Week In Waves: SoCal Heats Up, Medina Gets His ESPY And Teahupo'o Is Really Scary

It's summertime in Southern California and there's been a lot of motion in the ocean lately. Some of our favorite pros have been popping up all over the place, and they're all up to some good stuff. Of course, there was a giant sewage spill in Santa Monica, which stinks. And what's been happening lately on the other side of the world in South Africa is heartbreaking. Here's a quick roundup of the latest:

Nine Weeks After Surgery, John John Looks Pretty Good

John John Florence came clean this week about the state of his surfing, and it sure doesn't look like the two-time World Champ has skipped a beat. Getting some laps in at the Orange County beachbreaks, his rail game looks remarkably sharp in the junky conditions. "It has been a lot of hard work I am thankful for all the support around me," Florence explained.

If Colapinto Makes The Rip Curl WSL Finals, Watch Out!

Right now San Clemente's Griffin Colapinto is sitting just above the WSL Final 5 cut line in the fifth spot. Should he hold on and earn a spot in the Rip Curl WSL Finals this September, look no further than his new Cola Bros drop to see what kind of damage the man is capable of at his local. Flow, style, progression, and a comfort at Lowers unequaled by anyone on Tour save his good buddy Kolohe Andino.

The G Boys Are Getting Soft

In other San Clemente news, Dane, Patrick and Tanner Gudauskas have just launched a line of soft boards via their Positive Vibe Warriors Foundation. The boards are made of recycled materials and they're also recyclable. To close the environmental loop, the boys are even offering a 20-percent discount on your next board if you return your old PVW sled when you're done with it. And true to the good humans they are, 10-percent of proceeds from sales are going to support "emerging surf cultures." The beneficiaries they are initially working with are Mikey February's Juju Surf Club, the Nigerian Surf Team, and in the U.S. they're teaming up with the San Francisco-based City Surf Project.

Heartbreak In South Africa

In recent days there has been massive civil unrest throughout South Africa with Durban being especially hard hit. "The Zuma riots and looting have been very close to home for us. Literally a block or so away," reports the team at Surfers Not Street Children. "We are doing everything we can to ensure that kids in our program are supported, safe and fed." The WSL's Travis Logie took to Instrgram to share his perspective on this most serious of situations.

Heat Drills With Jules

Julian Wilson is all about preparation and has been grinding pretty hard lately. Fit, focused and ready to pull the jersey on again, he just shared some heat drills he's been running with the boys. If you were wondering how the best surfers in the world hone their strategies, here you go.

Nate Florence's Teahupo'o Freakout

The title says it all: "Out of them all this one scares me the most!" Next month the Championship Tour will land in idyllic French Polynesia, and while the blue water, swaying palm trees and tropical vibes are glorious, let's not forget what The End Of The Road is capable of. This week, Nathan Florence reminded his YouTube audience exactly how heavy the Tahitian reef can be. Given how gnarly some of the waves he's ridden at places like Pipe and Jaws are, the fact that it's this late drop into oblivion freaks him out more than them all speaks volumes. Late August in the South Pacific? The men and women of the CT better have their pintails dialed.

Medina Gets His ESPY

Already enjoying what may be the best season of his stellar career, Gabriel Medina has won the 2021 ESPY Award for Best Men's Action Sports Athlete. Carissa Moore was nominated for Best Women's Action Sports Athlete, but those honors ultimately went to snowboarder Chloe Kim. Taking place in New York City on July 10, the 29th annual ESPN sports awards show celebrates the year's best "players, moments, coaches and games." Medina edged out supercross rider Cooper Webb, and snowboarders Yuto Totsuka and Marcus Kleveland to earn his first ESPY. He was also nominated for an ESPY in 2019, but lost out to skateboarder Nyjah Huston.

L.A. Suffers Massive Sewage Spill

Between July 11-12, approximately 17 million gallons of raw sewage were spilled into the Santa Monica Bay. "Heal the Bay and the World Surf League are partnering to expand Heal the Bay's NowCast daily water quality prediction program to give beachgoers more information, more swiftly, about potential risks from poor ocean water quality at California's most popular beaches and surf spots," reads a post via Heal The Bay.