John Florence: Navigating Edges

Olympian and two-time surfing World Champion John John Florence masterfully navigates the edges of flying and falling. Riding big waves  and sailing at high speed around the Hawaiian Islands are amongst his most instructive and inspiring moments.

Seen as the most technically gifted surfer on the planet right now, John has the eyes of the surfing world focused on everything he does. His broad ranging interests -- from beekeeping to photography to science fiction -- are  cracking the mold of what it looks like to be a competitive surfer. In the tradition of Hawaiian watermen, John has embraced all kinds of ocean activity, and also the wisdom of surfers from the timeline of surfing.

In our meandering chat, John talks us through high speed  sailing with eighty-year-old surfing legend Joey Cabell,  the value of taking breaks from the singular focus of competitive surfing, the ambiguity of the impacts of social media, his favourite surf film, and how he navigates being an introvert in a culture of extroverts.

John also speaks to his absolute love of surfing that leaves him speechless, even after decades of marathon  surf sessions. 


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Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound Engineer & Music By: Shannon Sol Carroll

Additional music: ‘Evergreen’ by Band of Frequencies:  Men of Wood & Foam album   

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