Johnny Florence, Supertubos, Portugal

At a WT event, what more could you ask for than a shining sun, offshore wind, packed beach and barrelling, close-to-shore bank? Probs not much, if round one of the Rip Curl Pro, Portugal was anything to go by. Supertubos certainly lived up to it’s name today running fast and hollow, rewarding those with speed and the right selections. Hawaiian Johhny Florence, surfing in his third WT event since qualifying at the mid-year rotation, appeared in the seventh heat of round one. The kid was beaten by Matty Wilkinson, who was the only goofy-footer in the heat and made sure to capitalise on his forehand advantage through the running lefts. Johnny (pictured above) has grown up surfing da Pipeline in Hawaii and, though he turns just 19 tomorrow (one of the tour’s youngest), his backside tube-riding game is one of the tour’s best. On a shifty beachie like Supertubos however, wave-selection plays a big role. If luck swings Johnny’s way in round two against Ace Buchan, he could be a dominant force when the swell picks up. For more Miller-infused genius, get over to his site.