John John wins Pipe, media forgets his name

John John Florence gets shacked on his way to victory.

Child phenom John John Florence solidified his evolution into a grown-ass man last week. The 18-year-old Pipe local easily defeated a host of international competitors, EC chargers, fellow Pipe specialists and hungry Hawaiians to win the Volcom Pipe Pro in six-to-eight foot barrels at Pipe and Backdoor.

John John defeated reigning Mr. Pipeline Jamie O’Brien in a matter of seconds during the final with the original Mr. Pipeline, Gerry Lopez, looking on from the commentators booth. The elder O’Brien currently holds five competitive victories at Pipe, and mentored John John since the O’Neill sponsored whipper-snapper first paddled out at eight years of age.

John John also won the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout earlier in January, bringing his total number of victories on the reef to two. But before pundits start lauding the grasshopper’s surpassing of the master, do consider that O’Brien claimed to be suffering from a horrendous head cold throughout the competition.

In the wake of John John’s victory, one thing strikes me as particularly irritating: the surf media refuses to call the man by his name. Everywhere you look the victor is titled “John Florence,” despite multiple interviews in which Florence insists on  doubling the “John.”

Who’s John Florence? Hell if I know. Who’s John John Florence? He’s that young kick-ass charger from the North Shore.

Come on people, it’s the name so good you have to say it twice! I assume my professional surf media superiors feel that changing Florence’s name to John is more appropriate now that he’s old enough to win ASP contests and vote. I disagree. By consistently referring to Florence with the wrong name the surf media is merely touting its power, insisting that a young man falls into the line writers and editors have deemed culturally acceptable.

If you think my ramblings refer to an isolated incident, than look to Transworld‘s, Surfing‘s, Surfer‘s and Surfline‘s coverage of John John’s win. Still not convinced? Check out Taylor Steele’s latest project Innersection and see which Florence makes an appearance.