John John has entered the Pipe Masters
This morning, while watching the Vans Pro kick off in swiftly rising Sunset surf, I did a double take on the commentary.
I'm not sure who was on the mic, but so understated was the delivery that I almost missed it and thank heavens for the little scroll back button.
"Even the turtles are enjoying the surf today!"
Too far. Scroll forward a little.
"News coming out locally is that John John Florence has entered in all three of the Vans Triple Crown contests."
And sure enough, there he is entered into the Round of 64 at Haleiwa and at Sunset. Must've put his entry forms in either yesterday or the day before as his CT rank is recorded as No. 8.
It's not a sure thing, he may chock his name in the draw then see how his knee feels on the day, however three days back he posted this to Instagram:
"...back home and the knee is feeling great. I’m excited for the opportunities ahead, Pipe Masters and Olympics right around the corner."
Keep in mind the top ten ranked surfers on the CT automatically go to the Olympics, and though he's at eighth he could easily slip out of the mix.
There's also the fact that he's never won the Pipe Masters despite being the greatest Pipe surfer of his generation.
And if he does compete think of the drama should he go head to head with one of the title contenders.
I'm reliably informed by a Swellnet commenter whose name and medical qualifications are unknown, that a ruptured ACL takes eight months to recover from. The Pipe Masters starts just six months after JJF went under the knife.
Let the speculation begin...
Comments
This is excellent news. As long as he's not coming back too early, that is.
He might have had the LARS procedure. Shorter recovery time but is it as reliable as the standard op?
You would think he would just do pipe, if its true pipe for him it would be a cake walk take off pull in pull out, no need for turns or airs.
AFL players these days often seem to get back after ACL in record breaking time.
Best news!
Hahahahaha, imagine what is going through the minds of the top 5.
I had exactly the same thought. Things just got a whole lot hotter.
I was enjoying John on the socials. Guess that's over now.
I hope he knocks Medina out.
He beat JOB on the buzzer a few years back in the Volcom. That was a great contest. I reckon he'll be a pipe master one day.
Like actually drops him on his arse Or just out of competition?
i wouldn’t mind seeing both goofy. the internet shit storm that followed it would be pretty entertaining too
Heheh yeah true, jjf far too nice a guy for that though I think
John John's not a fighter, he's a mummies boy. His actions in and out of the water speak volumes.
JJF would have to be one of the coolest of cats.
I just think it would be funny to see him come back for pipe and rain on Gabs parade.
Rain on his parade.....I hope it's a bloody monsoon.
golden shower
Gabriel vs John John in the final, please. In pumping waves.
Don't care who wins.
If you want that final then Medina wins the world title.
You don't care who wins the world title either i guess.
I'd go for JJ he's quite long overdue for his 1st Pipe masters trophy by now.
The fact that he's still 8th in the rankings and has missed essentially 5 and half events (pulled out early in Brazil) speaks volumes of his strangled hold on this years world title race!
Imagine he got to surf pumping J Bay, heavy Chopes,heaving French beachies and even the mechanical wave pool? Would the other 5 even be in the conversation?
Yeah mate - he would have had it sown up before Europe!
Or maybe not?
He was absolute dogshit at Kelly's pond, and starting on a tear does not necessarily mean you can keep it going.
Everybody thought Medina was going to win France and Portugal and finish it all before Pipe, but he didn't.
Very hard for even the most dominant surfer to maintain excellence throughout the season.
It's innuendo and conjecture.
Especially as he's never won any of those comps except i think maybe France one year.
Never won Chopes or the Pipe masters yet despite being considered the best at those waves for years now.
Free surfing those waves he's the best but in a CT event Medina owns them.
Ditto for Cloudbreak when it was on tour too.
He was far enough ahead though that 3rds or 5ths would have been plenty good enough anyway i guess.
Agreed. That’s what I was implying. He didn’t need to win those events to grab the title but given the waves I think he would have had good results at those events he missed.
Yeah may not have won these events in the past but hey he hadn’t won at bells either and snapper hasn’t been great to him either and got results there so why not at the ones he missed?
