Interview with John John Florence |
Let's talk about skateboarding, your mother initiated ? Yea my mom got me into skating when i was really litlle she got us a ramp in our backyard and i really got into skating then, then after seeing guys like Nathan and Christian Fletcher who are doing bolth encouraged me as well. Are you the next Shaun White competing in both surf and skate sports ? Because there are mixed events. I don't know hahhahha but it would definatly be sick to be able to do both when I am older still  Are we gonna see you in a skate board video ? Hah i don't know A few words about music, I red that you used to listen Johnny Cash, Motorhead and Elvis ? Yea i like that music a lot I listen to it all the time but I think I listen to Black Sabbath the most Are you still going to school ? Yea i am doing online school Is that easier with the girls when you are pro surfer and good skater, considered as a Pipe resident ? Ummm hhaha yea i dunno probly Let's come back to surfing subjects, what's your goal this year ? I would really like to finish up with a good result on the WQS in the ratings so next year i can make a good run for the WCT. Is it hard to compete on the O'NEILL COLD WATER CLASSIC when you come from Hawaii ? Yes but then no because i do a lot of contest that are in cold water so i'm sort of used to it.  Let's rock for your favorite: Surf / Skate : Surf Surf manover: Barrel Free surf / Event : Both Skate Trip : Oregon last year Wave : Pipe Spot : Pipe Friend on tour : Kiron Jabour Biggest Party : I don't really party Quiver : 5’7, 5’10, 5’11, 6’2, 6’3, 6’4, Crew to surf : Me, my brothers, Kiron, Ezekial, Lau |
|
John John Florence (haw) is THE freak. He is the most talented young rider ever seen, can you imagine that his first ride at Pipe Event was at the age of 11. He is a Junior but starts the WQS this year. Amazing tube rider protected by the boys of Pipe, he can also boost crazy airs in small surf. He is the new generation of talent expected by Hawaii and no doubt he gonna write some lines of surfing History. I called him to know everything about this Freaky Guy.  Freaksurf Mag : Hey, can you introduce yourself, where do you come from... John John Florence : My name is John John Florence, I'm 16 years old and live on the North Shore of Oahu Hawaii. How did you discover surfing ? My mom brought me into surfing at a really young age when I was about two and I have just been into it ever since  Why surfing rather than Body Board ? We've seen Jamie competing in such event... Welll I dont know I'm not really in to the whole laying down thing, I think Jamie was doing it for fun. Plus I just don't like the attitudes of most of the bodyboarders, there are a couple that I think are really cool and that I definatly respect like Poulo Barcellos and Mike Stewart. |
Well living down the street from Liam my whole life and all the other guys like Garret his brother and Jamie O'Brien made me like big waves a lot and want to surf them but I'm gonna also surf small waves too. I want to be able to surf big waves just as well as small waves like Nathan Fletcher. |
|
 It is said that you're protected by Pipeline's boys. Well I wouldn't say protected haha but yea they definatly look after me, I think cause I've been surfing out there since I was really little. You have been the youngest surfer ever to be part of a Pipeline Master Event, in epic conditions, how was it ? Well the first year I did it was when I was 11 I think but I remember the waves were really big and the swell had some North in it so there were a lot of close outs. I was definatly scared in that heat but it was really fun. Then the next time I did was last year and the waves were like 6 ft and perfect I was syked cause I made it through my first round heat against Jay Thompson. Moment you are most proud of ? |
||
 |
||
|
Is there a rivalry between you and your Brothers ? Umm no not really at all we are more like best friends that just go surfing all the time.
I don't really think about that around them I'd rather help them out with there surfing.  After the Munro, the Irons, the Goods and the Lopez are we gonna see the Florence in the Dream Tour? I definatly hope so. That would be sick to see, i'd be stoked. Does Liam Mc Namara still your trainer and how did you meet him ? Well Liam was never really my trainer but he definatly has given a lot of good pointers through out my career. Are you afraid facing big waves?  Yea I'm definatly scared but that's the sick thing about it. You can get that adrenalin rush and you just want to get a bigger crazier wave and the feeling after have done is super sick aswell To be close to Liam is that to say you're going to be a Big Wave rider ?
|
I dont really have a moment I was most proud of but if there had to be one, Ii think that it would be making that heat in the Pipe Masters. How did you meet O'NEILL ? They kinda came to us through our good friend Pete Johnson when i was about 6 A word on your shaper ? My main shaper is John Pyzel, he's one of the coolest shapers to me cause he's been a good familly friend and he has been shaping my boards since i was really little. I like also because we can go surf together and really talk about the boards to get the right one that I really like. |
|
 |
||
Who inspire you the most ? Probably my mom because she has gone through so many hard time raising me and my brothers by herself and she's the one that I owe it all to she's the one who made everything happen |
Video : Stranger than Fiction Track list : Black Sabbath Under the Sun Just imagine you win a Dream Tour Event, which one ? Pipe ! Interview by Johann Mouchel for Freaksurf Magazine - Photo Credit : VANS and O'NEILL |
|
