John John Conquering a Sea-Monster

John Steinbeck once wrote, "men really need sea-monsters in their personal oceans. An ocean without its unnamed monsters would be like a completely dreamless sleep." While John John Florence's surfing is inhuman, his drive to explore and overcome his recent "sea-monster" of an injury, is what makes him a true competitive waterman. I think what Steinbeck realized – and what John John is in the midst of discovering – is that if we didn't have obstacles in life to overcome, our bodies and minds would become stagnant. After John John ruptured his ACL last year while surfing in Brazil, he's had to find ways to occupy the mind and body. Through his mini-series, VELA, John John shows himself that he can conquer that "sea-monster" by taking to the open-ocean. Let your mind wander to the sea as you watch episodes one and two of VELA below: