Watch: John John Florence Comes Out Swinging On Opening Day At Sunset Beach
For as much as John John Florence is rightly heralded for his comfort at Pipeline, the genius of the man's surfing is may be even more evident at Sunset Beach. The wide open spaces and unpredictability of the place demand a combination of endurance and creativity, both of which Florence has in spades.
In mixed up, hard-to-read, six- to eight-foot surf at Sunset, Florence picked up right where he left off last week at the Pipe Pro. Cruising to the highest score of the day at the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach, he dropped two seven-point scores, one for an impeccably read barre. As a result, his innate ability to casually attack big, shifting peaks puts him in the early pole position at stop number two of the Championship Tour.
With more swell looming on the horizon, the forecast for the event plays to Florence's strengths. Sunday is expected to be somewhere in the 15- to 20-foot range, and between his deep understanding of the break and his work with North Shore-based shaper Jon Pyzel, that's a recipe for success.
On the same side of the draw as other event favorites like Griffin Colapinto and Gabriel Medina, Florence's road to the final is hardly a foregone conclusion. And should he make the final, on the other side of the draw sits Jack Robinson and Ethan Ewing, who might be his two biggest threats in the event. But we're long way from finals day and there's heaps of surfing left to be done. That said, smart money is on Florence to wrap up the Hawaiian leg of the tour with the yellow leaders jersey. He's just looking too comfortable right now.
