1.3 million American dollars.
(The selling literature describes Vela thus,
“Vela” is currently lying in the North of New Zealand and has been a recent recipient of an extensive refit ensuring that she is 100% ready to go on her next adventure. Lightweight, robust and featuring North 3di technology flying from a Marstrom Carbon mast supported by ECsix carbon rigging, The Gunboat 48 strikes the balance between performance and comfort in a manner rarely seen on performance catamarans under 50ft.
The saloon space flows beautifully into the hulls and forward in to the forward cockpit, sail handling area which of course leaves the aft cockpit space open and free for socialising and watching the world go by.
Recently returning to her original metallic blue hull colour with black accenting provided by the forebeam, mast and trampolines, “Vela” is champing at the bit to get back to exploring!)
In 2015, John John 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.”
John John Florence, it has to be said, says a vigorous “yes” to life! He is a man who loves enthusiasm and joyousness for their own sake.
And Nathan Florence, hair redder than his older brother, skin as paper thing, literally and figuratively, ain’t far behind.
As John John Florence gives credibility to the WSL version of pro surfing, Nathan Florence delivers to the vlogging freesurfer.
In this harrowing episode, both brothers face a wild ocean and terrific winds, skies black with rain, as they plunge into darkness and cruelty on the open ocean.
Watch if you dare.
Needless to say.
Essential.