Few know what it’s like to survive a shark attack, but Mick Fanning lived through it last year at Jefferys Bay. That’s why it’s all the more amazing that he was not only able to make the final this year (against 2 John Florence), but able to put all those thoughts of being hit by a shark behind him and focus on the task at hand. We don’t think we’ve ever seen anything more gnarly.
“It’s definitely a very different feeling this win,” said Fanning. “There was a real emotional build up coming back here this year. That Semifinal with Julian was really special and it was wonderful to have a heat with him again. Definitely some emotions went into it paddling out and it was just really special having a surf with him out there and both of us come in safe. I’m stoked that I got to come back and right the wrongs that happened last year. I’ve done that now so I can move on.”
We can say this — we’ve never, ever been more stoked for the three-time world champ than we were today. For the official word from the entertainment business that produced the stage that allowed Mick Fanning to perform, please follow the jump.
Have to admit — when we saw Mick Fanning make that great escape last July, this is exactly how we felt about Mick’s man-handling of the situation. Apparently, Mick’s mum doesn’t agree.
It was every surfer’s biggest nightmare and over the past 12 hours it has become the leading news of the day. During the final of the J-Bay Open today (July 19, 2015) between Julian Wilson and Mick Fanning a shark swam over and tried to take a nip our of defending champion and three-time world champ Fanning.
“I was just cruising and waiting for my turn, my opportunity and I knew Julian (Wilson) was down the point,” Fanning said. “I was just about to get moving and start paddling again and all of a sudden I had this instinct that something was behind me. I started getting pulled underwater and then the thing came up and I was on my board and it was right there. I saw the whole thing thrashing around but I was getting dragged under by my leg rope. I felt like it kicked me off but it was still there going and I was still attached to my board. I felt like I punched it a couple of times and then it was dragging me and then my leg rope broke.”
Fanning tried to yell to Julian Wilson for him to get out of the water, but Wilson was already on his way to help Fanning.
“Mick (Fanning) was kind of out in no man’s land so I was really watching him and had my eyes on him,” said Wilson. “Mick (Fanning) was looking down the point and I saw the whole thing pop up behind him. It came up and he was wrestling it. I saw him get knocked off his board and then a wave popped up and I thought, ‘he’s gone’. I felt like I couldn’t get there quick enough. The results don’t mean anything to me, I’m just happy he’s alive. I literally thought when I was paddling for him that I wasn’t going to get there in time, especially when I saw him off his board and swimming away. I thought it was going to grab him and take him under. I’m so happy we’re both on the beach right now, I was so worried about Mick’s life.”
Both surfers were immediately removed from the water by contest water patrol and neither had a scratch on them. The contest was halted and Fanning and Wilson were given equal second place finishes and split the prize money.
We are so unbelievably overjoyed that it turned out the way it did and will be forever inspired by Julian Wilson’s heroic act. For the official word (and complete results) please follow the jump.
It took the mind and body of a warrior and several last minute heat-saving waves, but Mick Fanning marched on through to claim his third ASP World Title on Saturday December 14, 2013 by making it to the semi-finals over Yadin Nicol in the quarter finals of the Billabong Pipe Masters In Memory of Andy Irons.
“The world title is something that takes a whole year, but sometimes it can feel like it boils down to the final day and the final heats,” Fanning said. “I’m sure I gave my wife Karissa and my mum enough stress today to last a lifetime. I was never worried myself now that I think of it. I knew what I needed to do and if the opportunity came, I knew I could do it. That opportunity came in both heats today. It’s an incredible feeling. I’ve been having fun all year and to clinch on a day like this at Pipeline makes it that much more special.”
When asked how he felt about winning his third world title and the hunt for Kelly Slater’s 11 title record, Fanning shrugged, laughed and said, “I don’t know. I was happy with one.” For the official word from the ASP follow the jump. [click to continue…]
When Mick Fanning mentioned (on Twitter) that he thought a new cruise ship terminal on the Goldie would cause “mass impact to the marine life, waves and lifestyle on the Gold Coast” mayor Tom Tate said he would “listen to the people that matter,” according to a story on Goldcoast.com.au.
But obviously, Mayor Tom didn’t know he was messing with the whole tribe.
