Before The World Went To Hell, John John Had Plans

It only took a global pandemic for John John to post more YouTube videos. Dropping his fourth cut in a week — he’d been averaging one every month or two prior — the unsponsored two-time world champ just treated us to a little glimpse of what a training day at the Surf Ranch looks like for him and his pose. 

Brother Nathan breaks out the self-shaped, four-foot “Bolt.” Eli Olson, Kiron Jabour and Kona Johnson giggle like school girls. While Ross Williams plays the role of Cus D’Amato to John’s Iron Mike Tyson.

Shot pre-coronvirus lockdown, “the boys are ripping.” Beers are clinked at the end, obviously. But the takeaway is that John appears to have been intent on dropping hammers when he returned to the tour. Spry, unencumbered by a knee brace, the mulleted one even dips in for a glassy runner sans wetsuit.

The competitive preparations are all for not now, of course, but it’s evident here in his surfing, his mindset, the instructions he’s receiving from Williams, before the whole world went to hell, John had plans.