Mick Fanning

Last updated

Mick Fanning
AO
Mick Fanning.jpg
Born
Michael Eugene Fanning

(1981-06-13) 13 June 1981 (age 43)
Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
Personal information
NicknameWhite Lightning
Residence Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight165 lb (75 kg)
Surfing career
Years active2002–2018
Best yearASP World Champion – 2007, 2009, 2013
Career earnings$2,796,120
Sponsors Rip Curl, Reef Footwear, Creatures of Leisure Accessories, Dragon Eyewear, Red Bull Zen Nutrition, Skullcandy, Audi, FCS traction and fins
Major achievements
Surfing specifications
StanceNatural (regular foot)
Shaper(s)Darren Handley and Wade Tokoro
Quiver5'11" x 18 5/8" x 2 1/4"
Favourite wavesAny pointbreak
Favourite maneuversHacks and tubes
Website www.mickfanning.com

Michael Eugene Fanning AO (born 13 June 1981) is an Australian professional surfer who was crowned champion of the Association of Surfing Professionals/World Surf League (ASP/WSL)'s World Tour in 2007, 2009 and 2013. In 2015, he survived a shark attack by what is suspected to be a great white shark during the J-Bay Open finals in Jeffreys Bay.

Contents

Early years

Fanning was born on 13 June 1981 in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia, [1] [2] to Irish parents. [3] He learned to surf from the age of three at Brown Bay near Mount Gambier, but did not focus on surfing until his family moved to Tweed Heads, New South Wales, when he was twelve. He grew up with fellow professional surfer, Joel Parkinson, in the Gold Coast/Northern Rivers region and attended Palm Beach Currumbin State High School together. On the Queensland border, Fanning had access to surf north and south and he began to make a name for himself. In 1996 he established himself as one of the best surfers on the Queensland points by placing in the top three at the Australian National Titles. In 1998, his brother Sean died in a car accident along with fellow surfer Joel Green. [4]

Professional career

Fanning received a wild card entry at the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach in 2001, winning one of Australia's leading contests. He finished 2002 as Rookie of the Year, winning the Billabong Pro at Jeffrey's Bay and earning himself a place on the 2002 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour as World Qualifying Series (WQS) Champion.

Fanning suffered a hamstring tear in 2004. It was surgically repaired and he made a comeback to become one of the leading surfers on the ASP world tour. [4]

The year 2007 marked Fanning's sixth year on the ASP World Tour since 2002 and his ninth year on the ASP WQS since 1998. He began his 2007 World Title campaign (WCT) with a victory at the Quiksilver Pro, the first event on the 2007 ASP World Tour, putting himself on top of the ratings. He won the Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil on 6 November 2007 placing above Taj Burrow and Kelly Slater thereby clinching the 2007 ASP world title. [2] In 2008 he suffered a mid-season groin injury. He slipped to eighth position on the end of year ratings. In 2009, Fanning reclaimed the ASP World Champion crown at the Pipeline reef break on Oahu's North Shore. Although Fanning was eliminated by fellow Australian Dean Morrison in Round 4, his points lead from winning three of the last four events was enough to secure victory. In 2013 he had a victory in Round five, and made the quarter-finals at the Billabong Pipeline Masters. [5]

On 3 December 2015, Fanning claimed his first World Qualification Series (WQS) victory in Hawaiian surf by winning the 2015 Vans World Cup at Sunset Beach, Oahu. [6]

Shark attack

On 19 July 2015, Fanning was attacked by a shark two minutes into the J-Bay Open 2015 finals at Jeffreys Bay, South Africa. Fanning was in the water with Julian Wilson during the final when what was suspected to be a great white shark swam next to him and became entangled in his surfboard leash. Fanning punched the shark and tried to wedge his board between the shark and his body. [7] The shark eventually bit off Fanning's leash and Fanning started his attempt to flee back to shore. [7] Wilson paddled towards Fanning to assist him and was praised for his action and hailed as a hero. [8] Much of the early coverage characterized the encounter as a "shark attack." Based on analysis of the video and the fact that Fanning was not bitten, some marine biologists believe the shark had no intention of biting him. [9] However, as there was physical contact between the shark and his board and the shark cut the leash, the International Shark Attack File has classified the encounter as a shark attack. [10] [11]

