John John Florence, Stephanie Gilmore, and Gabriel Medina announced they won't compete on the 2025 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT).
In other words, three former world surfing champions revealed they will take a year off to focus on their several interests and personal issues.
Florence, Gilmore, and Medina have a combined total of 14 world titles.
They are some of the biggest stars and assets WSL has to capture audiences and sponsors and make competitive surfing a profitable business.
Their contribution to the growth and popularity of the sport is undeniable, and their charisma kept millions of people glued to their screens during events for more than a decade.
But the decision to temporarily step away from heats leaves an unfillable hole in the heart of pro surfing.
Gilmore: "Focus on Injuries and Adventures"
In Stephanie's case, 2025 will be her second consecutive season without putting a jersey on.
"After careful consideration, I've decided to take another season away from the WSL tour," revealed Gilmore.
"This time will allow me to focus on healing some lingering injuries and redirect my energy toward continuing my adventures of surfing around the globe."
JJF: "There Are Many Waves to Explore"
Florence wants to live surfing in a different way this year.
"I want to create the time to explore, find new waves, and draw different lines," explained John John.
"I intend to compete full-on for another world title in 2026, but right now, this idea of adventure and creatively pushing my surfing as far as possible is really exciting!"
"The ocean is so big, and there are so many different types of waves to explore. I'm stoked to be filming some new projects and planning to share the amazing places we get to go to along the way."
Medina: "I'll Join You on a Surf Trip, [JJF]"
Medina suffered a chest injury, underwent surgery, and will go through an undetermined recovery period.
Although the Brazilian didn't mention a full year off-tour, he is expected to also focus on free surfing trips rather than competition.
Actually, Gabriel expressed his wish to join John John Florence's sabbatical time projects.
"I will come join a surf trip with you," Medina wrote on the Hawaiian's Instagram post announcing the off-tour plans.
Time Off: A Growing Trend
The number of surfers withdrawing from events, half or the whole season, has been quietly growing.
We've seen Tyler Wright and Kelly Slater do it a few years ago, and then several surfers opting to retire earlier than expected, including Mick Fanning, Julian Wilson, Jeremy Flores, and Carissa Moore.
Last year, two-time world champion Filipe Toledo cited mental health issues that he needed to address and overcome to withdraw from the 2024 CT season.
Stephanie Gilmore didn't compete, either.
So, what is wrong with professional competitive surfing? Has it lost its appeal?
Is the current format, which includes a mid-season cut and the surf-off finals, outdated or not adjusted to the pro surfers' lifestyle?
Is surf judging criteria letting spectators and online viewers down?
Is WSL failing to listen to the fans, and the corresponding lack of enthusiasm spreading to the locker room?
There are surely more questions than clear answers for this.
Are Season Wildcards Fair to Challenger and Qualifying Series Campaigners?
The WSL Rule Book has several instructions for granting wildcards to injured athletes, world champions, and WSL Finals contenders.
In the past, these special concessions have created discomfort among surfers competing in the lower tiers, the Challenger Series (CS) and Qualifying Series (QS).
Everybody knows how hard it is to reach the CT level.
Among the hundreds of male and female surfers battling it out in the highly competitive CS and QS zones, only ten men and five women earn a promotion to the elite league each season.
So, when world champions take a year off and receive a wildcard for the upcoming season, is it fair to those traveling the world and working hard to try and get a seat among the CT club?
How wise is it to reserve a place for someone among the best if they've been two years out recovering from injuries and chasing epic swells on sponsored surf trips?
Undermining the fans' perception is easy, and subtle mistakes come with a high cost.
There should be a balance between granting valuable tour assets and other athletes time to recover from real physical and mental issues and letting spectators at home know that WSL treats everyone fairly.
But once again, the roots of the problems have not been addressed.
If we had an exciting professional surfing circuit, would we witness so many early retirements and temporary withdrawals? Maybe yes, maybe not.
Hearing the fans' concerns and wishes is never too much. We could probably start there. After all, they're WSL's customers.
Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com
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