Mick Fanning

Michael Eugene "Mick" Fanning, nicknamed "White Lightning" (born June 13, 1981), is an Australian professional surfer. Fanning won the 2007, 2009 and 2013 ASP World Tour. In 2015, Fanning survived an encounter with what is suspected to be a great white shark during the J-Bay Open finals in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa.

Early years

Fanning was born on 13 June 1981 in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia, to Irish parents. He learned to surf at the age of 5 in coastal South Australia at a town called Mt Gambier, but did not focus on surfing until his family moved to Tweed Heads, New South Wales, when he was twelve. He grew up with fellow professional surfer, Joel Parkinson, in the Gold Coast/Northern Rivers region and both attended Palm Beach Currumbin State High School together. On the edge of the Queensland border, Fanning had access to epic surf north and south and he began to make a name for himself. In 1996 he established himself as one of the very best surfers to rule the Queensland points by placing in the top three at the Australian National Titles. But, tragedy struck in 1998 when his brother Sean died in a car accident along with fellow surfer Joel Green.