Quiksilver Pro: John John Florence enlists injured Gold Coaster Bede Durbidge in title chase

JOHN John Florence will mine the knowledge of local surfer Bede Durbidge as he chases a maiden Quiksilver Pro crown.

Surf

JOHN John Florence will mine the knowledge of local surfer Bede Durbidge as he chases a maiden Quiksilver Pro crown.

Florence has long been regarded as one of the most                gifted surfers in the world. However, spreading himself between the World Surf League’s championship tour (CT), big-wave contests and filming surf movies, the Hawaiian has not been able to mount a consistent challenge for the world title.

But in a move sure to send a shiver up the spine of elite surfers, the 23-year-old will concentrate on tour events this year to chase a maiden world title.

“This year I’ve kind of taken my focus and put it a bit more on the CT,’’ Florence said.

“It’s kind of a fun thing for me because in the past we were always filming and doing the contest and the big waves.

“So it’s kind of a whole different thing and it’s pretty exciting to always be working and bettering myself for the next heat.’’

Florence arrives on the Gold Coast fresh from a win in the legendary Eddie Aikau big-wave contest where he conquered waves up to 20m at Waimea Bay in Hawaii.

Showing he is serious about his WSL quest, he flew straight from Hawaii to the Gold Coast and linked with former world title runner-up Durbidge, who has helped him find his “flow’’ in the smaller Snapper conditions.

“He’s got all the talent in the world and he just wants to work on a couple of things,’’ Durbidge said on the WSL’s Dawn Patrol program. “It’s been coming together really nicely.

“We’ve been here most mornings for the last 10 days and he’s putting himself out there, making sacrifices.

“He won the Eddie and then came straight here, straight into surfing little Snapper, so he’s geared up for a big year.’’

Florence said focusing on contest surfing was a “learning experience’’.

“I’m lucky enough to have got to watch Kelly (Slater) and Mick (Fanning) and Adriano (de Souza) and Gabe (Medina) and taken little things from them to build myself up and just to kind of better myself.’’

Florence is widely regarded as the best barrel rider on tour but also has an impressive range of aerial manoeuvres, giving him every skill needed to score highly.

But learning how to put that together in a contest is what he needs to learn and part of the reason Durbidge has come on board.

“You have to surf differently, a bit more conservative in a way. Contest surfing is a bit different and that’s what I’ve been learning about a lot lately,’’ he said.

“It’s definitely about restraint for sure. It’s like surfing at about 80 per cent.

“You’ve got to bring yourself back and say, ‘I’ve got to surf this wave’.’’

While Florence is capable of single flashy moves, Durbidge, who will miss the Quiksilver Pro after breaking his pelvis in Hawaii last year, is helping him maximise his scoring chances. “He can do stuff I could only ever dream of,’’ Durbidge said.

“He’s doing all the right things and just working with him. He can change things instantly and he’s so talented.

“It’ll be amazing to see how far he goes this year.’’