Over the last few years, John John Florence has really thrown himself into sailing. He’s spent a lot of time on the water, looking for new places and new experiences. Recently, he took a trip to the Palmyra Atoll in the Line Islands, but just before he left, he proposed to his long-time girlfriend, Lauryn Cribb. He’s a famously-private person, which might be difficult sometimes as one of the most famous surfers on earth, but he seems to manage it all pretty well. His engagement was turned into a huge social media opportunity — a rare thing these days — and it’s clear that John and Lauryn just want to live a simple life filled with fun things together. So, with two of his loves in hand, John released a new episode on his YouTube channel.
In it, John and Lauryn explore O’ahu powered by the wind, the water, and the sun. They decided to sail all the way around the island. “Inspired by Space X launching two astronauts into space,” the video description reads, “they set out on their first attempt at a multi-day voyage without the help of another hand on deck.”
By his own admission, John’s not an expert sailor — although that’s relative, of course — so attempting an expedition with Lauryn, who’s learning as she goes, might have been a little nerve-racking. “Trying to do it just Lauryn and I,” says John, “when a lot of the sailing stuff relies on my part, it’s slightly stressful. I think Lauryn learns a lot too, because she has to learn. She has no choice… you get way more comfortable by just pushing yourself up over that little hill. Now I just feel like I could keep on going. The challenge is what’s fun. And the freedom of knowing you could just go anywhere in the world.”
See more on John’s YouTube channel here.
