When you talk about contemporary masters of the sport of surfing, few jump to the top of the list like Jordy Smith and John John Florence. Not only are they incredible surfers, but they’re also wizards when it comes to tactics and the mental side of competitive surfing and being a professional athlete.
Although the two are both recovering from injuries and currently out of the running for the 2021 WSL Championship which will be decided at Lower Trestles in less than a month, that doesn’t mean they’re out of the picture. Listen in as Jordy and John discuss free surfing versus competitive mindsets, how to win over the judges, and specific event memories, along with some mind-bending clips of them surfing in the events and locations that they discuss.
One classic exchange from the video above stood out for me among many little gems:
John: “That was my first time to J-Bay.”
Jordy: “No way?”
John: “You yelled at me in the water my first day there.”
Jordy: “Good. You can do that to me at Backdoor.”