A response team quickly rescued him from any further danger by scaring the shark away with a boat and picking up both Fanning and Wilson, who was still in the water nearby. Both surfers escaped unharmed and were given a shared victory, splitting the prize-money. Following the ordeal, Wilson gave a tear-filled interview. When he was asked, "You guys are locked in a title battle right now, and to put things into perspective does that mean anything to you at this point in time?", Wilson replied "No, not at all, I'm just happy he's alive." [12] The event was cancelled. [13]

The next day, Fanning returned to Australia. He wondered why the shark did not bite him and told reporters: "I'm just lucky it wasn't my time." [7] The story received international news coverage. [7] Fanning returned to the water to surf again less than a week later, dedicating it to his late brother, and also surfed Ship Stern Bluff on 27 August, [14] a break notorious for great white sharks. Fanning later competed in the Billabong Pro Teahupoo, which took place in August 2015 in Tahiti. Fanning would go on to take a victory at the Hurley Pro at Trestles Beach and finish the year second in the ratings. [15]

Personal life

Fanning was married for eight years to entrepreneur Karissa Dalton. [16] On 31 January 2016, he announced that they were divorcing. [17]

Fanning was co-owner of Balter Brewing Company with Joel Parkinson, Josh Kerr and Bede Durbidge until its sale to Carlton & United Breweries in 2019. [18] [19] In 2019, Fanning invested in Australian dog food company Scratch. [20] Fanning is a supporter of the National Rugby League club Penrith Panthers. [21] [22]

Honours

In 2017 Fanning was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to surfing as a professional competitor at the national and international level, and as a supporter of a range of charitable foundations. [23] In 2024, he was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. [24]

Career victories

WSL World Tour wins
YearEventVenueCountry
2016 J-Bay Open Jeffreys Bay Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
2015 Hurley Pro at Trestles Trestles Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2015 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Bells Beach Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
2014 Moche Rip Curl Pro Portugal Supertubos Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
2014 J-Bay Open Jeffreys Bay Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
2014 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Bells Beach Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
2013 Quiksilver Pro France Hossegor Flag of France.svg  France
2012 Billabong Pro Teahupoo Teahupoo, Tahiti Flag of French Polynesia.svg  French Polynesia
2012 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Bells Beach Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
2010 Quiksilver Pro France Hossegor Flag of France.svg  France
2009 Hurley Pro at Trestles [25] Trestles Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2009 Rip Curl Pro Search [26] Peniche Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
2009 Quiksilver Pro France [25] Hossegor Flag of France.svg  France
2007 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast Gold Coast Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
2007 Quiksilver Pro France Hossegor Flag of France.svg  France
2007 Hang Loose Pro Santa Catarina Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil
2006 Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Jeffreys Bay Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
2006 Nova Schin Festival Imbituba Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil
2005 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast Gold Coast Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
2005 Rip Curl Pro Search Saint Leu, Reunion Island Flag of France.svg  France
2002 Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Jeffreys Bay Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
2001 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Bells Beach Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Slater</span> American surfer (born 1972)

Robert Kelly Slater is an American professional surfer, best known for being crowned World Surf League champion a record 11 times. Slater is widely regarded as the greatest professional surfer of all time, and holds 56 Championship Tour victories. He won the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year four-times. Slater is also the oldest surfer still active on the World Surf League, winning his 8th Billabong Pipeline Masters title at age 49.

Philip Andrew Irons was an American professional surfer. Irons began surfing with his brother Bruce on the shallow and dangerous waves of Kauai, Hawaii, before being spotted by a local surfboard brand and flown to North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii, to compete and develop his skill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunny Garcia</span> American surfer (born 1970)

Vincent Sennen "Sunny" Garcia is an American professional surfer from Waianae, Hawaii. After leaving school he debuted on the 1986 Gotcha Pro at Sandy Beach, Oahu, beating the 1984 champ Tom Carroll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sofía Mulánovich</span> Peruvian surfer (born 1983)

Sofía Mulánovich Aljovín is a Peruvian surfer. She is a 3-time World Surfing Champion, 1 WSL and 2 ISA world championships,. She is the first Peruvian surfer ever to win a World Surf League World Championship Tour event and the first Latin American woman ever to win the World Title, which she did in 2004 In 2004, she won three out of the six World Championship Tour events, and finished the season as Absolute World Champion. Sofia is the only one Latin-American surfer to win 2 ISA World Championships. Sofia won the ISA Championships, 2004 in Salinas-Ecuador and 2019 in Miyazaki-Japan. Her main sponsor is Roxy.

