MUM LETS OTHERS DO THE CRYING
‘If this makes him happy, I’m happy for him,’ says proud mum
LIZ Osborne let others do the crying yesterday.
Moments after her boy – and arguably the city’s favourite son – surfed what would be his last-ever wave at his hometown event, she walked through the Quiksilver Pro athletes area and into the arms of a female friend with tears falling from her eyes.
It was over. Mick Fanning would never again surf Snapper Rocks as a professional surfer – but there would be no tears from the woman who loves him most.
“I just want him to be happy and if this is what makes him happy, I’m happy for him,” Liz said of her 36-year-old son’s decision to retire from competitive surfing after one last hurrah at this month’s Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach.
“He’s had an amazing career and there’s nothing for him to regret.”
As she has done so many times over his long career, Liz watched Mick’s last stand from the comfort of the temporary suite overlooking the action.
On one side was her old mate Dot, the sister of the late, great Michael Petersen. On the other was another great of surfing, the legendary Mark Richards.
“It’s funny,” Liz said. “Mick’s a three-time world champion with an illustrious career and I’m still as nervous as ever.
“Not for me. I just want him to be successful for himself because he deserves it. He goes out there to win every time.”
Befitting a proud mum, she applauded each time Fanning nailed a wave. Befitting a good person, she applauded each time his rivals Owen Wright and Tomas Hermes did the same.
“I like to clap them all,” Liz said. “They all work hard.”
Her final applause came when the siren sounded. There would be no fairy-tale, at least not for her son.
“Well done,” she said, reaching out to the man standing behind her left shoulder.
“Thanks,” said a beaming Rob Wright, the father of Mick’s conqueror. “I’m so happy for him.”
Earlier in the day, Liz had reflected not only on her son’s amazing career but what surfing had given her.
She didn’t talk about the amazing highs though, nor the chance to rub shoulders with famous faces and visit incredible places.
She talked about the distant past.
“It meant I knew where they were,” Liz said of her children’s passion for surfing.
“As a single mum I had no money but they were really, really happy children and at night they just fell asleep. They were always so tired I didn’t have to worry about them.
“Surfing’s been wonderful to me.”
As her friend embraced her and former world champ Tom Carroll and Rip Curl founder Doug Warbrick waited their turn, Liz’s boy made his final dash from the water’s edge.
Like the Pied Piper of Snapper, a stream of fans followed in his wake before he found relative sanctuary in the athletes suite – only to round a partition and find his biggest fan standing in his way.
“Hey Mum,” a shirtless Fanning said as he gave Liz a hug and kiss on the cheek before moving on to the change room.
“It’s OK,” his mother said of the finality of the day. “He’s done a good job … and he’s got lots more to do in his life.”
STATE SURF LIFE SAVING TITLES MOVED P41