The little kid from Hawaii who came good, John John Florence is widely recognized as the best surfer in the world right now – when he’s not injured that is.
JJF has a grom’s proclivity for doing silly things sometimes, like dropping down a half pipe on his skateboard the day before a big event, paddling out to closing out and slightly onshore Waimea Bay, or going for the craziest wind-assist airs that just look like they’ll blow ankles.
With two world titles under the belt, the Hawaiian kid who grew up in the shade of the trees at Pipe has a long and illustrious career ahead of him.
Table of Contents
Background
| Place of Birth | Honolulu, Hawai’i |
| Hometown | North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii |
| Year of Birth | October 18, 1992 |
| Weight | 174 lbs (79 kg) |
| Height | 6 ft, 2 in (186 cm) |
| Stance | Regular |
| First Season | 2008 Men’s QS |
Milestones
- #3 Men’s CT 2021
- 11 Heat wins
- 13.61 Avg. heat score
- 2012 Rookie Year
Event Wins
Men’s Championship Tour
| 2021 | Billabong Pipe Masters presented by Hydro Flask 1st Place 10,000 Points |
| 2019 | Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach 1st Place 10,000 Points Margaret River Pro 1st Place 10,000 |
| 2017 | Drug Aware Margaret River Pro 1st Place 10,000 Points |
| 2016 | Oi Rio Pro 1st Place 10,000 |
MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal 1st Place 10,000 Points
| 2014 | Quiksilver Pro France 1st Place 10,000 Points |
| 2012 | Billabong Rio Pro 1st Place 1st Place 10,000 Point |
Backhistory
- John John Florence was introduced to surfing by his mother, Alexandra, who is a surfer herself.
- At the age of 13, standing at 4’11” and weighing 85 pounds, Florence became the youngest surfer ever to compete in the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, which consists of three big-wave surfing contests in Hawaii. He had previously won five amateur awards, the 2003 1st NSSA Nationals Open Mini Grom, the 2005 1st NSSA Nationals Open Boy’s, the 2005 NSSA Open Boys and the Explorer Menehune Champion.
- Since joining the World Surf League (WSL) and competing against the best surfers in the world, Florence has ranked 34th in 2011, 4th in 2012, 10th in 2013, 3rd in 2014, and 14th in 2015. Florence was the 2016 WSL Champion.
- Florence won the prestigious SURFER POLL award in the 2014-2015 year.[10] He has won the Volcom Pipe Pro an astonishing 4 times and has been declared the all-time ruler of this contest.
- In 2011, Florence suffered a broken back while riding a wave at Banzai Pipeline.[12] He has also had a broken wrist, broken leg, broken arm and ankle ligament tear.
- Florence won the Vans World Cup of Surfing in 2011 and 2013. He is the youngest contestant to have won this honor.
- In October 2014, he won the Quiksilver Pro France.[16] In February 2015, Florence won the 2015 Volcom Pipe Pro, which was his fourth win at this event in five years.
- In 2013, Florence changed sponsors, joining Hurley International, after surfing for O’Neill since he was six years old.
- On January 27, 2020, John John announced he would be leaving Hurley after Hurley’s owner, Bluestar Alliance, walked back John John’s contract and offered him a $2,000,000 buyout deal.
- On February 25, 2016, Florence won “The Eddie” Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational in memory of Eddie Aikau, at Waimea Bay, the first time the event ran in seven years.
- On October 25, 2016, Florence won the Meo Rip Curl Pro, in Portugal securing the WSL World Championship title. Florence was the first Hawaiian surfer in over a decade to win the title since Andy Irons last won it in 2004.
- After a dominating 2016 season, Florence continued to show a strong performance in the 2017 WSL season, alongside his new coach Ross Williams.[24] John John’s strong performances all year long made him a clear favorite to take home top honors again. In December 2017, Florence clinched his second straight world title at Pipeline, coming in second in the event to Jeremy Flores.
- In December 2019, Florence qualified for the 2020 Olympics despite missing much of the 2019 World Surf League Men’s Champion Tour due to an ACL injury.[26] Florence finished the 2019 WSL Tour ranking 7th after competing in 6 of the 11 events.
- In December 2020, Florence won the Pipe Masters 2020, beating Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina in the finals.
- In 2020 JJ Florence launched his own apparel and surf brand entitled “Florence Marine X”
Sponsors
John John Florence is now sponsored by: Stance, Futures, Nixon, Dakine, Clif Bar, Electric, Yeti and Pyzel surfboards.
Surfboards
JJF rides the Pyzel FunFormance Surfboards.
News, Articles and Interviews
- John John Florence exclusive: ”My main goal is thinking about the Olympics.”
- ‘When I feel freedom I am at home’: Why surf legend John John Florence chases bliss over victory
- Florence suffers surprised elimination at World Surf League event in Newcastle
- O’Neill Wave of the Winter Outer Reef Lookback: John John Florence + Koa Rothman
- Two of the largest waves up for consideration for this year’s WOTW
- Surfing-Mask-free! Florence resumes Olympic preparations Down Under
- Hawaii’s John John Florence scores perfect 10 to open Margaret River Pro in Western Australia
Quotes by John John Florence
1. The best version of surfing is not competing, I think. It’s just… it’s perfect. You’re perfectly present. You’re perfectly in the moment. You’re perfectly not thinking about anything else in the world. You’re just surfing. You’re surfing away with your friends or your family, and that’s it. You’re just there.
2. I’m excited to go surfing every time. I have fun in any kind of wave in the ocean.
3. I want to win a world title for sure. When I’m a little bit older, I’ll have a lot of time to free-surf in my life. So I would love to win a world title.
4. I still get scared every time I go out. I get scared taking off; I get scared on the wave, falling, everything. But, you know, growing up with it, I guess you’re a little more comfortable.
5. You have to go into every event with 100 percent confidence and just surf your best because everyone there is there to win, and no one is going to give you the heat. You have to win by a mile to really make a heat.
Other Activities and Interests
1. His favorite hobbies include skateboarding, sailing, snowboarding, photography, and fishing.
2. John “John” is also interested in beekeeping.
3. Florence loves to wake up early.
Interesting Facts
1. John Florence’s real name is… John Alexander Florence.
2. John was named after John F. Kennedy Jr, often referred to as John John.
3. His nicknames include Two Johns and JJ.
4. Florence’s favorite food is sushi and pasta.
5. He lives in a $5 million beach-front house with five bedrooms and four bathrooms located in Banzai Pipeline.
6. The Hawaiian surfer grew up listening to Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Motörhead, Black Sabbath, Johnny Cash, and Talking Heads.
7. John is also interested in beekeeping.
8. John is in a relationship with Lauryn Cribb.
9. Pipeline still is JJF’s favorite surf break and dream wave.
10. Florence has been riding Pyzel surfboards ever since.
11. JJF’s signature movie “View From a Blue Moon” was the first surf film shot in 4K and had an overall budget of over $2 million.
12. His favorite surf film of all time is “The Endless Summer II”.
13. John Florence doesn’t smoke weed.
14. JJF’s most inspiring surfers are Andy Irons and Kelly Slater.