MICK FANNING X-MAN

How’s this for dedication to finding the next big wave? As as kid, Mick Fanning would spend countless hours getting to surf contests squeezed in the back of an old Land Rover Defender — sharing the Spartan seats with his three brothers and all their gear.

“It was pretty small when you’ve got four boys and surfboards — and the back seats weren’t really seats, they were just metal,” says the three-time surfing world champion. “It wasn’t the most comfortable thing in the back.”

The journey was worth it, however, when “mum would drive us along the beach sometimes, which was cool”. Life on the road is about to get a little more comfortable: Fanning this week was signed by Mercedes to be brand ambassador for the X-Class ute due in Australian showrooms early next year.

His previous sponsorship deals were with Ford and Audi before switching to Benz, all of them a step up from his first car: a Ford Laser.

“Just as I was turning 17, I ended up getting a good pay cheque so I just went straight down and bought myself a Ford Laser 1981 model. It was pretty damn square but it got me around.”

Fanning’s fondest memories behind the wheel, though, are in four-wheel drives. “Me and my mates used to drive up to Moreton Island and go camping, surfing and fishing. It’s a pretty amazing place,” he says.

Given his love of the beach, what are his tips for getting sand out of your car? His answer: don’t get any in there in the first place.

“That’s the beauty of the X-Class, you can put all the stuff in the back and you don’t have to bring sand in to the front. You don’t get that mouldy smell through the car if you accidentally leave a wetsuit in there.” What about sandy feet? “That’s why you’ve got floormats.”