John Florence’s new surf series is a peek into his brand ambitions

The most impressive move by three-time world surfing champ John Florence in his new video series isn’t riding a wave; it’s flying across open ocean on a catamaran while holding his puking 1-year-old son over a bucket. The new six-part series called Vela, directed by Florence and produced with outdoor gear and apparel company Yeti, embodies a broader shift in how the iconic surfer is approaching both his career and the goal behind his namesake brand, Florence. [Photo: courtesy Florence] After winning his third World Surf League title in September 2024, Florence chose to leave the pro surfing tour to sail around the world with his wife, Lauryn, and son, Darwin. They lived off the grid, explored remote corners of the Pacific Ocean, and searched for new waves and adventure. Vela was shot over 18 months and also features his brothers (and fellow pro surfers) Nathan and Ivan in Florence’s high-performance sailing catamaran called Vela. All YouTube proceeds will support ocean-mind