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

FastCompany: 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-minded causes in the locations visited in each episode.

The first episodes are already online, and the remaining ones will drop weekly through mid-April. Surfing has a long tradition of competitive surfers swapping contest heats for the travel and adventure of what’s known as free-surfing. Names like Rob Machado, Dane Reynolds, Mick Fanning, and Mikey February have made the swap from winning prize money to making a living off sponsors and video content at various points in their careers. [Photo: courtesy Florence] Expanding the scope of his career beyond contest waves also embodies Florence’s broader outdoor aspirations for the Florence brand, which he founded in 2021.

That goal is to get people outside, no matter what form. “If you have a really great piece of Patagonia or Yeti gear or whatever it is, you look at it, and it makes you want to go do that trip or [be] outside doing something,” Florence says. “I always thought that was so cool, and it is a big part of Florence. Helping to inspire you to get out and do things, whether it’s in the ocean or not.” [Photo: courtesy Florence] Go with the flow The new series is a follow-up to a similar series produced with Yeti back in 2022, long before toddler sea sickness was a factor.

Florence says his creative process has evolved since his first solo film project in 2015, View From a Blue Moon , directed by Blake Vincent Kueny (which became the best-selling surf movie of all time ). [Photo: courtesy Florence] “That was a big surf movie project we worked on for a couple of years, where I knew going in I was going to spend two or three years wanting to get the best waves and the best surf footage possible,” Florence says.

“Now, when I know I want to do something, I don’t really know what it is at the start—let’s just go with the flow.” I spoke to Yeti’s head of marketing , Bill Neff, at SXSW ( listen to the whole interview on Fast Company ’s Brand New World podcast ) about the value a series like Vela brings to the brand, and why it was important to be patient for the four years between the two editions. [Photo: courtesy Florence] “In a world where people want to cut things down to six seconds for an impression, there is no real value to the end consumer—it’s just a swipe,” Neff said.

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John Florence's shift in brand strategy to encompass a broader lifestyle appeal is significant for the brand industry, particularly in the outdoor and sports sectors, and offers actionable insights for brand strategy professionals.