If he had continued on the tour I think most others would’ve been so rattled at his form that he would have sown it up very early on but I guess we will never know.
It does however make you think about the 2 years he’s missed and how his absence may flatter most of his rivals (apart from gabby).
Can’t wait to watch pipe though. Hope it’s solid....
On another note Kelly's olympic hopes are even slimmer now.
Nah, you watch- Kelly will be juiced into the Olympics with some sort of backroom shenanigans. Maybe a special 'Olympic Ambassador' concession under Article nine, section four, sub-section 32 of the Olympic constitution.
Maybe, but that would cause some conflict over a surfer who earned their position. And if they want to let Kelly and John in together, they would have to add another surfer to even it out.
True, but tell that to the CT surfer (i forget who) that missed the tour because of Kelly's dubious injury wildcard. I reckon when it comes to the GOAT there's no shortage of leeway.
Yeah fair point, I guess we'll see how it plays out.
It was Caio can’t take a trick Ibelli, but they moved him to first replacement instead of Ethan Ewing, who became the real loser. Caio surfed every event thanks to the injury list, and is set to requalify thanks largely to Medina gate. So Ewing qualified according to the rules of the sport, thanks to this years injury list, but lost his career anyway. You can’t script this
That's exactly right. You had to feel for Ethan, who never really found his feet on his one year on the CT.
Speaking of Medina gate- have you seen the dribble Ripcurl just dropped on Youtube? Pottz and Steph talk Medina, something like that. Perfect opportunity to address the Caio incident but reduced to a screengrab completely airbrushed over. Just how Gabs is such a sweet big loveable puppy-dog on land but the most formidable and complete contest surfer the world has ever known.
Kind of part true I suppose. Except not.
Gabs the most formidable and complete contest surfer the world has ever known? Currently yes.
In the last 5 years probably yes.
Ever?
Errr no.
If he gets another 10 world titles and over takes the GOAT you may have some merit in what you say though.
They're not my words Jetson, Steph Gilmore can claim those.
If surf team USA are serious about winning a gold medal at the olympics who do you think they would prefer surfing those (likely) small crappy beachbreaks in Japan?
A bloke pushing 50 that is many years now past his best and rarely makes finals rounds these days or a 20 years younger more recent dual world champ that was most likely going to be in the olympics as the current 3 time world champ if not for his knee issues?
I think Medina and Ferreira (they'll likely be the 2 Brazzos in the olympics after Pipe) would be a better chance for gold than JJF, but JJF will be a much better chance for any medal than Slater.
With Slater it'll be about himself and the history books saying he was there it won't be about the USA winning a gold medal.
WSL Top 10 mens are top tier for Olympic qualification but not automatic qualifiers.
ISA handshake sets the minimum nomination requirement for Olympic qualification.
ISA Eligibility & Nomination requirements - Olympic Surfing Event Tokyo 2020
5. The Surfer must have fulfilled the minimum participation requirement in the ISA World Surfing Games during the Olympic Cycle by satisfying the following requirements.
a)The surfer must make himself available for their respective national team for participation in the 2019 (and) 2020 ISA World Surfing Games.
b)The Surfer must accept the nomination of his or her National Federation to take part, and must actually take part, in any or all of the above ISA World Surfing Games.
This being a Provisional Olympics many qualifications will be tested as this one.
Did National Federation nominate JJF
Did JJF accept the nomination before excusing it!
Did WSL or National Federation excuse injured JJF from ISA.
Was JJF to promote & involve with ISA Games in best capacity.
If JJF enters 2020 ISA will it count enough for NOC
Only WSL Lawyers & Kelly know if JJF can qualify...
Yes! There is a long clause for injuries. Too long for here but obvious...
6) ISA (Star chamber exercises discretion & are satisfied JJF will wash their cars)
Full version...
https://isasurf.org/ISA_Olympic_Eligibility_and_Nomination_Requirements_...
The simple fact that JJF's ISA breach already triggers a Royal Inquiry is a black mark.
JJF must do everything by the book if he's to have a hope in hell in qualifying.
