It was the 8th of March when thru Social Media we got the news. Maxime was quiting from Australian QS leg due to knee injury. We reach him last week before the Santa Cruz 3000 QS to know how was the injury, the work at CERS and how is he felling right now.
1 – How are you? We heard about your knee injury when you were in Brazil. Where and how did you hurt yourself?
I’m good, thanks. I hurt my knee during a trip in Portugal. I was training and filming there on a big day at Coxos and a wave hit me from the back inside the barrel. I didn’t feel much at the time, nor over the next few days, but I started to slowly feel more and more pain. When I was in Brazil, I felt I needed to see what was going on so I could start healing heading to Australia.
2 – You had to cancel your trip to Australia. Did you know since the beginning that you were not OK to surf, or did you force the trip to Brazil and it got worse so you had to cancel Australia and work on your recovery?
I never felt in big pain or in danger to surf before and during Brazil. I just felt something was there. After the exams, the safer decision was to work on a recovery rather than going to Australia and make it worse there. That was when I had to decide if I wanted to recover and feel good for the rest of the season, or take the risk in Australia and make it worse.
3 – How was your recovery at CERS?
I never felt in big pain or in danger to surf before and during Brazil. I just felt something was there. After the exams, the safer decision was to work on a recovery rather than going to Australia and make it worse there. That was when I had to decide if I wanted to recover and feel good for the rest of the season, or take the risk in Australia and make it worse.
4 – How do you feel now? Ready to be back in the QS?
Physically, I feel really good. The training was very intense and I need to rest a bit now. But I really need to surf as much as possible to regain confidence on my feet. I want to go step by step and don’t force the comeback too quick. Let it flow naturally.
