There are a few events that really stand out in surfers’ memories. In general, they include very good waves, very good surfers, and a final that includes both of those things. John John Florence and Kelly Slater have created more than one of those memories, because, well, they’re both very fun to watch in very good waves. The 2016 Billabong Pro Tahiti, in which Kelly and John John came up against each other at near-perfect Teahupoo was the perfect sequel to their 2014 matchup at the same wave (a heat some call the greatest ever). In 2014 they weren’t in a final, so 2016 was a fitting follow up.
Viewers, both online and in the channel could feel the energy. It was in the water that day, and Slater and Florence were tapped into it. It came after Kelly dropped two perfect 10s in a row, his third perfect heat in his career. “The first one was a more difficult ride,” he said in his post-heat interview. “The second was just a big, classic tube… I’ve been feeling good all week.”
By the time the final rolled around, both Kelly and John John were well and truly on fire. The waves were too, and it made for a final not soon to be forgotten.
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