Retirement plans let slip after Hawaii victory
ONE of Mick Fanning’s Rip Curl teammates revealed the three-time world champion’s retirement plans in December.
US surfer Conner Coffin let slip that Fanning planned to retire this year after beating him in the Billabong Pipe Masters in Hawaii.
“(Fanning) made me feel bad like, ‘this is the last time I’ll ever surf out here’,” Coffin told the WSL at the time.
“It meant a lot to me and probably not as much to him, but congrats to Mick on such an amazing career, and for being a really good role model for kids like me growing up.”
Fanning was quick to downplay Coffin’s comments.
“I don’t know yet, I’m going to go home and sit and think about the year and what I want to do,” Fanning said.
Fanning said he wanted to focus on his long-time friends and fellow Gold Coasters Bede Durbidge and Josh Kerr who retired at the event year.
“I’m not really too fussed or The Gold Coast is a haven for sporting greatness. Grant Hackett, Adam Scott, Mick Doohan ...
But Fanning, for his three world crowns, longevity and triumphs over personal adversity, deserves serious billing.
BULLETIN VIEW P18 not really thinking about it too much just yet, it’s a special day with Bede and Josh Kerr as it’s their last event so it’s not really about me,” Fanning said.
Just last month Fanning told Surfer Magazine he enjoyed working on a book of photography with friend Corey Wilson and wasn’t as focused on competition.
“For me, working on something like this was good because I got to do something new,” Fanning said of the project.
“My goalposts kind of changed recently – growing up I was never into shooting photos or videos because it was all about getting (competition) results.”