Joao Chianca Wants A Pipeline Rematch With JJF

Had Joao Chianca not lost to John Florence twice during the first half of the 2022 CT season, he probably would have skirted the mid-year axe. Instead, despite surfing out of his skin against the two-time World Champion at pumping Pipeline and Bells, Joao took his spring-loaded surfing to the Challenger Series. Just think how he would have handled the field at Teahupo’o. 

Now, after an invite to the Vans Pipe Masters (December 8-20), Joao is set to return to the reef that made him a household name. And who does he want to outmuscle in his heats? One John Florence — the man who bested him here last January. Perhaps that’s emblematic of his surfing. Bold, and leaves nothing in the tank. 

Vans will do a lottery system, similar to the Stab High format, to decide the heat draw before the event starts — so maybe, just maybe, Joao will get his dream matchup. Another interesting topic Joao highlighted in our competitor profile interview is how Jamie O’Brien convinced him to grab more foam to catch the wave of his life.

“I remember him telling me, ‘You guys think it’s that fun to ride small boards just because it’s hype on a big day at Pipe. The only thing it’ll cost you is the wave of your life,’” Joao said. “When he said that, it opened my eyes. And my best ride was on a 6’4.”

Watch “Chumbinho” above talk about how his brother helped him figure out the complexities of the most fabled break on the North Shore, why Billy Kemper is “too gnarly” for him, and why he’s prepared to up the literate on his Channel Islands.