Sad news for surf fans this morning as JJF has announced he has once again snapped a ligament in his bung knee, likely putting him out for the entirety of the 2019 season.

Here’s how he broke the news on his insta:

‘This has been a really fun year in competition and outside of the jersey. Unfortunately, in Brazil I ruptured my ACL. I’ll be pulling out of J-Bay and likely the rest of the CT season. I’m opting for surgery so I can be 100% next year. I’m excited for this new adventure and everything I will learn along the way. Thanks for all of the support!’

The injury first occurred last year in Bali after John fell on the landing of a lofty air. John declined surgery, instead, sitting out the rest of the year and working on extensive physio to strengthen his snapped ACL. Unfortunately, his hard work and time out appears to have been in-vein, as he re-ruptured the tendon attempting a fairly harmless looking flyaway in Brazil. This time around, he’s decided to go under the knife, with hopes of being back to full fighting fitness by the start of 2020

The implications of John’s absence for the rest of the tour are acute. Most prominently, we’ve lost the front runner in the title race, leaving the door open for Kolohe Andino, Filipe Toledo and Jordy Smith, who are sat in 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively and are separated by less than a thousand points.

While Medina is currently down in 8th, we’re about to hit the run of events that have traditionally seen him rocket up through the rankings, and if he can pull his socks up, it’s possible he’ll be able to snag another world title while his foremost rival sits wincing in an ice bath.

John’s injury will also see this year’s injury wildcard spots be hotly contested, with Ariano De Souza, Mikey Wright, Leo Fioravanti all set to be vying for the two slots.

We wish John the best of luck with his recovery and look forward to seeing him back in competition soon.