Who wants to be a multi-millionaire?

If you could get into a time capsule, shoot back to 2001 and tell those around you that in the future Mick Eugene Fanning would someday staggeringly wealthy, “one of the most successful post-retirement business athletes in Australia,” and an inspiration to business people everywhere what do you think they would say?

But here we are in 2022 and it is true.

A just-released News Corp feature estimates Fanning’s fortune to be somewhere north of $20 million. “The 41-year-old,” the piece goes, “has revealed details of his surprising wealth in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, where the 41-year-old opens up about the savvy decisions that have turned him into a business genius. The three-time world champion in April made a shock cameo return to professional swimming when he competed in the Bells Beach Classic — but he has had more important things bubbling away well outside his surfing career.”

Besides professional swimming, those things include flipping Balter Beer to Carlton Brewing for somewhere between $150 to $200 million, netting him $4 million, re-flipping that into real-estate and “undisclosed projects” and doubling down on FS8 fitness chain.

He is also alleged to have “business interests in a number of local restaurants and venues” on Australia’s Gold Coast.

$20 million smacks.

If you had those sorts of resources what would you do first?

I would go the the travel agent, purchase an airplane ticket and leave Australia’s Gold Coast.

Excess, scandal, athletic achievement.

Is there anything Jonah Hill can’t do? The one-time funny sidekick, good for bawdy laughs, has transformed into a leading man, able to carry films as diverse as Sausage Party to Don’t Look Up. More importantly for us, though, the 38-year-old Capricorn has become the face of modern surfing.

Bleach blonde hair, fine longer board, kitted Mercedes Sprinter, surf instructor ex-girlfriend, oceanfront Malibu estate.

A man of the people and so it should come as no surprise that our body positive hero has just been announced as playing John Daly in an upcoming, yet to be named, biopic.

Per CBS Sports:

Daly is known as the “bad boy of golf,” and he is a controversial figure in the sports world. According to Above The Line, the film will cover “the excesses, scandals, and athletic achievements” of Daly throughout his career.

Hill has shown versatility throughout his acting career, doing everything from comedies to dramas. Hill has earned Academy Award nominations for supporting roles in The Wolf of Wall Street and Moneyball. Most recently, Hill played a role in 2021’s Don’t Look Up.

The movie will be directed by Anthony Maras, who directed 2018’s Hotel Mumbai.

But do you golf?

A handful of years ago, the world’s greatest surfer Kelly Slater became interested in the game and seemed to infect all of surfing. Many outings to the links, much putting. Photos of Benji Weatherly, Shane Dorian, Rob Machado hitting off tees etc. I’ve wondered for years why Slater hasn’t become semi-professional, there, on the masters’ circuit but I also wonder many things that carry little value or importance.

I, personally, think golf is the poor man’s polo.

Can’t be bothered.

Bravo.

Those brave men and women who shoot images of our surfing from watery angles have always impressed me most. But who, amongst us, hasn’t been influenced by their work from the earliest ages? The intimacy, the closeness that only brave man, or woman, bobbing in the brine, sometimes extremely heavy, with heavy camera and fins can bring.

It takes guts. Guts and an eye for art and a knowledge of surf and strong legs and strong arms and a stout heart.

Daniel Russo, Jimmy “Cane” Wilson, Brent and Brian Bielmann, Peter Taras, Damea Dorsey, Ben Thouard, but to name a very few, have made their mark in the space with Thouard just winning the coveted Ocean Photographer of the Year award.

The Frenchman’s intoxicating picture of surfer getting pounded at Teahupo’o beat out a colorful squid, sea otter in school of fish, even more colorful squid, sea snake all tied up in knots, sea turtle being chill and silly crab.

A worthy honor.

Examine all of the photographs here but most examine Thouard’s. Who do you think the surfer is? The only certainty is who it is not.

Philip Toledo.