ALL WRIGHT
As he bows out of his last Quiky Pro, Mick Fanning says he's
THERE will be no fairytale finish for Mick Fanning at the Quiksilver Pro.
But it seems fitting the man he took under his wing as a 14-year-old rookie is in the box seat to defend his title to kickstart his push for a maiden world title.
Fanning was eliminated in Round 4 of the contest at his home break of Snapper Rocks yesterday after Owen Wright and Brazilian newcomer Tomas Hermes beat him into third place to end his World Surf League career at his home break.
Fanning said he had long ceased being motivated by heat wins.
“(The drive for) winning events just disappeared a few years ago actually,” he said. “It’s more about trying to put on a good performance and knowing that you’ve surfed well.
“Heat wins are one thing but they’re not everything anymore.”
That’s the drive for other men now.
Wright snatched a fairytale win last year in his comeback from serious injury but this time around, things are different.
Now fully fit and comfortable, Wright is chasing a maiden world title.
And Fanning is one of the men he credits with helping him be in the position to do that.
“He took me under his wing when I was about 14 years old, so it was really special to have that heat with him,” Wright said.
“It was a shame that he lost but … sharing that heat with Mick was a really big honour.
“I gave him a hug before I went out actually.
“We were standing up on the rock and jumping off and gave each other a hug and a smile, it was nice.”
Ever since the shark attack at Jeffreys Bay in 2015, Fanning has endured a level of scrutiny and publicity that few people could understand.
One may be Wright, who was the focus of thousands of fans who willed him to a fairytale win last year.
After wiping out during a free surf at Pipeline in December 2015, Wright suffered a brain injury that not only had him off tour for a year but challenged every aspect of his life.
Fanning was in there in the Rip Curl house in Hawaii in the immediate aftermath, and remained close to Wright every step of the way towards his comeback.
“He’s at a status now where he is the goldfish in the bowl wherever he goes and whatever he does,” Wright said.
“I do feel for him, there’s a lot of eyes.
“But at the same time, he’s set himself up really well and he’s doing great things for the world.”