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Photos by Arto Saari.
Nathan Florence is known as one of the most talented big wave surfers on Earth, but he’s perhaps more appropriately thought of as an any wave surfer. He’s a guy who’s in it for the thrill of it; an idealist who craves the surf and finds no wave too large or too small. No matter the size of the swell or how hype the locale, just being on the water feeds Nathan’s passion.
As you’ll quickly realize, the more you learn about Nathan, the easier it is to understand why he’s such a fit for the Blenders brand—and why we’re so stoked to officially welcome him to the Entourage.
How Nathan Got Here
Nathan was born to get barreled. His mother, Alex, was drawn to the sport of surfing from an early age, and eventually migrated from her home of New Jersey to Oahu’s North Shore. It was there, at an oceanside home nestled next to a lifeguard stand at Pipeline, that Nathan would take his first steps, utter his first words, and experience his first waves.
Believe it or not, those things all happened in quick succession—and not even in that order. Mom Alex took Nathan and his brothers, Ivan and John John, out on her board before they could even walk. The result?
Greatness.
Nathan’s brother, Ivan, has blossomed into a daredevil Vans athlete with a deep affinity for boarding, whether surf or skate. John John has grown into a preeminent fixture on the World Surfing League’s CT and is now a 2X WSL World Champion. But it’s Nathan’s journey that’s arguably the most compelling.
Photo by Arto Saari.
What Nathan’s Been Up To
Not content to follow convention or chase the accomplishments of his brothers, Nathan does things his own way. He largely eschews contests like the WSL CT and instead embraces getting barreled for the sake of getting barreled. He’s a free surfer—gnarly and more than a little mental—and nothing demonstrates that more than his 2015 Teahupo'o, Tahiti ride that’s still being called “the greatest paddled wave ever at Teahupo’o.”
Unwilling to confine his creativity to the waves, Nathan is clever and original off the water, too, as demonstrated by his production of the 2019 film There and Back Again: The Adventures of Nathan Florence. And his absolutely stellar YouTube content is required viewing for anyone searching for a vicarious adrenaline rush.
Where Nathan’s Going
So, just where is Nathan Florence going from here? What a loaded question! After all, when you possess Nathan’s spirited approach to life, anywhere is a destination and everywhere is an adventure.
Ultimately, we feel the best way (maybe the only way) to gauge where our new Blenders Entourage member is headed is to go to the source. Be sure to check-in frequently to Nathan’s Instagram, and in the meantime, enjoy our introductory interview with the tenacious talent below.
Photo by Arto Saari.
Nathan Florence: The Blenders Entourage Welcome Interview
Blenders: Top 3 things you've learned traveling the world surfing?
Nathan: Always be in a state of learning and absorbing; embrace that people live differently and enjoy different cultures; and don’t drink the tap water without checking it lol!
Blenders: When you are leading the crew in the gym, who hates your leg workouts the most?
Nathan: LOL probably Zoard my filmer or Koa my teammate and best friend. Both love and hate my workouts!!
Photo by Arto Saari.
Blenders: What’s the deal with Hekinbob?
Nathan: Hekinbob is a mysterious creature I imitate from the internet.
Blenders: Favorite movie ever?
Nathan: STAR WARS
Blenders: What does your perfect day consist of?
Nathan: As many activities as possible are my best days—train, surf, foil, cycle! Best days are the ones that leave you stuck to the couch that night lol!
Blenders: You always seem like you are having fun, how do you stay positive?
I just held on to my curiosity and embraced my weird personality growing up! That makes for a lot of my fun. It isn’t an effort to stay positive lol—of course I have ups and downs like everyone else—but for the most part we must all feel fortunate for something!
Blenders: If you could trade places with someone for one day, who would it be and why?
Nathan: A very high level hedge fund manager! They seem like they are riding the lightning everyday! Also would be cool to move markets with your financial power lol!
Blenders: What’s your favorite nickname someone has given you?
Nathan: Idk not super into nicknames.
Blenders: Funnest wave? Scariest wave?
Nathan: Any little aframe sandbar. Scariest? Probably Mavericks.
Photo by Arto Saari.
Blenders: Any predictions for this winter?
Nathan: A lot of tube time! A lot of sun burns! lol
Blenders: What do you like about Blenders and what are you most excited for in our partnership?
Nathan: I like fast surfing and fast shades! Blenders supports my surfing and supplies me with the fastest shades in the market! WIN WIN! Plus, saves my eyes from the beating the sun tries to inflict.
Blenders: How do you Live Life in Forward Motion?
Nathan: I wake up everyday. It’s impossible not to move forward; time is ticking and we are always stuck in forward motion into the future. Every second gone by is already the past. I just live it all to the fullest, both the negative and positive.
Gallery
Photos by Arto Saari.
