JC: For many years, I remember seeing Scotty hobbling around beaches, literally seething as he was forced off the water due to his nagging hip injury. In simple terms, his hip was pretty much worn out. Advanced Osteoarthritis was diagnosed and, with no cartilage left, he was forced to choose between a hip replacement or cut way down on his time on the water. The decision was simple:
SM: “That was one of the most pivotal periods of my life. I went for quite some years carrying a lot of pain and stiffness trying to go for as long as I could before having the operation. With travel and testing of boards I was limping around getting the job done but was becoming more and more restricted as to what I could do. Pain was normal. But when it got to the point where I couldn’t bottom turn. That was it, I had to make the decision to go in for the operation! Then, after the surgery, I was pretty darn sore, but it was only two months later I was in the West Oz desert wavesailing down the line and throwing 360s. Since then I’m a little stiffer in my right hip but I can do pretty much whatever I want. It’s given me such appreciation for a body that works normally – apart from my brain!”