Generally speaking, being the top seed in the draw and wearing the Jeep Leaderboard Yellow Jersey is advantageous. In most cases you'll be surfing against lower-ranked surfers and wildcards. Then there are times like today, when World No. 1 John John Florence got more than he bargained for from a pair of young Brazilian goofyfooters in Round One at the Oi Rio Pro. In Heat 6 this morning, wildcard and Oi Rio Pro Trials winner Yago Dora and Championship Tour No. 24 Miguel Pupo pushed JJF to the limit.
John John Florence took the win in his Round One heat in Rio, but not by much. - WSL / Damien Poullenot
Currently one of the world's best young aerialists, Dora rolls with the influential What Youth crew and has become a fixture on the interwebs with many of the most progressive edits from the recent past, including a feature role in Volcom's latest surf flick, Psychic Migrations. Here in Rio, his lofty backside 540 scored a 9.27 and sent the World Champ scrambling to back up an 8.17 late in the heat. Fortunately for Florence, Dora was unable find even a better than average second wave and the Champ snuck through by the narrowest of margins -- .03 points.