Patrick Shane Dorian, or "Shane", is an American surfer from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. He spent 11 years touring on the World Championship Tour as a professional surfer. Dorian quit competition surfing in 2003 to focus on big waves. He is currently a big wave surfer and one of the best in the world at big wave riding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keala Kennelly</span> American surfer and actor

Keala Kennelly is a professional surfer, DJ, and actress from Kauai, Hawaii. After spending a decade ranked in the top 10 on the ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), Kennelly took a break from the tour in 2007 to explore her passions for acting and music, including a recurring role as a surfer in the 2007 series John from Cincinnati. She continues to DJ and compete as a big wave surfer.

Rochelle Ballard is an American professional surfer and a veteran of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship Tour. She co-founded International Women's Surfing (IWS) and has appeared in several movies and television shows, including, Blue Crush,Step Into Liquid, and Beyond the Break.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taj Burrow</span> Australian retired professional surfer

Taj Burrow is an Australian retired professional surfer. Taj retired from the WSL World Tour in June 2016 where he left a legacy of power and impressive surfing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joel Parkinson</span> Australian surfer (born 1981)

Joel Parkinson is an Australian surfer who used to compete on the WSL. After twelve years competing at the elite level on the ASP World Championship Tour, a stretch that saw him win eleven elite ASP World Title Events, plus nine additional ASP tour events, and achieve runner-up second place to the ASP World Title four times, Parkinson won the ASP World Championship Tour Surfing Title on 14 December 2012 in Hawaii at the Banzai Pipeline during the ASP World Tours' final event for 2012–the Billabong Pipeline Masters. Parkinson hung on in a back and forth battle with eleven-time ASP World Title holder, Kelly Slater, to get his first World Title, as well as go on to win the Pipeline Masters, only after Slater lost his semi-final heat to Josh Kerr, of Queensland, Australia. Parkinson beat Kerr in the finals of the event, which was his seventh top-five placing for the year, and his first event title win for 2012. Parkinson left the World Tour and left a legacy of a beautiful and powerful surfing.

Jordan Michael "Jordy" Smith is a South African professional surfer, competing on the World championship tour surfing (WCT). In 2007 Smith won surfing's World Qualifying Series, the second-tier tour which leads to qualification for the World championship tour (WCT) surfing.

Stephanie Louise Gilmore is an Australian professional surfer and eight-time world champion on the Women's WSL World Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bede Durbidge</span> Australian surfer

Bede Durbidge is an Australian professional surfer competing on the World Surf League World Tour. Durbo, Bej and The White Fijian are his nicknames.

Nathan "The Hog" Hedge is a professional surfer raised on the Northern Sydney beach of Narrabeen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carissa Moore</span> American surfer (born 1992)

Carissa Kainani Moore is an American surfer. She was the first-ever winner of the Olympic gold medal in women's shortboard surfing at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She is also a five-time world champion, winning in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2021 on the World Surf League WSL Women's World Tour. Moore was the first surfer in history to win a WSL world title and the Olympic title in the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sally Fitzgibbons</span> Australian surfer (born 1990)

Sally Fitzgibbons is an Australian professional surfer on the Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour (2009–2013). In June 2019, she was ranked No. 1 in the world for women's surfing after winning the Rio Pro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julian Wilson (surfer)</span> Australian surfer

Julian Wilson is an Australian professional surfer who competes on the World Surf League Men's World Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adriano de Souza</span> Brazilian surfer

Adriano "Mineirinho" de Souza is a Brazilian professional surfer and also the 2015 WSL World Champion. He has been competing on the World Surf League Men's World Tour since 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coco Ho</span> American surfer

Coco Malia Camille Hapaikekoa Ho is a professional Hawaiian surfer born in Honolulu, Hawaii. She began surfing at 7 years old, following in the footsteps of her family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabriel Medina</span> Brazilian professional surfer (born 1993)

Gabriel Medina Pinto Ferreira is a Brazilian professional surfer. He won the 2014, 2018 and 2021 WSL World Championships. In two appearances at the Olympic surfing tournament, Medina won a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympic Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jadson André</span> Brazilian surfer

Jadson André is a Brazilian professional surfer.

