There’s really nothing new about the Gabriel Medina vs. John John Florence rivalry. It’s been brewing away and coming to an occasional head since the two qualified as teens back in 2011. Since then we’ve seen the pair go at it a number of times, with Gabs establishing an edge over John, taking ten victories from fourteen of their clashes, and most notably, winning a title back in 2014. But unlike Gabs, John John’s competitive act has taken a while to catch up to his natural abilities. There’s been moments of blistering dominance and the occasional tour victory, but too often his brilliance has been celebrated on the highlight reel and not on the podium. Now, however, with the young Hawaiian having pinched the yellow jersey from Wilko, and Maresias’s favourite son sitting just behind the two at third, the Gabriel Medina vs. John John Florence rivalry is set to play out at the top of the sport, and one gets the sense this won’t be the last time we’ll see them battle for the throne.
We saw the latest incarnation of it at the recent Billabong Pro Tahiti. On paper, their semi-final decider to see who’d meet Kelly in the final was already one of the heats of 2016. In the water, it turned out to be even better. Charged with ratings’ lead ramifications and featuring Teahupoo at its most inviting, the two traded deep tubes for the entirety of the encounter, staging a fascinating game of one-man upmanship until John John was awarded victory by way of a 9.93 and 9.73 over Gabby’s 10 and 9.23. It was a debatable decision, as such tussles inevitably are, and online, fans aired their respective opinions with the passion of religious zealots. But regardless of whose side you took in the wash-up, it was impossible not to admit it was an entertaining affair. And that’s what makes the idea of these two locking horns in the coming years such an enthralling prospect—the fact that, like Kelly and Andy before them, they bring out the best in each other’s surfing.
‘They’re both just gnarly,’ commented Kelly, as he watched their Chopes semi unfold from the boat. ‘Gabriel is arguably the best competitor we have on tour and also has as much natural talent as basically anyone in the world, and I think John is a freak of talent. He’s probably the most talented guy on earth on a surfboard at this point.’
Ever a source of wisdom in the sport, Kelly’s praise of Gabs and John both in this instance and on several occasions in the past suggests the lofty regard he holds the two surfers in. Among all the young talent that exists on the tour these days, the King sees something in these two competitors that sets them apart, that promises to push the performance levels set by him, Andy, Mick and the like into the future, where it will undoubtedly inspire another generation of world-beaters in the same way they inspired Gabriel and John.
And while it’s true the Gabs vs. John John rivalry might not contain any of the outward aggression and contempt that characterised the Kelly vs. Andy years, give it time. Trestles is just around the corner, and with a title on the line, things can only get more heated from there.
