John John Florence has been a surfing icon for years. Growing up on the sands of Oahu’s North Shore, he’s been in the thick of the surfing world for well over a decade now. He’s 20. He’s been riding Futures just as long.
“John John has been a part of the Futures family forever. He’s always been one of our primary test pilots, and his involvement in developing this new fin was unreal,” said Vince Longo, owner of Futures Fins. “Particularly during this recent period, where he’s just taken over.”
The impact he’s had on the surf industry over the last two years is unlike anyone else before him. Qualifying for the ASP World Tour and then winning the Triple Crown, three in a row at the Pipe Pro, a World Tour event, Rookie of the Year, the Air-Strike, the Exposure Meter and the hearts of fans the world over, it’s been a blur of JJF. And, have you seen his movies.
John’s been prototyping his new signature fin throughout the entire span of this run. The initial concepts came from his favorite F4 Techflex, but his new life on the ASP World Tour and a late teen growth spurt required much more area than he was riding in 2011.
“It took a lot of test fins. I really needed a little bit bigger fin for more drive and doing turns, and whatnot,” John John said of the process. “At first we tried a bigger one, a smaller one and a medium one. The medium one came out the best, and I’ve been riding the samples now for a while and have gotten used to them. They’re amazing fins.”
Per him, the fin was to be a Techflex, and black. Of course, we added some color. We also added base and reduced the tip area. Drive, release and control were the primary measures, and John’s effortless style proves high marks in each field.
Recollecting his first Techflex samples, John said, “At J-Bay last year the waves were all time, firing. The fins were holding in so good. I was able to ride only a 6’0″ and surf it like it was a bigger board almost. I’m pretty thankful for those fins, actually.”
With all humility, we’ve nailed it, but we only say that because that’s what John John tells us. We understand what he means, and what it means to him.
Needless to say, we’re proud to present the new John John Florence Signature Techflex.