Three Brothers, One Epic Heat At The Pipe Masters
John John Florence is a two-time world champion. Nathan Florence is one of the premier big-wave surfers on the planet today. Ivan Florence has mutton chops that put them all to shame. Throw them in a heat together at the Vans Pipe Masters and it was inevitable that some magic was going to happen.
"The plan is that I'm gonna win, Ivan's gonna get second and Nathan's gonna get third," predicts John John.
"Wow, I couldn't even get second?" fires back Nathan. "The plan is, bulldog John, me and Ivan, teaming up ... he really won't burn us if it comes down to it.
Sibling rivalries are good like that. Growing up on the beach at Pipe, the three brothers have spent almost their entire lives in the water together there, and with nothing but bragging rights and some cash on the line, it's clear they're paddling out for a good time.
"How cute!" chides Endless Summer 2 co-star Pat O'Connell as he skips on by the camera.
After two days of competition in a mixed bag of conditions at Pipeline, John John sits atop the leaderboard. Nathan's in third and Ivan's sitting down in eighth, but not that far off the pace. With more waves on the way to Hawaii it's still anybody's bet who's going to come out on top, but the smart money has always been on John John to win.
Next month, John John will kick off his 2024 campaign on the Championship Tour with the first event of the season at Pipe. He'll also be looking towards the Paris 2024 Olympics in July. A win at the Pipe Masters now would give him a good shot of momentum rolling into a big year.
