Recovery with Patrick Gudauskas
HUNTINGTON BEACH, California/USA (Friday, January 13, 2012) – Patrick Gudauskas (USA), 26, had his 2011 season cut short at the Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco when he sustained an ankle injury after launching a flip to surpass Jordy Smith (ZAF), 24, that forced the Californian to withdraw from the Billabong Pipe Masters. With the recent flurry of solid swells that lit up the California coastline, Mr. Gudauskas was seen charging around Nor. Cal and basically blowing up all over everywhere else. The ASP caught up with the West Coast talent to get the final details of his recovery. This… is his story…
It seems like you’ve fully recovered, when did you get back in the water?
It was my goal to be back in the water as of January 1st, so it’s been about two weeks now. I’ve just been surf stoking and each session it feels a little better. It feels good to be back and after each session I’m more and more psyched to surf.
So you’re expecting to be 100 percent for Snapper?
I’ll be 100 percent for the Gold Coast for sure. I’m planning on going over to Hawaii to do the Volcom Pipe Pro later this month as a way to get back in to competition mode and I’m just going to keep improving my ankle for Snapper.
What was your rehab process like?
It was an intense rehab process. I was working on it four days a week for two months straight. I went to a place called Signature Therapy. They’ve done a great job of taking care of Tanner, Dane and myself when we get injured. I did a lot of swimming to keep the ankle moving along with other exercises.
Now that there will be no midyear rotation, how does it change your approach to the 2012 season?
It definitely gives you a change in perspective. It’s nice to have one full year to really focus on the events you want to do well in. I think the sport is definitely moving in the right direction, the level of surfing has gone up and it’s really exciting. It’s just a matter of ironing out some of the details.
For more on Gudauskas view his full ASP WORLD TOUR PROFILE.
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