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New World Surfing Champion Swaps Boards

By 22nd December 2007June 28th, 2014Niseko News

Newly crowned world surfing champion Mick Fanning is headed for Niseko. But can he board?? Silly question…

After claiming his maiden surfing world crown in the the best waves on the planet, Mick Fanning is headed for Hokkaido for the world’s best powder.

The freakishly talented 26-year old from Australia’s Gold Coast – the first Aussie to win a world title since Mark Occhilupo in 1999 – is also mad keen on snowboarding. Had he grown up in Cooma rather than Coolangatta, there’s a damn good chance Mick would be gracing the covers of snowboarding magazines rather than surfing ones.

“I think if I got into snowboarding before surfing I would’ve been a snow boarder,” says Mick.

“I love snow boarding, it’s so much fun. I try to do a trip every year because I love it so much. It’s like surfing, but it does hurt more.”

On his first trip to Japan’s famous powder-covered mountains, Mick will stay at Niseko’s Jam House. Owner Marcus St.John Dawe had the opportunity to ask him a few questions about surfing, snowboarding, and life in general.

Is this your first trip to Niseko?
Yeah this will be the first time. I heard the powder is insane but I’m there just for the fun so I’ll wait and see what happens.

How long have you been snowboarding, and where do you usually go?
I’ve been doing one week snowboarding holidays probably every year since 2003. I’ve been to California, Whistler, Colorado and Australia. I’ve had all conditions but I think the best day was when Red Bull sent me heli-boarding in Whistler. It was so insane, like surfing down a hill.

How do the pro snowboarding and pro surfing lifestyles compare?
I’ve hung out with Andy Finch (US pro snowboarder and keen surfer) and met a few others and we have similar lifestyles. Except they chase the winters, we chase the summers.

Who do you look up to? Who are your major influences in life?
I have so many, but the qualities I look for in heroes are down to earth, happy go lucky people.

What do you think of Japanese food?
Love it. I eat sushi at least twice a week.

Do you play any instruments?
No musical instruments but love music. I think music influences surfers and snowboarders to how they act and develop their styles.

What really makes you laugh?
My mates are the funniest humans on earth. I love good pranks. There’s nothing better.

Fanning has been at the forefront of world surfing for the past 10 years, but after several injuries, and domination by eight-time world champ Kelly Slater, the coveted title had always been elusive.

After watching Fanning’s victory on the internet, Australian surfing legend and 1999 world champ Marc Occhilupo jumped into his car and reversed into a tree. “It was really emotional – I felt like I’d won too,” Occy told The Gold Coast Bulletin.

Under coach Phil McNamara, Fanning has worked hard on his mental approach and perceived weaknesses, travelling to get days of extra practice at the challenging Teahupoo and Pipeline breaks where his world title challenge had collapsed in the past.

That sheer determination may have stemmed from the tough times in his life, including the death of older brother Sean – also a gifted surfer – in a car accident in 1998, and a horrific hamstring injury in 2004.

His proud mother and manager Liz Osborne admitted Mick could have easily gone off the rails following the death of Sean as a teenager but instead he found inner strength.
“When you lose someone like your dearest hero who was going to do the world tour with you, and the plans and dreams were there, to lose him was devastating for Mick,’’ said Liz.

“The tragedy of Sean and his injury, people sort of doubted him maybe after that saying ‘this will turn him the wrong way’. But it just made him stronger.’’

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