Not enough Corona Spray or WSL pool promos then he's well & truly out of Olympics.
Olympics Games are just that & Courts decide. re: California's equal surf comp law.
https://www.theinertia.com/surf/california-ab-467-equal-pay-equal-play-d...
It is a shame that JJF got injured this year, he had the title in his hands. At least he will make the whole thing more interesting, a super heat with any of the contenders would be never wracking
Gabe, Filipe and Italo just vomited a bit in their mouths. Please, please can it be pumping, and not decided by endless one move spins...
And Jordy didn't?
Is the Vans Pro at Sunset, on now, part of the Triple Crown or is it a QS round, qualifying guys for a later WCT Sunset comp?
Not part of the Triple Crown. It's a QS 3,000 and qualifier for the TC.
We don't usually run live pages for lesser QS comps but considering the forecast figured we'd switch this one on.
Thanks for that, I enjoy watching sunset, it’s somehow relatable to me, kind of like a large beachie season... Big outside peak then deAth or glory on the inside.
Good stuff.
And Stu there is probably a really good article somewhere about turtles.
Gimme a clue, VJ. I'm not feeling it.
You know, how they are pretty cool and happy characters, how they stick their head up and look you in the eye, how not to run over them, different types, how they lay eggs on beaches, all the baby turtles
but I won't hold my breath for that article :)
My favourite thing about turtles is how they ride the East Australian Current and speak in a Californian drawl.
hahahaha! Mr Crush is my father, dude!
Edit: some of my family do the turtle tagging with their kids up in the NW, they reckon when the mums lay their eggs you don't go swimming in the water as there are big tigers loping around in quite shallow water! Then every crab and bird wants to eat them as soon as they hatch.
Poor turtles, it's a lonely life with all the beasties out to get them.
Re: The Olympic qualification.
He could just be doing a Kelly to Kelly.
A few little mind games perhaps....?
The ACL experts aren't really confident until 12 months and then 18 months to be certain.
People return earlier than this as we all know,
You can pass all the tests but the risk of re-injury following return to sport isn't fully reduced until that 18 months is up.
Yep that is what mine took back in the dark ages when they pulled your whole knee apart and stuck you in plaster for 6 weeks. A lot of AFL players came back after 8 months and it snapped again. Now the pull them out for a minimum of 12 months.
JJF will be wearing the thickest stiffest best quality knee brace on the market in those comps i would imagine.
Go John! Great to see little buddy is doing better.
He's probably pretty motivated to get back in the water.
14 months in Hawaii and not be able to surf, I couldn't do that .......
I had a total knee recon as an active fit teenager who was trying his hardest to get well and I couldnt surf for 10 months at least...in very much non pipe conditions.
I'm now a 37 yo ...3 months into post surgery acl recon on my other knee and I ain't catching waves for a year.
6 months scares me...even with him being an elite athlete his knee wont be fully ready....its just a physiological time thing for the ACL to re knit to the bone.
I wish him well but also wish he'd wait.
I like his surfing.
Yes his knee is much more important than an appearance in the olympics.
He's young enough to get chances for the olympics again in the future.
Just let the old GOAT get his final crowning glory of his career, even though it's highly unlikely he'll be winning a gold medal.
Slater wants the status of being the greatest surfer ever to surf in the inaugural olympics for surfing.
JJF should value a 100% fully fit knee again over a medal.
At 6 months after he reinjured it 90 or 95% won't cut it without taking a significant risk.
Also just a suggestion JJ.
Now that both my shoulders and knees have been fully reconned...
Goat Boats are due for their inevitable resurgence get your sponsors onboard and start a paddling.
Geez did you step on a black cat or something. What a bitch.
Actually a bit worried for JJF after reading all the knee info...
I've really enjoyed his surfing in recent years, he brought rail back to pro surfing like at Margs 2016 and I got to watch him live in 10ft Bells, incredible stuff.
