For the year! But maybe longer?
Last year was an exceptional one for Mick Fanning by every measure. What were some of your favorite memories? Remember the shark at J-Bay? The fight Derek and I got into about what is appropriate to post? His coming within a hair’s breadth of winning a fourth world title?
Is it any surprise that the man needs a year to himself? He announced today that he will only compete in select events and that’s all. Let’s read the WSL press release:
“Last year was definitely intense – what happened at J-Bay, being in a title race and the unfortunate passing of my brother,” Fanning said. “There was so much build up with everything happening. I got to a point at the end of the year where I felt empty. I didn’t feel like I had much to give back.”
“This year, I’m going to take some time off and have a bit of a personal year,” Fanning continued. “Just to regroup and re-stoke the fire. At this stage, I’m going to compete at Snapper and I’m going to compete at Bells and then I’m going to take some time off from there. They (Snapper and Bells) are two events that I love and I’d go crazy if I were sitting at home and couldn’t go surf Snapper. Bells is like a second home as well. From then on, I feel like I have to take some time away from the tour to get out of that sort of zone to see where my head is at.”
He will certainly be missed and will also turn 35 in June.
Do you think he will come back or do you think this is it?
Will he very respectfully bow out near his prime and spend those salad years surfing perfect waves whenever and wherever he wants?
*I know “just in” four hours after everyone else. Sorry!
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I saw Mick at the casino bar on students’ night, what a cheap cunt
He’s just doing a Kelly and covering his ass in case modern forecasting says the waves at a venue will be shit and he doesn’t want to go. Summary: He has an out for Brazil.
Yeah, with the WSL no-show fines, he saved some serious $$$ with that announcement and can still go if waves are good.
Me myself and Eugene
Yeah!!! Brazil’s #3 in a row will be easy easy easy.
Goddamn Mick’s surfing bores the fuck out of me, I feel for the guy. Attacked by a shark, got divorced and lost a brother? Mick deserves to take it easy.
Divorce takes its toll. Maybe too much to try to reconcile AND do the tour…
Correct me if I’m not reading into this correctly, but he will be at
Snapper, Bells, Fiji, J-Bay, Chopes, and Pipe. I was going to list
Portugal due to sponsor obligations but opted not to considering their
relationship. Mick could easily requalify with those six events.
You are not reading this correctly…
doing The Kelly is pretty lame
hey everybody, check out the livestream from Newcastle where you can see why Kanoa is on tour next year and Dane isn’t
and see some terrible ads
yeeew!
With Mick’s absence who does this really open the door for?
usually highest rated guy on the QS from prior year that’s not already in the event, sure they’ll treat it same as an injury replacement, there won’t be an extra wild card up for grabs. looks like Stu Kennedy, then Dusty!
Hells yeah for Stuey Kennedy gettin’ the nod into a few.
assuming he has any backing. sure he could afford the Oz events but that would only be Margaret’s
Lowers is a gimme with or without support…too easy to get into LAX.
Yes, but with him being so dominant heat by heat their should be a vacuum of sorts. Im kinda hoping Italo steps up and pushes these guys.
historically it just means someone new gets really tough heat draws in Rd 3, but I like Stu and Dusty’s chances better than Kanoa and Callinan’s