Dane Reynolds, one of the most exciting and explosive competitors on the ASP World Tour, will undergo surgery on his right knee Monday and will likely miss the start of the 2011 Tour season.
Reynolds, 25, of Ventura, Calif., injured the knee while surfing on the north shore of Oahu in December, prior to the Billabong Pipeline Masters, said his agent Blair Marlin. While riding a fish at Pupukea, the backwash from a wave tweaked the knee, which immediately swelled up.
Reynolds treated it with ice and rest in the days before the contest at Pipeline, where he wound up finishing third. Still, the injury continued to nag him.
An MRI Thursday revealed no ligament tears. On Monday Reynolds will undergo arthroscopic surgery to determine the extent of the damage, and make repairs, if necessary. Recovery is expected to sideline him up to six weeks.
"I'm pretty sure he won't be surfing in the Gold Coast event," Marlin said about the Quiksilver Pro on Australia's Gold Coast, the season's inaugural event. The waiting period begins Feb. 26.
If unable to compete, Reynolds will not make the trip to Australia.
"More than anything, he's relieved," Marlin said about the prognosis. "He thought he had a complete ACL tear. He was preparing himself for one of those four to six month things. He'll deal with this one a lot better."
Reynolds, who is expected to return to competition by March, finished in a tie for fourth place during the 2010 World Tour, his highest career ranking.