With the first leg of the tour down, John dispatches an update before heading to Tahiti.
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I’m sure most of you have heard by now that my brother Nathan has joined the brand! It was a lot of fun working on this with the whole Florence team, and so glad we were able to make it happen. I couldn't have been more excited to announce Nathan being on board. He's had maybe the craziest season and year of swell chasing of any surfer in history - and I couldn't think of a more fitting Test Pilot.
He has made the whole process even more enjoyable, and I’m so glad it's all official. When we started this brand, it was a decision to step away from the classic sponsorship model and create a new path. We wanted to build a brand – a family business – that revolved around quality, function, utility and protecting the ocean & the land. Nate's already built a massive following doing things his way, and him joining the Florence brand is a continuation of that. So excited for the future and all we will build together.
West Aus was surprisingly wave starved this year, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it that small for that long. Nate ended up joining us for a bit between strike missions and we had a lot of fun gear testing. We were using full cover airtex products, trying to get an understanding of what would perform best in high heat without overheating the body. Excited for you all to see the updated airtex!
It was nice to get some swell for finals day at the contest. Happy to have made the final and to carry the momentum onwards. Really looking forward to Tahiti! We always have such a great time finding little waves and exploring. It’s an amazing wave to compete at, so I’m excited for the tour event and the Olympics. Going to have lots of Tahiti time this year haha. Very excited for the back half of the year with all of the fun events ahead. It feels like the team is in a great rhythm!
Tahiti, El Salvador, and Brazil. I'll primarily be using the Cordura boardshorts, I find that they’re equally comfortable and durable, for me that’s the perfect travel product. Also testing a prototype boardshort I can't say too much about just yet. The hooded rashguard and windshield are my essentials for sun protection, and the new airtex tops are perfect for the tropical/hot climates. Super breathable with just enough UV protection. Last thing, keep an eye out for some limited edition shorts I'll be wearing in the Olympics this summer!
Looking forward to an exciting journey and a new test pilot!
Until next time,
John
