2-Time World Surfing Champion John John Florence After Battling Gruelling Knee Injury Drops an Unforeseen Update: “Just Wanted to Get Away”

John John Florence’s love for the ocean is well-known. Even his brothers Nathan and Ivan Florence share his passion for surfing and the ocean. Growing up in Hale’iwa in an ocean-side house, the three brothers spent their childhood exploring the waves and honing their surfing skills. As grownups, they would often go on sailing trips in search of big waves. But there have been none quite like the trip they made in 2020 to the Line Islands.

John John Florence is normally social media shy and stays away from them. However, the two-time surfing world champion made a big splash recently with an Instagram post. He reminded everyone of his surfing adventure from 2020 amidst serious health challenges when he and his brothers attempted the unthinkable.

Surfing trio sail through the Pacific Ocean to unchartered territory

John John Florence bought a catamaran from American snowboarder Travis Rice. The three brothers boarded the catamaran named Vela and ventured into the Pacific Ocean for the Line Islands. They were in search of new waves and unexplored surfing spots. They sailed the 2,500-mile distance from Oahu to the Line Islands, working in shifts on the boat. Their adventures resulted in the popular four-part ‘Vela’ series that documented their journey.

Surfer.com shared John John Florence’s Instagram post with the flashback clip and the caption that read, “Get out there and explore. 001. Advice To My Younger Self”. In the video, all three brothers spent quality family time on the ocean. John John Florence’s voice in the background of the video said, “That was the whole goal, we just wanted to get away and just go and find some new waves”.

To him and his brothers, surfing on unknown waves on an isolated island was an interesting prospect. He further explained that as surfers, they could predict the behavior of most swells, but on the Line Islands, they faced a unique challenge. The swells were “completely different” from what they had in mind. The series is a testament to Florence’s adventurous spirit and willingness to push his limits in surfing.

John John Florence adhering to his own advice

The surfing ace has followed this advice throughout his life, even after a huge setback in the Oi Rio Pro World Tour in 2019. John John Florence busted his knee during a heat in the Rio stop of the World Tour. The injury sidelined him and prevented him from contending for his third-world title. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, the surfing sensation rounded up his brothers and a few friends for an epic trip.

After a painful knee surgery, Florence began preparation for the sailing trip of a lifetime. The trip took almost one month to complete, and they had to brave the treacherous waves to reach their destination. John John Florence captured their adventures on camera and released it as the ‘Vela’ series.

Envious fans watched the series from their home amidst the Pandemic lockdown. It was probably the most extreme form of social distancing that anybody could imagine. The entire series is still available on John John Florence’s YouTube channel if anyone wants to refresh their memory and experience the thrill once again.

Watch This Story: A Huge Shock for Surfing Fans Before Vans Pipeline From Kelly Slater and John John Florence