John John Florence WAS taking a step back. Until he was offered a Pipe wildcard, that is. Photo: WSL
On January 21, John John Florence announced that he would be stepping away from the WSL Tour for 2025. On January 26, it was announced that he would be surfing in the Lexus Pipe Pro as a wildcard. Just how far away he would step was unclear, but apparently, it’s not a long walk.
The window for the event opens January 27, but conditions weren’t exactly optimal when the sun rose on the first day. That’s likely to change and change quickly, if this winter’s past swells are any indicator, and when it’s good at Pipe, John John is one of the best to ever do it.
It’s very likely that Florence’s sabbatical announcement created more than a few sighs of relief from his competitors — especially given the fact that Gabriel Medina is out for the time being, too — but those exhales were sucked back in.
“The three-time world champ is in for Pipe,” the World Surf League wrote. “John John Florence has accepted the local event wildcard for the Lexus Pipe Pro presented by Yeti.”
John’s decision to step back from the tour in 2025 comes after his third world title. A lot has changed in his life in recent years. He became a husband and father and started his own company, for starters. The opportunities are endless for him, and it sounds as though he wants to take advantage of the situation he’s currently in.
“I’ve decided to focus on surfing in a different way this year,” he wrote on Instagram. “I want to create the time to explore, find new waves, and draw different lines. I intend to compete full on for another world title in 2026, but right now this idea of adventure and creatively pushing my surfing as far as possible is really exciting!”
But it appears that the prospect of surfing perfect Pipe with only a few other people in the lineup was a little too tempting, even for a guy who’s surfed perfect Pipe with only a few other people in the lineup countless times. Good for surf fans, the World Surf League, and John… but not so good for the other competitors.