References

  1. ↑ "World Surf League". 2015. Archived from the original on 28 November 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Red Bull Surfing". Surf magazine. 21 July 2015. Archived from the original on 22 August 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  3. ↑ "Interview with Mick Fanning". Tonnta: The Irish Surf Magazine (28). 2008.
  4. 1 2 Fanning, Mick; Naker, Tim (2009). Surf For Your Life. Random House Australia. ISBN   978-1-74166-927-5.
  5. ↑ Wardrop, Murray (13 December 2009). "Mick Fanning crowned ASP World Champion in perfect surf at Pipeline". The Daily Telegraph . London. ISSN   0307-1235. OCLC   49632006 . Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  6. ↑ "World Surf League". worldsurfleague.com. World Surf League. 3 December 2015. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Mick Fanning speaks of 'miracle' survival after arriving back in Sydney following shark attack". ABC. 21 July 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  8. ↑ Ting, Inga (20 July 2015). "Surfer Julian Wilson hailed as hero after shark attacks Mick Fanning". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  9. ↑ Beauchamp, Zack (22 July 2015). "That viral shark attack video is everything we get wrong about sharks" . Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  10. ↑ Pruett, Matt. "DECONSTRUCTION OF A SHARK ATTACK". Surfline. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  11. ↑ Haro, Alexander (24 July 2015). "Mick Fanning Was Definitely Attacked by a Shark". the inertia. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  12. ↑ Hoffman, Bill; Moffat, Nicky (20 July 2015). "He 'never paddled so fast in his life' says Wilson's mum". Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  13. ↑ Grinberg, Emanuella; Cotovio, Vasco (19 June 2015). "Competition canceled after surfer Mick Fanning escapes shark attack". CNN. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  14. ↑ "Mick Fanning tackles a new type of monster at Shipstern Bluff". 9 News. 27 August 2015.
  15. ↑ "Mick Fanning's surfboard shaper says the shark attack won't keep him out of the water". Perth Now. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  16. ↑ MacDonald, Andrew (17 March 2008). "Media wiped out as world champ weds". The Gold Coast Bulletin. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  17. ↑ "Surfer Mick Fanning permanently splits from wife Karissa Dalton - ABC News". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . February 2016.
  18. ↑ Dalton, Trent (30 April 2016). "Balter brewery: Mick Fanning and his mates making beer". The Weekend Australian. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  19. ↑ "Balter announces sale to CUB". BrewsNews. 4 December 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  20. ↑ "Mick Fanning Invests". Scratch. 2 January 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2020. The health of dogs is just as important as my health, but it hadn't been easy to find a business who made decisions that way
  21. ↑ A Childhood In Sydneys West Helped Shape Australias Triple World Surfing Champion Mick Fanning The Courier Mail[ dead link ]
  22. ↑ Mick Fanning Called In To Fire Up Panthers The Daily Telegraph[ dead link ]
  23. ↑ "Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia" (PDF). Australia Day 2017 Honours List. Governor-General of Australia. 26 January 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 November 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  24. ↑ "Sport Australia Hall of Fame announces eight new Inductees for 2024 | Sport Australia Hall of Fame". 24 October 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  25. 1 2 "Fanning wins ASP surf tourney in France". United Press International. 27 September 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  26. ↑ "Fanning Wins Rip Curl Pro Search". CNN Sports Illustrated. TransWorld Surfing. 28 October 2009. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
Achievements
Preceded by Association of Surfing Professionals World Champion (men's)
2013 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Association of Surfing Professionals World Champion (men's)
2009 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Association of Surfing Professionals World Champion (men's)
2007 		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.