Gold Coast surfing champions Mark Richardson and Andrew McKinnon have lashed out. . . Mr Richardson, a former Australian champion, scoffed at Cr Tate’s claims that he would find other high-profile surfers to back plans for a Gold Coast terminal. . . “I don’t think you’ll find any surfers that will be on Tom Tate’s side about that,” he said. . . “Every surfer will be standing behind Mick Fanning, you can pretty much guarantee that. I can’t believe those comments. It’s absolutely ludicrous.” . . . Mr Richardson said his brother-in-law and fellow champion surfer Joel Parkinson would back Fanning. . . “We think it’s a joke. Mr Tate is underestimating surfers’ value.”
Looks like this discussion is going to be rolling on for a while.
This is part one of a four-part Dragon’s new webisode series called Frame Of Mind: The B-Sides of Life. In this one show pony Mick Fanning pines on about how great it is to go free surfing away from the ASP tour circus. Fancy that. . . a guy who just wants a little time off from his job surfing the best waves on the planet. [click to continue…]
It’s been 11 years since he’d last done it, but Mick Fanning put down three solid waves to win the 2012 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach over Kelly Slater. Slater got the first heat wave, pulled into a barrel but didn’t come out. Fanning answered back with a 9.1 and an 8.6 putting Slater into a combo situation.
Slater fumbled around for a while, seemingly falling off every wave he caught, until finally pulling out one of the biggest air reverses in ASP history. That one air scored a 10 and put Slater back on track. But then Fanning busted out a massive 9.7. Slater was stuck for the rest of the 40 minute final hunting an 8.8. The best he could do was a pair of 8.07s (one of which he felt was horribly underscored).
“I was moving around trying to get active,” Slater said. “I was just trying to find my feet. I knew Mick was going to be patient. Mick put his serious face on and won’t talk to me in the water so I threw a little rotator at him. It was always going to be a struggle with those waves out there. Long waits between walls.”
When the horn sounded Fanning was ahead 18.8 to 18.07. “I made one final and Kelly won it. I made another final and Joel won it, so it feels pretty good to get them both back today,” Fanning said from the stage. “It’s bells anything can happen. Its one of the hardest waves to win on in the world. . . One of the most special things was sitting out there when everyone was cheering for Michael to look back and see the beach brought a tear to my eye.”
So Fanning wins, Slater takes the ASP World Tour ratings lead and the women still have to run their quarters, semi’s and finals. Follow the jump for complete results and the official word from the ASP. [click to continue…]
Mick Fanning dominated the heaving Culs Nus barrels like a man to claim his second Quiksilver Pro France win today (October 2, 2010) while finalist Kelly Slater took some savage beatings (click the image above to watch the final). We slept through the entire day’s event and will be forced to catch all the heats on demand via the Quiksilver Live iPhone app.
“That was difficult,” Fanning said. “Kelly (Slater) and I were talking out there about how we were trying to get in the spot. There was just a lot of water moving and it was super challenging. I got absolutely hammered by that set – copped the whole thing on the head and it killed me. You were either in the spot or you weren’t, and I was fortunate enough to be there for a couple.” . . . “This one feels pretty good,” Fanning said. “Last year, the waves weren’t really pumping. This year, it almost didn’t feel like a surf contest, but rather a bunch of guys getting barrelled off their heads for a few days.”
This win moves Fanning into third place in the ASP rankings and helped Slater increase his lead over Jordy Smith by 7,250 points. Follow the jump for all the details. [click to continue…]
Hey, look: Mick Fanning won the Rip Curl Pro Search. It is his third win this season. Is he unstoppable in this title race? If only Owen Wright hadn’t wrecked his ear drum then we’d might have a little better answer.
“Yesterday was one of the best days of competition I’ve ever seen and we all showed up today and had to adjust our frame of mind to deal with the drop in size and quality,” Fanning said. “I’ve been surfing conditions like this all summer at home so I knew what I had to do out there. I was able to pick off a couple of good scores at the start and then I basically had to sit on Bede (Durbidge) so he didn’t get any back on me.”
Few have done more with less than Mick Fanning as he destroyed small, mixed up surf early in his final heat against a combo’d Bede Durbidge in the Quiksilver Pro France in Seignosse.
“I was really fortunate to get those couple of good ones at the start because I really ran out of gas there at the end,” Fanning said. “It’s two back-to-back events where I have had to surf four heats on the final day to get the win and it takes a lot out of you. The conditions were deteriorating and I was fortunate to get those scores on the board early on.”
For the rest of the ASP press release and all the results follow the jump. [click to continue…]
