Editor’s Note: Welcome to In My Cart, a regular series in which we ask some of the coolest guys we know what they’ve recently acquired, are thinking about buying, or need to buy more of — but for whatever reason don’t have in hand just yet. This week, John John Florence, one of the best surfers in the world.
It’s been a turbulent year for Hawaiian surfer John John Florence. In July 2018, he sustained a tear to his ACL while freesurfing during the Corona Bali Protected and withdrew from the WSL Championship Tour. This year he started the WSL tour strong with wins at Bells Beach and Margaret River. “The win at Margaret River was super fun,” Florence told us after the competition. “It was definitely a tricky event, going back and forth from the main break to the box.”
Florence was ranked number one on the Championship Tour going into the Oi Rio Pro, but ruptured his ACL while in Brazil. He pulled out of the J-Bay competition and opted to get surgery to repair the damage. No stranger to injury — Florence broke his back in 2011 riding a wave at Pipeline — the 26-year-old athlete has taken the surf world by storm in recent years winning back-to-back world titles in 2016 and 2017. Along with competing on the WSL Championship Tour, Florence also produced a number of award-winning surfing films including Done, Departure Delayed and View from a Blue Moon.
Before surfing in Brazil in June, Florence took a minute from his busy travel schedule to share a few products that he recommends, along with a few things he’s currently eyeing for himself. From a Tesla home battery to a pro-grade camera to an all-electric truck, the items paint a picture of a man focused on sustainable alternatives. “I’m really into green energy,” he noted. They also closely align with his active life both in and out of the water. But, he explains it best.
Hurley Phantom JJF 5 SmartStretch Board Shorts
“My Hurley trunks are things that I wear almost every single day surfing in the water and out of the water. It’s been really fun to design those with Hurley — exactly what I need and like.”
Nixon Comp Watch
“I have a watch that Nixon helped design for actually competing. We wanted a lot thinner watch, so when we’re wearing wet suits and stuff, it’s not poking out so much, and not so big to wear on your wrist when you’re paddling. So they made a thinner watch called the Comp, and its pretty simple actually. For a contest I didn’t need all the extra stuff — I just wanted the time and a timer.”
JJF Knoxville Sport Sunglasses
“Electric came up with something that works really well for me whether I’m sailing, paddling, surfing or anything. It just works really good in and out of the water.”
Yeti Rambler Bottle
“The Yeti Rambler is the bottle that I use every single day. We travel with a water filter and it’s a pretty good size actually — it comes in its own box that we have to check in. Our whole team has the Yetis, and so we just fill those up every single day. We never have to buy water on the road which is huge for us. I’m a huge supporter of stopping using single-use plastic.”
Rivian R1T All-Electric Truck
“I’m really into green energy, and finding more sustainable ways to operate. I saw the Rivian truck that just came out — an electric truck — that’s super cool looking. And so, I think for my everyday life, something like that would be really really cool. I’m all for the electric cars.”
Red DSMC2 Monstro Camera
“They’re always coming out with new cameras, and so I’m excited for the latest and greatest of whatever they have. And the Red cameras have been super important in the last couple years of my career with what we’ve been filming and the movies we’ve been making and just competing in general. It’s been a huge part of my life.”
Tesla Powerwall
“I think having my whole house to be solar [powered] with a Tesla home battery is kind of the ultimate goal for me, and I’ve been working towards having no carbon footprint in my house — it would be awesome.”
Despite his busy schedule, Mensa took a few minutes to share some products he’s currently got his eye on. Ranging from bottled green tea to a vocal effects processor to a vintage t-shirt, the things reflect a life based in music and fashion. Read the Story