Chris James — Nomad Bodyboards

Interview ∞ NAW
Interview thank to Bodyboarders Surf Co.

There are a few contemporary Australian bodyboarders who comes across as vaguely invincible; Brenden Newton is one of them, and for mine, Chris James is the other. Perhaps it’s Griz’s large frame and tall stature that invokes this impression. Almost certainly it’s his recklessness in the ocean; his sadistic love for – and relationship with – places like Luna Park, or his willingness to hit just about any section at breakneck speed. Always leaves you thinking that he’s trying to test that large frame of his against any element or situation willing to challenge it.

Unfortunately, a situation back in February took up said challenge and slapped him sideways. Ironic that it wasn’t anything to do with 10-foot-plus slabs, but the 94 feet of timber at his local basketball court that saw his undoing. His five months out of the water have been a sobering experience for this self-proclaimed “captain activity”, but in between shifts at BSC and three months of smashing an exercise bike in front of the NBA playoffs, he reckons it’s been a positive experience. I checked in with the big man in late June, to find out more.

“I’d just booked a ticket to go to the Caribbean”, Griz laughs as he reflects on that fateful day back in February. “On that Riptide trip with Ewan and Matt McArthur. I’d only booked the ticket 20 minutes before I did it. I play basketball in a local comp, and initially I wasn’t going to play. I’d been surfing and I was pretty tired, but put on my shoes, and I was like ‘Ah I’ll play anyway’; I didn’t think anything would happen. Then I went on the court for like a minute and just got buckled. I knew it was bad straight away – I heard all the clicks and the snaps and stuff – and I called Ewan as soon as I did it and was like ‘Man, you wouldn’t believe it, but I can’t go on this trip ey’. He was super positive, going ‘Nah, man, I’ve done my knee before; it’s probably not that bad’. But I was pretty sure it was bad.”

“I didn’t really know too much about knee injuries. I knew a little bit, but I didn’t know exactly that I’d done it as bad as I had. After some tests the doctor was like ‘I think you’ve done your ACL’, which is like your major stabilizing ligament. I still didn’t know how bad that was, so I got home and I Googled it and was like, ‘Ah f@#k’; I realized it was a four to six month injury including an op in the middle of it. The MRI scans came back positive and I also found out from those that I had hairline fractures in my leg; just from wear and tear, surfing, running and everything. I live a pretty active lifestyle and I think it sort of all caught up with me. F@#k, what can you do? The doctor’s all, ‘You’ve gotta get off that as soon as possible, go get some crutches ASAP’, so that was the beginning of it; I was on crutches for a month.”

It’s coming up on five months since that fateful day on the timber saw him warming the bench for most of 2011. I’m imagining that first paddle is in the forefront of his mind and when I probe him for a rough return date he’s quick to reply, almost tripping over his words.

“I was actually going to pick up some new fins today and go for a little paddle. When I say little paddle, it’s like one foot and really safe kind of stuff, but basically, towards the end of June is when I can start stepping up a bit. I guess the biggest thing is confidence and the mental block that I’ll have for a bit. You know, going for that first session down the coast where you know you’re stepping into that realm again of pretty buckling surf (laughs). I don’t want to have any hesitation in conditions like that. So I’d say the end of June.”

“I guess for me it’s been a focus not so much on getting back quickly, but more so ensuring that I’m ready. You can wait six months and they’ll tell you you’re sweet to surf again, but then you haven’t been doing the extra activities to make sure that that’s the date you can really go back. Having a profession on the line, you’ve got to ensure that once you’re ready to get back, that you’ll be properly back into it. I’ve been doing a lot of swimming, doing a fair bit of stretching; just extra things. I’ve always stretched, but not to the point of what I have been now. You definitely come out of it with those extra ideas and appreciation for your fitness. Just seeing everyone else surfing gets you motivated as well, and when people call you cripple its like ‘F@#k that! I gotta get back’. I can’t take it any more (laughs). Whatever you can use as motivation at the end of the day is good.”

As we wind down the interview I broach the subject of comeback trips, as I know he and his injured partner in crime Alex Bunting have been trading ideas in “Cripple Corner” while watching the recent event at Shark Island.

“We’ve been talking, and I think by the time he’s ready to surf I’ll be ready to surf. We’ve been talking about north coast trips and just finding the ultimate point break; just easing back into things with a cruisey trip. I know Toinzy’s keen for a trip once I’m better as well. He hasn’t told me much about it. I’m kind of scared a little bit; I don’t know what he’s got planned for me. I haven’t planned too much as I basically want the all clear from the doctor. I don’t want to tell people, ‘Yeah I’m ready on this date’, to then have the doc go, ‘No you’re not’. I don’t want to get my hopes up, so once he gives me the all clear then I’ll start planning trips. Because I did pay for that ticket to the Caribbean, I’ve got a gift voucher with United Airlines so once I get the all clear I’ll do a trip somewhere in the US; maybe Mexico, or maybe even to the Caribbean. I’m just taking it as it comes right now though. I definitely want to continue going as hard as I can, but I’m just waiting for the all clear from the doc before I go saying too much.”

Look forward to seeing Grizz back at his best!!!