Nathan Florence's Scottish Scare Keeps The Clicks Coming - Stab Mag

Live Now — Episode 3 Of Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico

478 Views

Nathan Florence’s Scottish Scare Keeps The Clicks Coming

Speed, power and workflow.

elsewhere // Nov 1, 2022
Words by August Howell
Reading Time: 2 minutes

In less than nine hours, Nathan Florence’s Scottish send-off has racked up more than 46,000 views on YouTube. 

Content runs in the Florence family, albeit in different ways. In a recent Stab interview with John Florence (coming soon), the world’s best sailor who surfs explained how his younger brother is carving out his own lane on the YouTube highway. 

“Someone could do a carve and a backflip, and it’ll get attention for a day and be forgotten,” John said. “But my brother has a video of him duckdiving for 20 minutes straight, and it just keeps getting watched. It’s hilarious.”

Those 20-minute duckdives are among Nathan’s strongest performers on YouTube. His three most popular videos on YT, all over one million views, are his GoPro clips from Pipeline and Jaws. No fancy editing, no voiceover, and no music. Just video straight from his maw to your eyeballs. 

As discussed in How Surfers Get Paid Episode 1, in terms of YouTube subscribers for Hawaiian surfers, NF (249K) ranks second only to Jamie O’Brien (850K). He’s capturing things every surfer can relate to (paddling, duck diving, wipeout) but in exceptional circumstances (Jaws, Pipeline, Teahupoʻo). It takes a concoction of talent, personality, and hustle to keep the masses engaged. 

“It’s incredible what Nate’s been able to create for himself,” John continued. “He’s got his own space in a world that was so dominated by competing or doing backflips*.”

Scotland has 6,160 miles of coastline. Choose wisely.

Nathan kicks out eight times at this terrifying excuse for a rideable wave (you’ll get it eventually, Ben Larg!) The first wave isn’t ridden until nearly 10 minutes in, but the rest of the video is just as compelling, if not even more than the surfing. 

The Hawaiian and his Scottish companion first navigate a minefield of foam to and from the cliff. As Nathan mentions, getting stuck in overhead foam can be a dangerous situation, potentially even fatal, as was the case in the tragic incident in the Netherlands in 2020. After dodging monsters throughout the session, Nathan and Ben paddle half a mile to find the nearest exit.

Press play and watch Nathan expertly pick apart this spooky Scottish peak. But note the GoPro in his mouth. We’ll probably be seeing more of this session shortly.

*Funnily enough, Nathan can actually do backflips on a surfboard.

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Expect No Kiss, All Climax At The “World’s Most Perfect Pointbreak”

A Corona Cero Open J-Bay 2025 preview.

Jul 9, 2025

SEOTY: Liam O’Brien stars in ‘Friction of Perception’

"Hopefully I don’t come across like too much of a peanut."

Jul 8, 2025

10 Shapers To Watch In The Next 10 Years — Part One

“It’s like a drug empire, man. Cut the head off the snakes, and more will…

Jul 7, 2025

Mason Ho Joins Ritual Vision, Releases Remix Of Greatest Hits

Dion Agius riffs on the eyewear brand’s U.S. expansion, Ritualistic Tendencies, and the new stars…

Jul 7, 2025

Is It Time For A New Judging Format?

We have a modest proposal — a WSL head judge disagrees.

Jul 7, 2025

Luke Thompson Turns Last Year’s Priority Disaster Into Ballito Gold

+ earns himself a wildcard into Jbay.

Jul 7, 2025

Fiji Has Its First Professional Surfer, And He’s Unbelievable

16-year-old James Kusitino’s incomprehensible tube lounging leads to a deal with Former.

Jul 6, 2025

Laird Hamilton on The Limitations of Being a Purist, Invention vs. Ownership + Why He Never Had a Sticker Deal 

Untold stories from his How Surfers Get Paid interview.

Jul 4, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 3

"The tribe has spoken," Dane Reynolds pronounced, and a surfer's torch was snuffed.

Jul 3, 2025

When Surfer’s Eye Is Actually Cancer

Erin Campbell's brutal journey from surf camp dreams to chemo drops, cryotherapy, and surgical horror.

Jul 3, 2025

Surfing’s 2025 Q2 Report

An assessment of surfing's vital signs throughout the second quarter of 2025.

Jul 2, 2025

What Actually Happened to Occy’s Mad Max Plunger Pool In Yeppoon?

Surf Lakes’ brass talks: internet hecklers, the unplugging of the plunger, and the Tom Curren…

Jul 2, 2025

Poor Goofy Foots 

Data shows that the world is stacked against goofs — they even make 15% less money than…

Jul 1, 2025

Britain’s First Wavepool Has Closed — What Really Happened?

Bankruptcy, social media hackings, debts unpaid — and yet, reopening looms.

Jul 1, 2025

Watch: Was Matt Meola’s Air Actually Better Than Hughie’s?

Watch the full Swatch Nines highlight reel and decide.

Jun 30, 2025

Houshmand Bludgeons Field To Win Second CT — Molly Picklum Tastes Blood, Snatches World #1 In Brazil

You can't argue with big surfing — that's Saquarema wrapped.

Jun 29, 2025

37 Years Old And World #1 — What’s Changed For Jordy Smith?

On rediscovering decades old surfboard templates, having a personality on the CT, and why this…

Jun 27, 2025

Tom Lowe Stars in ‘Let Me Live’

The wild, improbable ascent of Britain’s best big-wave surfer.

Jun 27, 2025
Advertisement