Fans of pro surfing are swinging from the ceiling this week after the announcement that Gabriel Medina, Steph Gilmore and John John Florence have confirmed their return to the CT in 2026. In truth it was three announcements, strung out over three days, with a different pro surfing titan tossed up every 24hrs. Yes, the WSL milked it harder than a QS surfer chasing a 3.5 on a Huntington closeout with a reform shore break.
The WSL are clearly aware of the pulling power of these three. That’s why they gave them a kind of leave without pay deal. They basically said, ‘you go do your thing and we’ll reserve a CT slot for you when you come back from vacation’. Fans will be delighted to see them back but any other surfer with a whiff of a ‘full-season wildcard’ – who has been grinding away in heats – is probably thinking, this is a casting couch not a meritocracy.
But it’s a done deal now so what might we expect from this trilogy of icons who possess 14 world titles between them – of which Steph accounts for eight.
Steph has spent the last couple of years travelling, making video parts, riding different boards, courting new sponsors and just being… well, Steph. No surfer in the world is better able to juggle the demands of the spotlight; Steph can step off the beach after blazing through a final, conduct a flawless post-heat interview and then hit the bar for a beer and spin yarns with surfing’s finest raconteurs, before blasting a few lead guitar riffs on stage with a band. But can she make a comeback?
In 2022 Steph claimed title eight with an inspired finals day performance at Trestles – winning five heats straight.
In a recent Tracks interview, Steph talked about entering a zone of invincibility on that day, “It felt like I was operating at a higher frequency than others around me… I was hyper aware of everything around me and what was on the line, but I was completely in control of my energy and totally in love with the challenge and the showmanship needed to go the whole way…”
However, in 2023, Steph struggled by her own standards, finishing sixth and just missing out on making the final five (a redundant system now). The success of Steph’s comeback will hinge on her ability to slide into that headspace where she feels unstoppable. Caity Simmers, Caroline Marks and Molly Picklum have really stepped it up in recent years and one senses we haven’t seen the best of Erin Brooks yet. Any of the women on tour are capable of claiming an event win, but oh how we long to see Steph slay the younger competitors with a devastating carve to barrel to snap combo ala Keramas Pro 2019 – if only once in 2026. Steph will of course be joined on tour by Carissa Moore, who confirmed her return to the CT a little over a week ago. Lisa Anderson won her four world titles as a mum, and perhaps Carissa will draw new new inspiration from the birth of her daughter, Olena Lililehua.
Meanwhile, John John has been drifting around the globe on his Catamaran, with his wife, Lauryn and his son Darwin. Every now and then he dropped a crumb of footage to let the world know he is literally still up to speed. In one blistering reel from Cloudbreak he told us, “I just want to go fast.” It was high velocity, high performance surfing at its best and there’s little doubt John John in full flight is still arguably the best, all round show in men’s surfing.
However, can he rekindle the competitive fire needed to challenge for a world title? If Trestles is three-foot and dribbly, might his mind not start to imagine himself hoisting sail somewhere in the Pacific – particularly if brother Nathan has just sent him a clip from pumping Cloudbreak that morning?
John’s ability to perform is not in doubt, and in a Tracks interview he recently stated that he “likes the sound of the number 5” when it comes to world titles (currently sitting on three). John would certainly like to win more than Gabriel Medina (also on three) and therein lies the secret to getting the most out of both Gabriel and John; their personal rivalry needs to kick off again, so they drag one another into that crazy performance space where exceptional things happen, and nothing else matters except beating the other guy. “Just knowing that Gabe is putting in the work makes me want to put in the work even more,” John told Tracks in reference to their rivalry. “Like it makes me want to stay into my routine and eat well and just commit to my process fully, just knowing that he’s (Gabriel) doing the same.”
Although JJF vs Gabby is the defining rivalry of men’s pro surfing for our times, it feels like there is at least one more chapter to be written. We certainly want to see more thrilling head-to-head battles. According to John at present the score card is something like seven heats each. Their last meeting was at Margaret River in 2024, where John won by a bead of wax, 13.9 to 13.66. Both have good reasons to bail on the tour, but as fans we want the egos to kick-in; each surfer hell-bent on proving they deserve to be called ‘the best of the modern era’. The quest for Olympic glory (Los Angeles 2028) provides both surfers with an additional incentive to stay on tour and qualify via the WSL channel. Neither will feel their career is quite complete without chewing on a gold medal.
Instagram suggests Medina’s gap year tastes are a little more urban and eclectic than John John’s nautical escapism. He’s been attending NFL matches, comparing notes with Lewis Hamilton, and hanging with old pal Neymar. Medina seems to draw strength from being in the company of other big-name sportspeople. Meanwhile, he has also been doing a lot of surfing at home in Brazil, reconnecting with his roots and trying to revisit the passions that propelled him to become one of the most formidable competitors in pro surfing history. It seems like a good strategy for someone who has struggled to find an even keel in recent years.
Medina has had his injury woes, but one senses that mental focus is the key factor in how he fares when he returns to the big stage. If Gabby can stay in the moment and find the right motivations to kick-start the competitive monster within, then there’s every chance he will be back to his best. Of course, there are thirty or so other guys to consider when the tour kicks off again next April at Bells. Yago Dora has become king in the absence of JJF and Gabby; there’s an argument he has the style and power to match John John and the aerial theatrics to win a dog fight with Medina. Griffin Colapinto, Ethan Ewing and Jack Robinson are all desperate for maiden titles and the reversion to a first past the post system (no final five) will change the whole dynamic of the title race.
No doubt we all have our favourite surfers and our tips for 2026, but who doesn’t want to see John John and Medina going wave for glorious wave, clashing rails in paddle battles, and trying to psyche one another out any way they can. Pro Surfing hasn’t been quite the same without them.
