"We live in an awesome world and an even better community. That is our surf world."
The 2025 World Surf League Championship Tour is but days away from the opening hooter and while surf fans should be celebrating the return of professional competitive surfing, a bleak pall has taken hold. First, the generational talent Gabriel Medina announced that he would be forced to sit out much, if not all, of the year after suffering an injury to his pectoral muscle.
And as if the loss of the Dark Knight was not enough, a worse fear is materializing.
John John Florence calling it all off.
Worry took hold at the end of the 2024 season, one in which the former prodigy took home his third trophy but was cagey afterward, hinting it might be his last. Those anxieties have only, since, entrenched with various rumors suggesting the preternatural talent was hanging it up culminating, moments ago, with the announcement of Florence’s longtime coach Ross Williams’s retirement.
The Momentum Generation stud took to Instagram in order to declare:
Just wanted to give a shout out to my tour partners last year. Thank you so much for all the memories. @john_john_florence @tatiwest and @bettylou.sakura.johnson , I really appreciate you guys putting trust in me and allowing me to be part of your journey. We’ve had some amazing results Along the way. These last 10 years was an exceptional learning life experience. John, winning his third world title last year was definitely a highlight. But also Tati fighting her way through to finishing third in the world in the finals was epic. Betty Lou you’re at the very beginning of your journey and I’m so happy that I was there along the way through your formable years. You have a big future. And for anyone curious out there, I’m gonna continue my coaching in 2025 and beyond. But 2024 was always gonna be a very big year for me that included traveling to every single event. But it’s not sustainable for me as far as balancing my career with my family life. It’s too much time away from my precious family. So I will continue coaching, but will focus more of my work here out of Hawaii. Surfing is my love. It’s my everything. It’s what makes me wake up in the morning. It’s what intrigues me. I will always revolve my life around surfing and coaching is a big part of that. I have a lot invested into Luke and finn and Tama as well and will continue working with them on their journeys! I’m sure I’ll pick up more surfers along the way. What really intrigues me is the technical aspect of surfing so I will be open to taking on surfers at the highest levels as well as recreational surfers to help them fulfill their goals and being the best surfers they can be. My good friend @gregsworld did an interview with me a couple years back. You can see the geekiness and how psyched I am on surfing and coaching. We live in an awesome world and an even better community. That is our surf world. I feel so Appreciative to be part of it. Also, I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without my lovely wife, Jennifer Williams. She’s my rock, my everything. And I’m excited to be at home with her in 2025!
Florence, it must be assumed, done too.
I’d bet that the former towhead surfs Pipeline then waves goodbye before being party to fellow tour surfer Tyler Wright’s possible execution in Abu Dhabi the following month.
Will the loss of Medina and Florence, in their prime, be enough to dampen your excitement or is the specter of Filipe Toledo chickening out, again, enough to keep you engaged?
David Lee Scales and I discuss during this week’s episode of The Grit! which also just so happens to be chock full of manly talk. Worth a listen unless you are Justin Baldoni.
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So were exactly is Williams retirement in all this.
If surfing is Ross’s “everything” and his wife is his “everything” then surfing his wife has got to be his “forever” thing.
Still praying that social media goes away so we don’t have to read articles about things people say on an app. Wouldn’t be mad at an interview by a surf journalist though.
Rats deserting a sinking ship. Then sinking themselves.
Why not just say what you gotta say to these people in person, Ross?
Cuz you’re a performative non-human?
cool, right on.
Apparently Ross can retire finding more money than previously thought from his Dropped Wallet.
No JJ, FT, GM… could be prime for an elderly man riding asian popouts to make a move…
When you’re that fucking good do you really need a coach?
I think most of the work is done after the heat. Like when John goes to the esky and thinks he can do one more beer… Ross comes in and slams the lid shut. Or when he wants to order that late night pizza… Ross comes in and grabs the phone and whispers in his ear…. you are better than this.
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I’m sorry but I’m also going sit out this years CT. I’m not retiring, but I don’t feel ready to take on the challenges of the Tour, and TBH I’m trying to spend more time with my family, not less. I hope my legions of fans out there understand.
If John doesn’t compete and with Medina out, the girls might have more must watch surfers and with a smaller draw. I’ll watch any heat with Caity, Molly, Erin, or Johanne (not specifically for her surfing). It would be a good year to start giving them some of the best swell windows
More compelling than the men, just like the WNBA
And beach volleyball
I take issue with people announcing their retirement, which seems kind of de rigueur nowadays.
How big you need to be in order to announce your retirement?
Is this self aggrandizement justified?
Can’t you just slip away or not turn up ? Who’d notice?
And he’ll probably transition to the tech bro/ceo private coaching market.
Yeah, but then everyday I’m here hoping to read of Adam Melling / Stuart Kennedy’s return. It would be nice to definitively know, so I can move on.
He was a private coach
It’s essentially the QS now, the best of the best grovellers and butt wiggles. Pass.
(See you in the live chat watch-along during every single event)
As some other bloke once said…
(the third sentence seems like the current state of affairs, and JJF’s already at the fourth)
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Anyway
When’s the Pipe heat draw ?
Is Mexi Cleland in ?
If you are reading this it’s too late…goose lost in fire…spruce…
Lloyd’s of London insured those nipple…
Oh noooooooo 🫣
Tyler’s impemding execution is the most exciting thing to happen since Mick got shark attacked.
(But not nearly as funny as Mick calling Chas a fucking Jew…)
That is objectively funny. Calling someone who will purchase Grey Goose over the clear economical option in Amsterdam? A Jew this choice does not make!
Too bad Ross retired from grammar and spelling back in 5th grade.
He didn’t have much momentum in the classroom.
Could be the phones.
They’ve done a number on my spelling, grammar and ability to do some basic math.
With Ross’ talent there was no real need to care about getting his schooling up to a top level. Good enough would have been good enough.
Im going to retire but not retire
He is doing a Slater
Now Ben Gravy can retain his services so he doesn’t drown at Pinballs again.
You can laugh, but a world without Ben Gravy is too terrible to contemplate.
yes a world without gravy , there would be no train!
Mash them potatoes Ben! And pass the Gravy
Pftt…
Not in the least. 🙄
My heart would go on.
What’s Ben Gravy?