Watch: Nate Florence Goes Behind-The-Scenes On Finals Day - Stab Mag

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

29 Views

Watch: Nate Florence Goes Behind-The-Scenes On Finals Day

“It was one of the proudest days of my life.”

elsewhere // Oct 2, 2024
Words by Jack O'Neill Paterson
Reading Time: < 1 minute

To hear our full conversation with the now 3x World Champ, click here

Nathan Florence has made a habit of toasting to death—sharing a drink, maybe even stealing a kiss—but never going home to the tomb. This week, though, he’s taking a breather. Instead of his usual R-rated content, he’s gone for a softer touch, sharing a behind-the-scenes POV to commemorate the day his older brother clinched his third world title.

“I went from trying to paddle The Right, straight to California, and then John won the world title,” says Nate, blue eyes unblinking, beard that looks like it’s been growing through hard times. “It was one of the proudest days of my life. There was a huge crowd of people on the beach, all wearing Florence, all screaming their heads off.”

Nate’s Finals Day vlog, scored with a frantic violin, becomes even more exhilarating when you crank it up to 1.5x the regular speed (life’s busy, etc.).

Highlights include the camera uncomfortably fixating on John Pyzel’s teeth as they grind through a piece of chewing gum, the crowd’s reaction to that turn, and John John standing behind the competitors’ gate, eyes closed, while Italo fidgets like a caged rat, wrestling with the demons of 17 empty Red Bull cans.

In our recent interview with John, he recounts the situation: “They make you stand behind the stage before they announce you. I was trying to close my eyes, breath, and feel what was happening, and I looked over at Italo, and he was just rapping in Portuguese.”

To listen to the rest of our conversation with the champ, click here

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

Correction: J-Bay All Foreplay, No Climax

Slim pickings on Day 1 of the Corona Cero Open J-Bay 2025.

Jul 11, 2025

What Do Hollywood, Surf Lessons, Michael Jackson And Traction Pads Have In Common?

A Stab Interview with Teva Dexter, the man behind surfing's hardest new hardware brand —…

Jul 10, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 3

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

Jul 10, 2025

How Josh Ku Nearly Died Trying To Cross From Ulus to G Land by Hydrofoil

“If someone finds me dead at least they can find my phone and know what…

Jul 10, 2025

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

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
Advertisement