Pro Surfer John John Florence Plays DJ For KCRW

John John Florence practically lived in the ocean while growing up on the North Shore in Hawaii, so it’s not surprising he made history as the youngest competitor to surf the Triple Crown of Surfing, at age 13.

He’s a young surfer who has made a big impression. Now, at 22, he’s focusing attention on capturing the visual experience of his surf life and international adventures – including photography and the release of a new surf film called “View from a Blue Moon” that documents travels from the South Pacific to Africa.

In his Guest DJ Project set, John John spoke to host Anthony Valadez about his traveling soundtrack, which includes a lot of rock classics recorded long before he was born, like the Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black.”

DJ Anthony Valadez (r) shows John John Florence (l) how a real DJ does it.

John John’s enthusiasm is infectious as he describes the beauty of his world, like witnessing waves like he’s never seen before. At the end of the DJ set — when he recalls being cajoled into making a risky drop into a big wave by beach spectators calling his name — you can hear how he overcomes flashes of fear by committing 100% and simply going for it.

Also, John John tells us how he got musician Jack Johnson to write a brand new track — called “Seasick Dream” — for “View from a Blue Moon,” which is out December 1.

Here is John John’s Guest DJ Project tracklist:

1. Neil Young – “Old Man”

2. AC/DC – “Thunderstruck”

3. The Rolling Stones – “Paint It Black”

4. Black Sabbath – “Under The Sun”

5. Jack Johnson – “Seasick Dream”

Listen to all of KCRW’s Guest DJ Projects here.