John John’s First Surf In Portugal In Five Years

The last time John John Florence roamed the Iberian Peninsula was in 2017.

That sounds crazy, but let’s crunch the numbers. John blew up his knee after the 2018 CT event in Bali, five events before the European leg. That sidelined him until the start of 2019. He then won two of the first four events only to exit the tour again in Rio, three events before Europe. In 2020, well, we don’t even have to go there.

Last season’s schedule didn’t include any French or Portuguese beachies. And even if they had, John bowed out again after a partial ALC tear at Margaret River. So it’s been five years since John John threaded a proper Portuguese drainer or stomped an inverted backside rotation over salty sardines. Ouch.

Lucky for us, we get to watch just that and more in John John’s latest highlight reel. There’s a lot to unpack in just six and a half minutes, but be sure to watch that silky smooth chocolate-colored left featuring Kolohe Andino and Nat Young.

It’s been a long time since John John was healthy in Europe. May it never be that long again.