lucia griggi
Ben Mondy caught up with Mick Fanning the day after his win at the Quiksilver Pro
far – ten grand at Huntington, and then 145 in the last ten days at Trestles and here in France. So yeah, it’s going alright! In this situation, does it help that you’ve won a world title before? Well, I guess you know you can do it, which is one thing. I reckon I’m in a good position. I’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. If you start to think about the race and the world title, you start tightening up and don’t surf as well. And the other thing is that I know how to react to all the bullshit – all the people saying, ‘Yeah, you’re gonna win it!’ ‘cos I know it’s not going to happen unless I put in the hard work. But I’ve got the confidence in myself to know I can get there, and I know I’ve got to just keep doing what I’ve been doing and keep enjoying myself.
CARVE: So mate, it’s been a big couple of weeks... Mick Fanning: Yeah, well, after J-Bay I knew I really had to put it all on the line if I was to have any chance of winning [the world title]. The thing is, up until now I haven’t even been that focused on the title, I’ve just been having fun and doing my own thing, just surfing the way I wanted to surf. Trying to mix it up. You know, do an air and then a tailslide...just try make my surfing more exciting. And what about the board you rode here in Hossegor – I’ve got nothing to was it the same one you rode lose and everything to gain. I’m at Trestles? not the one protecting a lead Yep, it’s the same board. and I’m just getting on a roll at A 5’11” DHD. I actually had the right time.” it made for [the US Open at] Huntington – I rode it there and Okay, final question. Getting back to it went insane, until the waves got bigger. the world title race, what if it all comes It’s weird...I mean it’s everything I would down to Pipe? never ride. It’s 5’11”, and never thought I’d Well, it looks like it’s going to come ride a 5’11” in a World Tour event. It has down to Pipe, unless something pretty FCS fins, and I haven’t ridden a board with weird happens. But, you know, that’s every those in 12 years. So it’s totally different. kid’s dream – if you’re going for a world But, you know, it’s working. The board is title, you want it to be at Pipeline. On the just magic. It’s just one of those things...it other hand, I’m trying not to think that far feels so connected. ahead - I’m thinking about having fun this It must be the board that’s racked up week and cruising France with my wife, and the most amount of coin in the shortest then I’ll switch back come Mundaka and period of time... Portugal, and Pipe will have to wait. Well, yeah, it’s earned 155 grand so
“I reckon I’m in a good position.
will bailey
Taj Burrow surfed amazingly in Europe, but again went down too early.
carve surfing magazine 43