Over the last year there has been much conjecture about whether Mick Fanning would ever return to the tour.
Many thought the energy put into three hard fought world titles, plus a string of personal issues and tragedies had taken their toll on Mick and we’d be lucky to ever see him surf the tour again.
Some thought he would continue to surf select events a-la Slater.
Others reasoned that not being part of the tour was the best thing to happen to Mick. Without points to worry about, we got to see him loosen up in the water. It also allowed him to surf his mysto wave! And if you asked Mick, I’m sure he’d agree that one session alone was worth 10 years off.
But in order to be an athlete with three world title trophies on the mantle-piece, the competitive fire must burn deep. And while the flames may occasionally die down, the coals remain white hot; ready to re-ignite at any time. It seems that time is now.
This morning, out of the blue, Mick announced a full-time return to the tour in 2017.
“I’ve decided to come back to competition full time and do the Tour this season,” Explained Fanning in a WSL Press release. “It was nice to have 2016 off somewhat and decompress, but I’m excited to put the singlet on again.
“2015 was a tough year. A lot happened to me on camera and in my personal life. I just felt exhausted by the end of it. Fortunately, I was in a position to step away from the Tour and have some time to myself. I ended up doing a few events and qualifying which was great because I didn’t want to take the wildcard off of Bede (Durbidge) or Owen (Wright). I’m coming into 2017 seeded 18th which will be a change for me.
“Even with the 2017 season looming, I wasn’t sure I was motivated enough to take part,” Fanning said. “However, like everyone else I’m getting super excited about this year’s line-up of surfers – it might be the best field from the top seed to number 34 we’ve ever had. I also think it’s the biggest group of legit title contenders we’ve ever seen on the tour ever and I want to be part of the race."
Watch Mick in action when the Quik Pro kicks off on March 14.
