Hawaiian world champ John John Florence sensationally pulls out of remainder of WSL season one week after Tokyo Olympics!

See y'all at The Pipe says John John.

The two-time Hawaiian world champ, John John Florence, has sensationally withdrawn from the next two events of the championship tour, a season ending decision given his current rating outside the world title showdown top five. 

Florence, a tall man with shortish legs whose Olympic campaign was derailed in round three by fellow American Kolohe Andino, writes,

I’ve decided to withdraw from the next two WSL events in Mexico and Tahiti. This was a really hard decision to make, but I’m not 100% healed from my knee surgery and I’m trying to do the right thing for my future health and goals. The opportunity to surf in Tokyo was once in a lifetime, and a risk I was willing to take. But looking at the rest of the year and talking with my medical team the best step forward is continuing with physical therapy for the next 60 days. I want to make sure there is nothing that keeps me from competing, and surfing the way I want to in the long term. With all that said, I’ll be ready to go for the Pipe Masters and excited to compete! 

Florence, who turns twenty-nine in October, elected to compete in the Games despite the lingering injury, a knee he banged up at Margaret River earlier this year, and which required surgery.

Meanwhile, somewhere, likely California, Kelly Slater, ashen at disappeared Olympic dream, gropes at a hand-rail and is sick.