Approaching his 17th year on the World Championship Tour, surfing champion Mick Fanning says he has lost the drive to compete on a day-to-day basis and has announced his intention to retire after the first two events of the upcoming 2018 season.
Fittingly, the 36-year-old will bring down the curtain on an illustrious career – during which he won three world titles and 22 individual events – at Bells Beach, where he won his first Champions Tour title as a wildcard in 2001.
That victory set the Australian on a path to glory at the elite level and three world titles followed in 2007, 2009 and 2013.
He famously encountered two sharks in three years at the J-Bay Open – fighting off a great white in 2015 and being plucked from the water in 2017. However, he said in 2017 that the shark encounters would have nothing to do with his decision to retire.
“I feel like I’ve just lost the drive to compete day-in day-out now,” Fanning said on Wednesday. “It’s been something I’ve been doing for 17 years, and even before that through QS and juniors, and I feel that I just can’t give it 100% anymore.
“I’m just not enjoying it as much as I was in the past. I still love surfing, and I’m still super excited by it, but I feel that’s there’s other paths for me to take at this stage in my life.
“As for choosing to retire at Bells, I’ve always had in mind that my last event on Tour was going to be Bells. That’s basically where I started my career, it was my first ever CT [Champions Tour] win, and I feel really connected down there.”
Another career highlight came in 2017 when he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for services to surfing, but it has not always been plain sailing for Fanning, who has had to twice overcome personal tragedy after the loss of two of his brothers – Sean died in a car accident in 1998 and Peter passed away in his sleep in 2015.
He also had to battle back from a career-threatening injury in 2004, when he tore his hamstring off the bone and had to sit out several months.
“After so many years on tour, it’s been so fun,” Fanning said. “It’s been a rollercoaster for sure, you have your peaks and valleys, but you know, when I look back on my time on tour it’s amazing memories – from building myself up to compete, to heat wins and event wins, celebrating with friends and just seeing places I never thought I’d even get to.”
