Watch: Nathan and Mahina Florence Reveal Their Top Picks for the Shiseido Tahiti Pro

The event window for the 2023 Shiseido Tahiti Pro opens today, and as we recently reported, the surf report looks dismal.

Still, the pros are in Tahiti and ready to surf Teahupo'o as the race to clinch the final five and fight for a world title gets more intense.

So who has the best chance of winning? Let's here it from Nathan and Mahina Florence.

In the video above, Nathan and Mahina reveal who they think might potentially win the event.

Nathan begins by pointing out that the forecast "looks pretty bad, per usual with WSL events."

"I'm just gonna go with who I think is potentially gonna win the event and then who might be best for the odds, in my opinion," he said.

So here you go.

Based on Teahupo'o experience: John John Florence and Jack Robinson. "They're just so comfortable, backside barrels not a problem. That being said, it's gonna be smaller backside barrels which complicates things," Nathan said. "If it's big and open, no hand pumping all that, they can technically ride barrels pretty equally."

Based on the forecast: Because the waves will be smaller, goofy footers will have better chances out there, according to Nathan. "Gabriel obviously is a great barrel rider. So those guys have huge potential to win events and they're just kinda just event winning surfers," he said.

Based on bets: Nathan's setting his sights on Matahi Drollet. "I see plus 2,000 on his odds. He lives and breaths Chopes, he's a goofy footer, he's technical in barrel riding and he can do some turns," he said. "He'll be able to get scores when a lot of guys are unable to get scores."

For the women, the duo named Carissa Moore based on barrel experience, and Vahine Fierro, based on local knowledge.

"These are stacked heats," Mahina said.

"All the heats are stacked now because the cut happened, and so a lot of the competition is cut out, every heat is like a super heat," Nathan explained. "And this is the final event before the top five go on to trestles.

***

Don't miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels.

Whether you're a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos.