It's been four years since Tom Carroll and Ross Clarke-Jones teamed up in Storm Surfers 3D and took on the most dangerous waves they could find.

Action aside, the human drama in Storm Surfers was provided by Tom's acknowledgement that he's getting older so can't surf big waves with the same level of gusto. "I'm sort of on the backside of my testosterone levels," said Carroll on screen, "and I'm looking at life a lot differently."

Yet despite his straight-to-camera earnestness, Tom's change of pace is incremental; the passing years have done little to slow him down in big waves nor stem the long list of injuries he's acquired in that quest.

The latest injury was knee damage suffered while surfing Himalayas on January 27th. He took off on a set that "lined up like an oversize Indonesian reefbreak" and there was little he could do but straighten out.

"I'd been aware that a few surfers had ripped their shoulders out diving off at speed this year," says Tom referring to the shoulder injuries sustained by Mark Mathews and Garrett Macnamara. "So when I dived I pulled my arms in, yet it somehow made me hit the water differently."

Tom is unclear exactly what happened to his knee yet he immediately knew something was wrong. "It's the same knee I've got osteoathritis. I was in a lot of pain from the moment it happened."

Tom immediately checked himself in for treatment and repeat visits to the physio are paying dividends. "I travelled to Hawaii for the first Eddie. Strapped my knee up and got a few waves at the Bay. I'll strap it again this time, it'll be good to go."

While Tom was testing his knee at the Bay on the day of the cancelled Eddie, his on-screen sparring partner was whipping into 25 foot sets down the coast. He'd also jetted into Hawaii for the Eddie yet rather than paddle out the Bay decided to surf Phantoms. Ross came down hard on one wave and seperated his sternum on the left side. He didn't surf for a week and half afterwards. He's also trying not to "laugh, sneeze, cough, or breathe too hard" because of how painful the injury is. Yet if the organisers give the green light he will paddle out at the Eddie.

"I had my first surf back today," said Ross. "I was testing whether to strap or pad it but either way I'll be surfing. I wouldn't miss the Eddie for the world."