Photos: Sylvain Cazenave

Interview with Mick Fanning

I met the three time world champion Mick Fanning during the Press Conference one day before the beginning of the Quiksilver Pro France’s waiting period started.

Max: Yeah Mick, you got four wins here… Are you ready for the fifth ?

Mick: Yeah, yeah… You know, anytime that I come here to France it’s so exciting… You never know what it happens here, but most things go right and it’s lucky for me. I just find myself from the winning’s day… Four times is just pretty stark.

I remember the first time… How would you describe the spots from here like those from Hossegor?

You know, when the waves are good, they ‘re really good. But it can be difficult. Some days you can be on the wrong tide or the changing tide… yeah life can be really hard… You just have to battle thru day’s conditions and hope there will be good condition somewhere in the event. But just the tide can be so big, it can be difficult.

You have already three World Titles. But this year one non-american or non-australian could be world champion…

Yeah! You know Gab (Gabriel Medina) is being on fire this year and he’s being so close to be the first brasilian ever to clinch the title. He has a lot of support from Brasil. It can be a lot of pressure to have the whole country on you. But Gab is a cool kid. It could happen.

Hossegor, Mundaka, Peniche,… Europe shelters a lot of spots. What do you think about this corner of the world ?

Yeah, Mundaka was nice when it was on, but it’s also tricky event, you know, with the river in the middle. There’s a lot of world-class waves right here. Hope there will be more events here but all that need sponsorship….

How do you feel right now? The World Title Race is not over and you still on the run…

All is possible. I just concentrating myself really. You know that’s the way it could go. You can have pressure. We just have to see. I’ll we try all I can do and if it works, it works, if not, it’s cool.

Now you are already many years on the tour and reached three World Titles. Do you feel less pressure as at the beginning ?

Yes, I feel less pressure as when I was younger. I’m just going out there and just give my best. If I win, I win and if I loose then I loose trying to learn from it. Yeah, I make less pressure on myself.

And you own now more experience as at the beginning. How do you notice it in the competition?

The most important thing is to try to keep your mind clear, to have the body right. Also the right board. If you have all that, than is it easier get the right rhythm. There’s a lot of things that I learn day by day. I put all that at the competitions.

Do you think time to time about stop competition for a while and change to free-surfing ?

Yeah, you have always this battle thru your head about free-surfing or not, but I love competition. It’s really fun.

Thanks!

Yeah, cool!