John Florence and Jon Pyzel Release New Board Model, the Power Tiger

Even in his wildest dreams, I doubt Jon Pyzel could have guessed that when he gave five-year-old John Florence his first custom board 26 years ago, the tow-headed kid would become Pyzel’s key business partner in his then-fledgling board brand.

As Florence grew into the most well-rounded surfer in the world in the following decades, the brand recognition of Pyzel Surfboards has risen alongside him. So much so that when Pyzel had enough coin, Florence got a small slice of the ownership pie and now pockets royalties on every Pyzel model sold.

The shaper and surfer love talking shop, and they just released a detailed examination of Pyzel’s latest model, the Power Tiger. As JJF and Pyzel explain above, this board is designed to have easily generated speed but have enough hold when the waves get juicy. Think four-to-six-foot waves with a bit of punch. With subtle tweaks to rocker and rail, it’s essentially an in-betweener of two other Pyzel models, the Red Tiger (a step down) and the Ghost (a knifey step-up).

“The Red Tiger is just so fast and drivey in zero to four-foot waves,” Florence said. “I was like, I wish this board could hold in a little more power. So we started thinking of (the Power Tiger) which bridges the gap between the Red Tiger and the Ghost a little better.”

If you’re looking for further endorsement of the Power Tiger, just watch the demolition Florence did on it to win the 2024 Surf City El Salvador Pro. 

Related: Surfer John John Florence Reflects on 'Pretty Cool Relationship' with His Shaper