Multiple world champions, Australia’s Stephanie Gilmore and USA’s John John Florence, are both opting to miss the 2025 surfing season to focus on injury recovery and outside projects, the surfers announced on Tuesday, 21 January.
It will be the second consecutive season off for the Australian eight-time world champion Gilmore, while Florence is taking the year off after winning his third world title in 2024.
Gilmore was given a wildcard to compete at Pipeline Pro, starting on 27 January, but chose to extend her break to continue focusing on injury recovery.
“After careful consideration, I’ve decided to take another season away from the WSL tour. 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,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “I’m deeply grateful for the unwavering support of my sponsors and I wish all the athletes on tour the best of luck this season!.”
A sailing aficionado, Florence is taking time off to focus on this sport and other projects, the two-time Olympian announced in an Instagram post.
“I’ve decided to focus on surfing in a different way this year,” Florence wrote. “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 into some new projects and planning to share the amazing places we get to go along the way.”
Fellow three-time world champion Gabriel Medina, who himself will miss the first part of the 2025 season due to a recent injury, quickly responded to Florence’s post: “I will come join a surf trip with you”.
With their announcements, Gilmore and Florence appear likely to miss the 2025 World Surfing Games. The annual competition will be held at Surf City El Salvador from 5 to 14 September.
Paris 2024 Olympian Luana Silva of Brazil will compete on the world tour in Gilmore’s place while 2023 World Surfing Games champion and Paris 2024 Olympian Alan Cleland of Mexico will take Florence’s spot.
