John John Florence Plans to Recreate Surfing “Highlight” with Kelly Slater During Tahiti Pro 2024

2X world champion John John Florence will participate in the 2024 Tahiti Pro. He is a part of the many Pro Surfers around the world on the WSL Champions Tour, showcasing the best talent from around the globe. During last year’s event, Florence secured his place as the representative for the USA at the upcoming Paris Olympics. The Olympics are scheduled to be held in Teahupo’o in late July. This year, he has an exciting plan to recreate a memorable surfing “highlight” with legendary surfer Kelly Slater during the Tahiti Pro 2024.

Kelly Slater, a wildcard entry for the event, is also one of the oldest competitors at 52. However, as an 11-time world champion, he brings a lot of experience to the competition. John John Florence finds the prospect of facing Kelly Slater again at the tournament, a decade after their legendary heat. So watching a rematch between the two powerhouse talents will definitely be awe-inspiring. 

Recently, WSL posted an Instagram post featuring surfer John John Florence discussing his best memory from the Tahiti Pros. He spoke about how his most cherished moment at a previous Tahiti Pro was in 2014, against Kelly Slater. He said, “My best memory from this event was my heat with Kelly for sure. Yeah for me that’s one of the best heats I’ve ever had.”

He further added that even though he did not win ten years ago, the memory still holds a special place in his heart. John John Florence admitted as he recalled his best memory from ten years ago, “Even though I lost…But that definitely was a highlight.” The two surfers had very similar heats back in 2014 with near-perfect scores. Moreover, Florence has previously expressed to People magazine, his wish for a rematch of 2014.  

A decade ago, both surfers scored an average wave score of 9.89. That epic semi-final of the 2014 Billabong Pro Tahiti ended in a draw, and Slater was announced as the winner. Slater was awarded 10 points in wave 1, while Florence got 9.90 points, and in wave 2, Slater scored 9.77 points and Florence secured 9.87 points. The final score of this heat was 19.77 for both surfers, and it ended in a tie. Florence, who is a junior to Slater, is also a big fan of this 11-time World Surf League Champion. This year, wild card entry Slater has been in top form for the 2024 SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro and Corona Fiji Pro events. Even Florence has said that Slater is an inspiration, stating in a Yahoo article, “Growing up, he was always my idol”. As Florence entered the competitive scene himself, he admitted how daunting it was to compete against his idol. 

This year the events are even more special as the surfer recently welcomed his first child just days before the Tahiti event. He has acknowledged that it was, “really hard to leave home”. So Florence is trying to make the best of the event, offering a stiff competition as the 3rd best surfer to others like Griffin Colapinto at Teahupo’o. Fans eagerly anticipate the potential rivalry of the Slater vs. Florence on their own turf. Florence is particularly excited to embark on his second consecutive Olympic Games.

John John Florence is ready to ride the waves

John John Florence is eager to get back on the dangerous waves. As before the Pipe Pro in January, Florence expressed his excitement for the Paris Games. He admitted that the prospect of winning a gold medal in Teahupo’o motivates him to push himself and strive for his ultimate moment of glory. The Hawaii native expertly navigates waves as dangerous and full as those of the Tahiti Pros. So he’s determined to come out on top. Aiding him is the good weather condition according to a Surfline forecast. Experts estimate that the waves will reach a favorable 4-6 feet, accompanied by moderate offshore winds. Florence has stated his desire to dominate the competition, saying, “you have to be 100% confident” when surfing the powerful Teahupoo wave. Along with this, he is ardently waiting for a rematch from 2014.

The prospect of a rematch is exciting to fans as it will ignite a long-standing rivalry between the two US surfers. The event will also provide an interesting preview of the 2024 Olympics, which will be held at the same location. However, about the rematch Florence said, “I think it only counts, though, if the waves are as good as they were then… and it’s big.” He also reminisced about how long it has been since the two faced off, saying, “It’s so crazy to think it’s been that long. It’s amazing.” As both athletes aim to qualify to the elite Olympic stage, a rematch would definitely warrant lots of anticipation.