Watch: Form // Featuring John John
In the same vein as his 'Maps of Home' short film from last year, John John has again dedicated an edit to place. This time a mere slice of reef - Pipeline of course.
Rather than a solo film, JJF places himself as just one within a chain of surfers who've dedicated themselves to the wave. Rare modesty for a professional surfer at the very top of their game.
Comments
Sick
Awesome!
godamn.
10 / 10
Classic Bob. Always using two numbers when one word is enough :)
Ok, point taken. If i had my time again, "sensational"
Sensational 10 / 10 sounds good to me Bob
Different
Many, perhaps most, of those waves have been seen before, but I admire the Parallel Sea crew for bringing some art to the 'knock it up' style of the modern surf edit. There's a consistent aesthetic that stretches all the way back to 'Done', which was released in 2012, and really began to shine around 'View From A Blue Moon' (2015) and 'Space' (2018).
It’s called Form, not flow ;)
Now it's called fixed.
Good job. No biggy. You only got one word wrong after all.
Exactly. The title of the film has no more importance than any other word.
rad clear footage, how's the beating at 5 mins. Compressed
I’m pretty sure that is Koa Rothman. If you go to 14:00, he talks about that wipeout with replays from multiple angles, “I almost died on that wave”
That water angle is nuts
It's subtle but it feels like JJF and crew have brought new angles, lines and refined techniques surfing Pipe in the last 2-3years.
Does anyone else see this?
I might be imagining it.
Agreed. That was my takeaway. A clear and consistent definition of these guys progression relative to previous generations, slater and Stewart notwithstanding.
I'm seeing and feeling it freeride76.
Jon Pyzel - “ Surfboards have really evolved at Pipeline. Especially backside guys, they can really get into it super late and sit right under it. Guys are just taking off, they never go to the bottom, they go half way down the face, sit on their butt, drag and get barrelled. Since that kind of changed we are going with a lot shorter boards…”
loved that film > so much more interesting than death metal aggression takes> the idea of celebrating unity with the ocean > bring it on > what a luck > every wave we get. the takeoff at 3:40 +/- - an exemplar of how easy these superbly talented humans make it look.i recon I'd be swallowing sea urchins in a reef cavity.
Oldy but a goody
Got to be one of the deepest tubes I’ve ever seen made. Mental
A booster.
Thought that was gonna be a full corn fest at the start. But it wasn't, not at all. And even if it was, I'm happy to get sucked in. Joyful. Left me with a golden glow.
How's the colour and the light above Derek Ho on that torqued out drop? Sheesh.
Can’t wait to watch this on the tv tonight when I get some peace and quiet from the groms
Sorry but this video feels like a bit of a con…. Trying to bring something soft and fuzzy to a wave (combined with a crowd) that can and has killed people. Notwithstanding the amazing footage and waves ridden, the window dressing was a real turn off. The relationship it suggests one can have with pipe is likely applicable to a tiny minority of people…. Jon Jon of course because he was basically breastfed on pipe, but few others.
I feel the truth of the place is something else… a hideously competitive, ego ridden patch of ocean, where the vast majority of people are trying to either prove themselves, challenge some internal demons, or satisfy their addiction. Not a nice combination.
Sorry, the narrative script and narrator just doesn’t fit what the nature of pipeline obviously is to me at least.. that is, a terrifying awe inspiring wave to watch.
It’s so called beauty, much celebrated in this flick, is purely in the eye of the beholder… a projection. A non surfer might find the same natural appreciation gazing out at 2 ft onshore slop on an isolated windy beach.
I would prefer a no BS national geographic approach, or just a few choice words from Shaun Thomson and Jerry Lopez about their experience with it.
mate, it's an advertisement not a documentary. the surfing and camera work and editing make for a very pretty aesthetic. relax ;-)
Jesus Christ they are unbelievable.
I’ve never hit rewind so much watching a vid before.
That wave of John’s at 5:17 is fucked
Look at his hands on takeoff...right hand holding rail ..left hand flat on deck then he swings it across to his right side - .25 playback
crazy skills
Some awesome visions accompianied by horrendous music and gallant but cringworthy narration.
Best watched with your own soundtrack.
+1
Incredible and that light! Soo yummy.
Harvey Norman could put this 'Flow' onto every store television set across the country for at least the next coupla decades.
Would guarantee I stayed 24 minutes, at least, examining which TV was bigger.
My... 'Form'... is substandard.
I will revert back to shutting the '...' up.
What Freeride76 said … Godamn! All the really moving films seem to be focused on something iconic and are inclusive. The masterstroke is that JJF has badged an entire feeling and that's even more powerful because he (and the team who made this) did it as an act of full humility. Paula Fuga V/O was a bit of a master stroke too. Bravo! 9-10. If any of your non surf friends ask what Pipeline is like show em this.
Unbelievable skills and surfing. I personally did miss a few things, though:
- 2nd Reef roll-ins on bigger boards
- bigger boards in general
- something different
Yes, I agree with FR76 that there's been a subtle shift in the last few years. Possibly with the advent of really good shorter boards - Ghost, etc. It does seem to me, however, that there's a slight sameness to it.
I'd love to see more along the lines of Briley, Andy, or Healey on an 8ft board rolling in.
Return to 'form', surfing is richer for jjf, its about culture and the mystic power of the ocean planet--Oceania as Epeli Hau'ofa would have it--and john gets it in spades. Love the way in such a relatively short space attention and care has been given to repay debts and offer homage. The cameos of various characters including the goat, gerry, job and uncle d. amongst others is superb. In hindsight a more convincing presence of wahine as has been the case in more recent seasons would have been appropriate. Nonetheless, I held my breath as I think uncle derek if I am not wrong fade to standstill. A fitting and poignant end, 'form' is both conclusive and generative of the vibrancy culture practice enjoys wedded to ocean ecology.
Awesome !!!
I wonder if Briley faded that other guy because he wore same outfit to the beach? If so, fair enough.
Hahahaha! This is gold! Didn't want this quality to go unacknowledged!
Also, great vid. Loved it
When Pipeline speaks, it's worth listening. Personally i've been fascinated by this wave all my life. Pounce on every little morsel of footage or words of wisdom filtered down from it. Have studied techniques of the best over the years and i'm sure somewhere, locked away in my skull, i'll adopt that approach on a 3foot beachie! Loved the clip for what it was. Pipeline is timeless and with or without us humans flocking to it, it's Pipeline. The true wonder of the surfing world, especially when it really gets big and crew are putting it ALL on the line to get onto one, like it was on the first day of this years Backdoor Shootout. Insane.
hi, my name is ehukai but you can call me pipe