John John Florence has been in the surfing spotlight for over two decades. At just eight, the young prodigy dropped into a wave at Pipeline. His grom days were decorated with countless wins and his early success led many to believe that he would go on to become the next Kelly Slater.
As the years progressed, John John went on to become friends and rivals with Kelly. He’s claimed two world titles over the GOAT, beat Kelly out of an Olympic spot, and had many head-to-head matchups, all of which have enthralled us
“My relationship with Kelly has always just been that he’s this person that I’ve always looked up to and gained inspiration from,” John John told USA Today. “Over the years I’ve tried to watch everything that he does. I was fortunate enough to meet him when I was very young and have gone and done some fun surf trips with him, which has been great.”
If you were someone that thought John John would turn into the next Kelly Slater, then you know by now that you were wrong. He’s the first John John Florence. Perhaps not in the mainstream, but in the core surf world, John John is certainly one of, if not the most, popular surfer in more than a generation. His surfing, with its seamless blend of style, power, and flow, demands that we stop and watch. And with his run of unfortunate injuries, we’re constantly holding our breath hoping he can surf on the world stage for as long as possible.
All that is why it’s still fun to look back at John’s grom days. Seeing the talent he had then, it’s no surprise that he turned into the incredible surfer we know and love today.
