Mick Eugene Fanning clinched his maiden World Title at the recent Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil and brings it back home to Australia for the first time in eight years. He dedicated his win to his brother Sean who passed away in a car accident when they were teenagers.
I am stoked that all the hard work and dedication Mick has shown throughout the season has paid off for him. According to Pete Thomas of the LA Times, Fanning described having a dolphin out there just chilling in every heat he was in and said that it made him think that his brother, also an accomplished surfer, was not gone after all.
Both Slater and Taj were eliminated in early rounds and it will be interesting to see what this means for Slater. Will he retire as the rumors go?
Another big Aussie win was seeing Slater go down by the skegs of Rookie Kai Otton. Getting props from AI at the Arica, Chile event and now taking out Slater. What’s next for this young upstart?
It is a big win for Australia and a massive accomplishment for Mick. He maintained his Pole Position since March and really earned this one. Hope this is just the beginning for the guy.