JJF + Dane Reynolds Recall The Best Session Of Their Lives

Two thousand and twelve. Kony. The predicted apocalypse didn’t come, as foretold. Spewing. 18-year-old John John Florence and 26-year-old Dane Reynolds meet in Japan for Dear Suburbia, scoring what they both still swear are the best waves they’ve ever seen.

“The perfect combination of power and shape,” says Dane. “It felt like you could do anything you wanted.”

“It was barreling off the takeoff, and you came out with so much speed and just had this perfect bowl bending at you,” adds John.

It was the first and only time they ever went on a trip together, and possibly the last time they talked.

John chalks it up to them moving through time at different paces — John getting on tour the year after Dane had already left it behind. Dane dove into filmmaking, John grew into the world title chase. Nevertheless, Dooma’s question, “why don’t you guys do trips together?” leaves them both a little quizzical.

Now, 14 years later, both have left the tour. Both left the mainstream surf industry’s big payouts to launch businesses that speak to their own vision of what surfing should be. Both of them now reunite on a one-hour talk show, StabMic, to discuss all of it.

Except, John’s on a boat. A fancy new one, too.

There are, of course, many differences in their paths, different choices and conflicting visions of the surf industry. They get into it, though, talking about Dane’s time on tour and their shared aversion to certain aspects of competition. Some of it might surprise you, like Dane admitting his favourite part was the attention, and then there’s this quote from John:

“I just wanted to destroy everyone and win everything.” 

Almost Machiavellian, don’t you think?

This is Episode 5 of StabMic. Enjoy.