World Champion and current World No. 2, John John Florence, has fallen from front page news in recent weeks. But with all the talk in Fiji about Jeep Leader Matt Wilkinson snatching the yellow jersey and Filipe Toledo's groundbreaking performance in J-Bay, the Champ's opening salvo in Tahiti sent a message to the rest of the Championship Tour -- overlook me at your peril. His backhand tube-riding technique is second to none, surpassing even King Kelly, and he put it to good use in less-than-optimal conditions at the end of the road. Florence posted the second highest total heat score of the Round One -- 14.90 -- and sent rookie Zeke Lau and wildcard Aritz Aranburu to Round Two.
