BRADLEY BEACH — This weekend’s no-more-than-average fall swell crowded beaches from Manasquan to Bradley Beach and attracted the likes of surfers from across the Jersey Shore, and even from the North Shore of Oahu.
After being crowned World Champion for the third time this September, John John Florence added a spot to his global tour of world-class waves and stopped by Bradley Beach for a few over the weekend.
Florence was spotted on LaReine Avenue in Bradley Beach doing what he does best, and was even formally welcomed to the borough by Councilman John Weber.
After hearing through the grapevine of the World Champ’s presence in the borough on Saturday, Councilman Weber was busy and wasn’t able to join the crowd that formed on the beach to watch Florence in action.
Returning to LaReine Avenue Beach Sunday morning, the councilman noticed something out of the ordinary, before he put two and two together.
“As I’m walking onto the beach, there’s only a couple of people surfing on my street at LaReine. All of the sudden I see this guy with a red board do an air 360 and land it and keep surfing, and I had to stop and think to myself, no one around here can really do that,” Councilman Weber said.
Fortunately for Florence, who expertly navigates the world’s most dangerous waves for a living, he was lucky enough to score two- to three-foot rollers alongside some Bradley Beach locals, who didn’t give the out-of-towner any problems for showing up uninvited to their local break.
After witnessing Florence’s skill first hand from the beach, Councilman Weber paddled out to join the World Champion in the lineup, and formally welcomed him on behalf of the borough council to Bradley Beach.
After chatting for a bit, Weber said “I actually said to him, ‘I’m on the town council I feel like I should officially welcome you to town or something like that.”
Florence told the councilman that he was in Bradley visiting, on a trip back to his mother’s hometown of Ocean Grove. Accompanied by his mother, Alexandra, as well as wife, Lauren, and infant child, Darwin, the family trip coincided with a swell and attracted the world champion to Bradley Beach.
“It turns out he was just chilling on the beach right at LaReine and I thought I don’t know why if they were in Ocean Grove they would hang out here but I’m not complaining,” Councilman Weber said.
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