Photo: Nathan Florence // YouTube
Nathan Florence starts off his latest video in a bad spot. Normally, one would assume that meant he was staring down the barrel of a remote slab or dodging a razor sharp reef, but this time it was a little different. He was just super, super hungover.
The reason for his condition was that it was the morning after the 2024 Big Wave Challenge awards. After winning Surfer of The Year, Florence took part in some well-earned celebrations. “Shouldn’t have drank the amount we drank last night,” he groggily explained. “Me and Chumbo, we just went shot for shot. Now we’re paying the price, but it’s not gonna stop us from looking at some waves today.”
True to form, Nathan and brother Ivan immediately managed to find quite possibly the worst spot imaginable to navigate with a hangover. From barnacle-covered rocks, to sea urchin infested tide pools, to the slabby left-hander itself, the break was crammed wall-to-wall with potential hazards.
Even at half speed, the pair navigated the waters better than most, though. They managed to eke out a few visions here and there, but Nathan admitted he wasn’t quite at full capacity. “Little too many tequilas last night,” he explained afterwards. “First wave, just went flying over the falls.”
