Two-time world champion John John Florence said that for him “it would be great if the finals were in Pipe,” in an interview with The Inertia.

“Pipe is such an exciting place to ride. It’s not that Lowers isn’t exciting, I think Lowers is a great wave, it’s just different, much more technical,” he explained.

He added: “This is where personal preference comes in. I’m much more interested in heavy, high-risk waves. So when you see the world title being won in chest-high waves at Lowers, you’re like, ‘Oh, OK, that’s cool,’ but it’s not as exciting as Pipe at 10 feet, when you’re like, ‘Oh my God! ’ And it doesn’t have to be Pipe either, it can be any wave that’s of consequence.”

Florence said that he likes the finals format, that he thinks it's good that the title is decided in the water. He himself had to celebrate outside the water and it wasn't as exciting as it would have been inside.

Asked about his retirement, John John said he constantly questions it because he believes his personality “doesn’t fit with the competition” and “especially with the new tour in recent years”… “The environment has changed a lot so it doesn’t fit my personality much anymore,” he added.

“So I struggle with that sometimes, but in the second half of this year I felt really good, I had a more relaxed approach to where I am and what I am doing and how I want to compete. I definitely won’t compete if I don’t feel like I can win a world title. I will continue to do it if I feel like I can win titles and I am having fun. I plan on doing it for the next couple of years. But at this point, I am taking it year by year.”