JOHN JOHN Florence has retained his world title after staving off his rivals at the season-ending World Surf League round at Hawaii’s famed Pipeline.
The Hawaiian just missed out on a fairytale finish at his home break, beaten in the dying stages of the Pipe Masters final by Frenchman Jeremy Flores.
But by making the decider he had already guaranteed himself the world title, becoming the first man since Kelly Slater in 2010-11 to defend the crown.
The 25-year-old won just one event all season, but only twice finished outside the top five in an 11-leg series that featured nine different winners, to pip Brazil’s Gabriel Medina for the title.
Medina needed to win the event and rely on Florence missing the final, while Australian Julian Wilson needed to win and hope Florence was knocked out in the third round at worst.
Florence held his nerve though, ousting Wilson in a one-sided quarter-final before sneaking into the final with an 8.73 ride inside the final 90 seconds of his semi to beat Ian Gouveia.
Flores, who had earlier knocked Medina out in the semi-final, turned the tables on the local favourite in the decider.
The Brazilian (16.23) trumped Florence (16.16) with a near-perfect backdoor ride in the closing stages to win his second Pipe Masters, but there was no doubting who the day belonged to.
“It’s been my dream to win here at home,” Florence said.
“There’s been a nervous build up to this event and I just don’t know what to say, I’m shaking.
“I think I learned a lot about myself this year competing with all the pressure, especially coming from last year’s win.”
Wilson finished the best of the Australians, with Matt Wilkinson in fifth in what was the end of an era for at least two of the country’s top surfers. Josh Kerr has announced his retirement while Bede Durbidge is likely to compete in next year’s Australian WSL legs, before assuming the role of Australian coach ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Meanwhile, three-time world champion Mick Fanning is yet to determine his schedule for 2018.
WSL final standings: 1 – John John Florence 59,600 2 – Gabriel Medina 53,700 3 – Julian Wilson (Aus) 48,650 4 – Jordy Smith 47,600 5 – Matt Wilkinson (Aus) 40,700