Tearing the ligaments in his knee proved to be a blessing in disguise for Mikey Clayton-Brown.
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Three months of dedicated rehabilitation toward repairing a grade two MCL tear, including strength and conditioning training and more time in the gym, has put him in the best shape of his surfing career.
And it is showing in his results.
Currently Port Stephens' highest ranked surfer, Clayton-Brown is sitting at number three in the Australia/Oceania men's qualifying series (QS) out of 150 athletes and has had three top five results so far this season.
"I feel really good where I'm at," the 19 year old from Corlette said.
"I had a couple of really good events over in Indonesia, which has set me up for a really good year this year."
It was while on a ski trip in August 2022 that Clayton-Brown tore his MCL.
He escaped having to get surgery, but the injury had him off a board for three months.
The injury was like a reset for the lifelong surfer whose dream is to make the Championship Tour.
After moving up from the junior ranks to the QS in 2021-2022, where he finished ninth, Clayton-Brown said he struggled to adjust to the changes in the level of competition.
"Once you get on the QS you learn to lose a lot more," he said.
"It was such a difference from the junior comps where I did pretty well.
"Going into my first year of the QS and losing, I lost a lot of confidence.
"After Sufest [2022], I kind of just focused on my own thing because I felt like I was thinking too much about the results.
"Then I did my knee.
"I put in so much work to come back from it.
"I'm still doing a lot more strength and conditioning work now than I was last year and it's paying off.
"Right now is the most confident I've felt on the QS."
Work he has done with coach Michael Crisp on competition performance and mindset has also helped regain his confidence back, Clayton-Brown said.
Just as the work with strength and conditioning coach Brayden Mellon has.
Clayton-Brown has 11 QS events under his belt so far this season.
The aim is to amass enough points by the end of the season to move up into the international Challenger Series.
Clayton-Brown's next event will be the QS5000-point Tweed Coast Pro at Cabarita Beach from February 12-16 then back home for the Port Stephens Pro, a QS1000 event, being held at Birubi Beach from February 27-March 1.
Fellow Port Stephens surfers Jasmine Sampson and Jimmi Hill will also compete in the Port Stephens Pro.
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Ellie-Marie Watts
A journalist with 10 years experience, Ellie-Marie connects readers to the stories that matter in their communities. A Port Stephens-based news, sport and event writer and photographer with a passion for human interest features.
A journalist with 10 years experience, Ellie-Marie connects readers to the stories that matter in their communities. A Port Stephens-based news, sport and event writer and photographer with a passion for human interest features.
