John John Florence and Nathan Florence grew up staring at Pipeline. As soon as they were old enough — which was much younger than most — they paddled out and tentatively watched from the channel for a while. Soon, they were paddling into the smaller ones. As they grew taller and stronger, their skills grew stronger. Now, all these years later and countless Pipe and Backdoor barrels under their collective belts, they know that section of reef on a very intimate level.
Surfing in the barrel is a difficult task. Tiny movements, a whole lot of foresight, and an innate understanding of what a wave is going to do are all required, so when you end up in a tube with someone else… well, it adds another level. John and Nate, though, know how the other surfs as well as they know the wave, and it’s on full display at the 1:16 mark in the video from Off Da Lip you see above. Also on display is a ridiculous display of other talents, including but not limited to Seth Moniz, Billy Kemper, Makua Rothman, Seth Moniz, Dane Gudauskas, and Mason Ho.
