Will John John Florence Ever Compete Again? 

Few questions in surfing are more pressing — or harder to answer — than how long John John Florence will remain a presence on the World Surf League. His commitment has always seemed nebulous, his demeanour less cutthroat competitor and more effortlessly gifted artist. He seems to win not out of ruthless ambition but as a natural consequence of being far ahead of anyone who paddles out against him.

Yet injuries, convoluted competition structures, finals-day roulette, and the occasional Zeke Lau shoulder check have made it seem, at times, like John’s talent is being wasted within the confines of a jersey.

Still, for years, John has tried to reassure the doubters, insisting that beneath his soft-spoken demeanour lies a competitor with teeth — that he’s still hungry, that two world titles don’t sit quite right, and that there are still scalps he’d like to claim before trading jerseys for the family van and his brothers’ freewheeling shelf-tour. 

But with a third world title under his belt — matching the only other surfer of his generation worthy of the comparison, Gabriel Medina — a newborn son, and a growing nautical empire, the timing has never been better for John to bow out of a world that never quite fit him as seamlessly as skin tight, hooded lycra. 

“So, what’s the deal, John?” asks Jamie, fresh off his double tube and hosting RedBull’s No Contest Honolulu this week. “I know you want to win an Olympics, but I also know you want some time off.”

Cue intense silence. A retirement bombshell? A Kelly-esque pledge to tour forever, until the next generation kneecap him? The reveal of a new hooded rash vest colourway?

“To be honest, I don’t really know,” John replies. “I’ve been taking it year by year. Last year, I thought I was definitely not doing the season. Then I was home for the winter, I was feeling good, and then I just decided to commit.”

And so, the enigma of John remains unsolved.

The episode’s a solid hour, packed with Mason Ho’s signature ramblings, making it well worth the listen.