World sees the value of wave pools for rehabilitation as John John Florence and coach Ross Williams perfect post-injury technique.

Last year John John severely injured his knee, cutting short his bid for a third world title. Almost a full year of webcasts without JJF was difficult for surf fans. His approach to waves is joyful, something often lacking in Championship Tour competition. When Mr. Florence launches an air, you can tell he’s having fun.

And now it looks like he’s ready to return to the CT.

As the world tour prepares to launch in Australia, we found out via Instagram that JJF is training at the Kelly Slater Wave Company in California just weeks before the first event of the season.

View this post on Instagram

It was so cool going to the Surf Ranch and back to the basics. Working on specific turns, placement and stance with @rosswilliamshawaii  Getting instant feedback and having repetition is so helpful. It’s crazy how much you can get done in such a short amount of time. Thank you @kswaveco for having me, looking forward to going back! Music by @clairelaffut

A post shared by John john Florence (@john_john_florence) on Mar 12, 2019 at 1:43pm PDT

“It was so cool going to the Surf Ranch and back to the basics,” said John John. “Working on specific turns, placement and stance with @rosswilliamshawaii, getting instant feedback and having repetition is so helpful. It’s crazy how much you can get done in such a short amount of time.”

While not everyone might be able to afford the $33K-$55K-per-day Kelly Slater Wave Company daily rental (depending on season), John and his sponsors can. And wave pools are the perfect place to practice and work out the kinks, as noted by coach Ross Williams.

“He’s got some work to do, as it’s been a long journey back from his injury, but the speed and crispness is right there,” said Williams in the post. “The @kswaveco is a great tool for getting fine-tuned. I love tweaking and discussing the technique. John’s so good that he can apply it right away. It was beyond beneficial in the quest to see John surf at his full potential”

Check JJF’s knee abuse in this clip from the Surf Ranch test event last year. Ouch.

Earlier this month we explored how Australia will take the opportunity to train their athletes in wave pools. And as more pools open globally, they could become the equivalent of a surf coach’s gym, a required component to athletic perfection.

We wish John John well and hope to see him light up at Snapper when the event runs April 3-13.