"I can't believe I'm the World Champion. That was my goal. This is my dream. I'm so stoked." –John John Florence. What a year this has been for John John, the 24 year old surf prodigy from Hawaii. Between the release of View From a Blue Moon (Check out our article on the premier we attended), the injuries, the spotlight, and the sheer talent that is in the WSL right now, John John has had to fight the odds to finally win a World Title at the MEO Portugal Pro.

John John has been followed since day one when he caught his first wave at the age of three and paddled out into Pipes at a young age of eight, which is freaking insane. Now he is the fourth ever Hawaiian to claim a World Title in the 40th year of crowning champions. This feat ushers in a new era of youth and style to the surfing world bringing a title back to where surfing all began. While we can all finally breath now that he has won a title, one has to imagine what the new champion is feeling with all that pressure off his back. Right after winning John John goes to say:

“I’ve had some tricky heats here, I couldn’t have done it without everyone in my camp. Thank you to everyone who’s been coming down here every day, supporting us, thank you for having us here in Portugal. The biggest challenge I’ve had, once in the lead, was holding on. People wondering, ‘Can he?,’ it can get inside your head. I’ve learned a lot about myself this year. Now I’m just excited to go home. To be the World Champion, I don’t know how to feel yet.”

— John John Florence

Needless to say, here at Scrimshaw we are STOKED for John John and are looking for more to come from this new World Champion.