Not all doom and gloom for JJF. Had my medial and acl recon 20 years back using hamstring tendon and was playing professional sport again inside 6 months. Modern medicine and treatment with a good rehab could have him in better shape than most might think. Would love to see him compete and tear Medina and co a new one in pumping big waves. Hard to go past him at his best. Know I’ve got my fingers crossed for it
Its 2ft onshore at pipe, Medina does a shitty spinny thingy and snaps his ACL in the seeding round. The next day its 15ft bombs, JJF wins pipe over Jordy who claims the world title.
A gal can dream....
Hope he's not coming back to early just to get in the Olympics. Yahh I won Gold for surfing a shitty 2 foot beach break in Japan! At least he won't need to do airs at Pipe to win if it's pumping
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Yeah, no one at swellnet gives a hoot about pro surfing.
Modern medicine doesn't change the fact that it takes a year to fully recover from a ruptured ACL. Returning to a twisting sport such as skiing, football, netball, and surfing after 6 months is just asking for another round of ACL surgery.
I can actually imagine JJF's surgeon and physio rolling their eyes at this announcement. I hope I'm wrong, but don't be shocked if JJF's knee crumbles again.
JJF didn't surf Haleiwa, and his name's also not in the draw for Sunset, however three minutes ago the wozzle posted the event PDF for the Pipe Masters with JJF in Heat 8.
Mighty good snoopin' Stu!
2019 WSLympics year ends as it started...
Team USA (Allstars) vs Team USA (Heroes)
WSL banks on Kelly plucking a Gold Ticket out of thin air, rather a coffin ride barrel.
World owes Kelly a Gold Ticket so Hurley got JJF out of bed to put this to bed.
Here's a sample of how Sponsors will play with their Pipe...
Red Bull - ( Jordy + Andino + Kanoa -Title) + ( JJF / JW Olympic QF)
Hurley - (Toledo-Title + Olympic QF) + ( JJF / JW Olympic QF)
Rip Curl - (Medina-Title + Olympic QF ) + Owen (*Olympian)
Hurley + Red Bull - (Andino-Title) +( JJF Olympic QF)
Oakley- (Italo + Jordy +Toledo + Andino + Kanoa Titles) ( JW-Olympic QF)
Jeep- Toledo + Jordy (Olympian)
Quicksilver- Kanoa + Flores (Olympians)
Billabong - Italo (Olympian)
Jeep + Billabong +Quiky +(WSL Title is in play) Olympic deals are still up for grabs!
Inside the Pipe...
(Oakley)- After( JW /QF) a straight out team spirit block from bottom to top dog...
(Hurley) - JW / QF blocks for (JJF / QF) who both then block for (Toledo WSL Title).
(Red Bull)-Kanoa,Jordy,Andino block for JJF/JW QF then blocks for Andino > Jordy.
(Rip Curl) - Owen must block for Medina's WSL Title & sure up 2/Olympic QF
Good natured Rival Teamwork
(Hurley + Red Bull) Agree Andino looks good balancing a Corona Mug on his head!
If everyone - just let JJF / JW qualify we could sell heaps of Olympic Merch to Groms.
(Hurley + Jeep) Like the look of Toledo drinking & Driving with Olympic Chalice.
Superstar Kanoa is gonna get the most door knocks & Xmas bonus! (Set 4 Life)
Here's how 2020 Olympics crash the WSL Showcase
2017/18 Pipe Runner-ups + 2019 Teahupoo Champ are left cooling their heels.
Host Olympic Nation Top 10 Surfer must also backdoor the pipe.
We can all pretend that WSL has not corrupted Olympics & Tour Title.
tbb is not privy to Sponsor Contract end Dates...(An even bigger Surprise finish!)
We see this in other sports where rookie pips #1 (No Class!) New contract is signed!
Many Injury wildcards + ISA surf off also relegates WSL 2020 as Olympic plaything.
Nation vs Sponsor vs WSL Olympic Pool Game pets...killed off any Tour Title cred.
Make no mistake! This Comp is more to do about Olympics than 2nd rate WSL Title.
tbb is tryin' to keep the dream alive by taking the heat off "Olympic" Pipe Judges!
"No sweat! We know how to win Olympic medals!" WTF ...Pipe Bomb! Kaboom!