Griffin Colapinto and John John Florence, the top-ranked surfers in the world, are sharpening their skills in Tahiti, the site of this year's Olympic surfing competition. Despite their sights set on victory in the World Surf League's SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro event, their primary focus is on preparing for the Games.
The World Surf League (WSL) has descended upon Tahiti, French Polynesia, for the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro event, where the world's top surfers are vying for victory. However, for Griffin Colapinto, the current Championship Tour leader, and John John Florence, the legendary surfer just behind Colapinto in third, their minds are partly fixed on a different competition: the upcoming Olympic Games.
Tahiti is the designated destination for this year's Olympic surfing competition, making the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro a valuable opportunity for Colapinto and Florence to familiarize themselves with the waves and breaks they will encounter in just a few months.
For Colapinto, this will be his Olympic debut, and he is eager to gain as much experience as possible in Tahiti's challenging waters. "I think every time you get experience to surf this wave, it's really important because it's a really tricky break," he explained.
Tahiti's notorious Teahupo'o reef is known for its treacherous "split," creating unpredictable breaks that can make navigating the waves a formidable task. "When the waves are smaller, they break on the first ledge. But when they're bigger, it goes out to the second ledge," Colapinto described.
Florence, on the other hand, has Olympic experience under his belt, having finished ninth in 2021 in Japan. He emphasizes the value of meticulous preparation and note-taking to optimize his performance. "For my little video notes I do, I take a step back at the end of the session and it's like, 'OK, I rode these fins, this board, this, this and this and that worked well,'" he said.
Overcoming the challenges of Teahupo'o requires strategic planning, and Florence delves into the technical aspects of equipment selection. "It's so helpful to look back a year or two later and go, 'Oh, that's right. I was riding those fins. That was really good. Maybe I'll go back and try that for that wave again.'"
While competition at the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro will pit Colapinto and Florence against each other, they will ultimately unite as teammates representing the United States at the Olympics. The knowledge and insights they gather in Tahiti will undoubtedly aid their collective pursuit of Olympic glory.
Colapinto acknowledges the significance of sharing information and collaborating with Florence. "Hopefully, we can both take away all these experiences and do well in the Olympics for the U.S." he expressed.
Florence echoed this sentiment, stating, "We'll definitely be talking about it and reflecting on it. We'll be out there pushing each other, and we'll be friends in the water."
As the WSL's global tour continues, Colapinto and Florence remain focused on honing their skills and reaching the pinnacle of surfing both in Tahiti and on the world stage at the Olympics.
