Mick Fanning: Story of how Gold Coast surfer became a superstar
Mick Fanning has built an almighty empire across more than two decades – not bad for the chilled grom from the Gold Coast. This is the tale of his rise and the heartbreaks he has overcome.
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Entrepreneur, surfing champ, “Cooly Kid” and, of course, shark attack survivor.
Mick Fanning has built an almighty empire across more than two decades – not bad for the chilled grom from the Gold Coast.
The seemingly coolest man on the planet even shook off that shark attack and overcame a string of personal tragedies to enhance his reputation as a beloved public figure.
This is the story of his rise, how he overcame heartache and his reinvention as a business titan and father.
Jump to: Early years | Surfing start | Turning pro | World champ | Heartbreak | Personal life | Business career | Shark attack
EARLY YEARS
Michael Eugene Fanning was born on June 13, 1981 in Penrith, NSW to Irish parents Elizabeth Osborne and John Fanning.
Fanning was the youngest of five siblings: brothers Peter, Sean, Edward, and sister Rachel.
Fanning in 2013 detailed how his upbringing, including running to the shops for a Paddle Pop, made him who he is today.
“My parents being Irish were very loyal people, very honest,’’ he said.
“That’s one thing I try to be. If I have a friend I will be with them to the death. That’s the way it is. The way you have to roll.’’
Fanning’s parents split up when he was three but he recalled he had everything he needed as a child.
“The beach was a two-hour drive away. Mum would load us into her Red Datsun – radio blasting with old rock songs – and drive us down the coast,” he told Men’s Health in 2021.
“We didn’t have much but we didn’t need much. We had each other and that was plenty.
“With three older brothers competition was a part of life when we were groms. We battled for everything: food, toys, and eventually waves. I think that’s where my competitive nature comes from.”
GETTING INTO SURFING
Soccer, cricket, rugby, athletics – Fanning did it all as a kid.
However one sport became his true passion, particularly when the family relocated to the Gold Coast when he was 12.
What was some fun learning to surf as a junior at Brown Bay near Mount Gambier became an aspiring prodigy once Fanning settled on the beaches of Queensland, joining Kirra Boardriders.
“It’s a very special sport. It’s creative and inspirational. Surfing’s has been so great for the boys,” mum Liz said in 1999.
After winning the 1999 Pro Junior event, Fanning showed his cheeky side with a dig at his dad’s surfing ability: “He doesn’t even wear shorts”.
Attending Palm Beach Currumbin State High School, Fanning met fellow surfer Joel Parkinson, who would go on to become a lifelong friend and world tour rival.
In 1996 Fanning established himself when placing in the top three at the Australian National Titles. A year later he claimed the Australian junior surfing crown.
Former boss of the ASP Australasia Steve Robertson vividly remembered the day he saw Fanning surf for the first time.
“I was alerted that this 13-year-old kid was about to surf in some really junior event at Bells and I needed to go have a look,’’ Robertson recalled in 2013.
“He was just this raw, raw talent and the thing that struck me immediately was the fact that he wasn’t that stylist or graceful but he was incredibly fast. Lightning quick. He attacked waves with his speed.
“He was just this really scrawny kid with pure white hair. He wasn’t that clean cut. He looked like he had mongrel in him.
“He was street smart but he was never anything but really polite and helpful. Really well-mannered. He still is.’’
TURNING PRO
In March 2000 Fanning claimed his first senior surfing title, defeating some of the best professionals at the Newcastle City Pro.
“She was overwhelmed,’’ he said after calling his mum.
“In fact, she started crying. I’ve been training hard in the lead-up to the contest and it’s really paid off.”
By now regarded as a rising star on the Aussie circuit, Fanning took his talents to the world stage in 2001.
His entry at the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach would become more than a wildcard, with Fanning’s victory announcing him to rivals.
“Oh wow, I’m just so stoked,’’ Fanning said in his chilled way.
“To win at Bells is just ridiculous.”
Within a year he won the Billabong Pro at Jeffreys Bay, claiming the Rookie of the Year award as well as earning a spot in the ASP World Tour after earning the World Qualifying Series title.
A severe hamstring tear in 2004 threatened to derail his career – he was out of the water for six months after surgery.
“What they do with it is they slice the back of your arse open and peel it back,”: he told Surfer Magazine at the time.
“Then they drill into your arse bone and put, like, a grappling hook in there. It’s so strong the doctor said he was lifting me off the table just with the hook.”
The incident also prompted Fanning to change his diet and give up fast foods.
His emergence, alongside those of Parkinson and fellow Gold Coaster Dean Morrison, delivered the group the nickname the “Cooly Kids”.
RAISING THE BAR
By 2007 Fanning was back to his best – his victory at the Quiksilver Pro early in the campaign would set him on course to become Australia’s first men’s world champion since Mark Occhilupo in 1999.
“To take the reins over from Oc is incredible,” Fanning said at the time.
“He is pretty much the legend of the sport. He’s such a character and such a cool guy.”
Fanning also touched on the emotion of the moment, stemming from the loss of his brother Sean in a car accident in 1998 (more on that below).
“It was so cool with Joel (Parkinson) out there in the final and there was a dolphin out there, I’m not sure if it was my brother or what,” Fanning said.
“Every heat I’ve had today there has been a dolphin right there in the line-up, just chilling.”
The next season would not be as successful in the surf; a mid-season groin injury in 2008 meant he had to settle for eighth in the standings.
However he reclaimed his world crown in 2009 and remained a force – albeit without title success – over the coming years.
He bounced back to glory in 2013, hailing surfing greats Tom Curren and Andy Irons as he joined them with three world titles.
“Tom is such an enigma and was so instrumental to injecting style into our sport. Andy … what hasn’t been said about Andy? He was such a legend and he was such a good friend,” he said.
“I’m honoured to be a part of this group. I was happy with one title and I was overwhelmed with two. With three? I don’t have words for that.”
Entering veteran status on the tour, Fanning hinted at retirement over the coming years before confirming his full-time return to action in 2017.
By 2018, though, the 36-year-old confirmed he would retire, much to the delight of his mum.
“I feel like my surfing’s still really good, so the main reason for me is I feel like I’ve just lost the drive to compete day in day out now,” he said at the time.
“I probably started having feelings about it through 2013/14 and definitely had them more in 2015, and always felt like there was times when I could have just walked away and been happy.”
Fanning delivered yet another shock when in 2022 he revealed he would return to professional surfing at Bells Beach.
FAMILY HEARTBREAK
On a Friday night in Coolangatta in 1998 Fanning lost his older brother Sean in a car accident.
“Sean was just 20 when he died in a car accident. We were out at party together but got split up. I walked home … Sean jumped in a car with friends,” Fanning told Men’s Health in 2021.
“On the walk home the police picked me up and told me Sean was gone. I was burdened with the news and had to tell the family. I locked myself in my room and didn’t leave it for a week.”
In the 2013 film Defining Mick Fanning he explained how it changed his life.
“Just that whole sort of numbing feeling came over (me). It was the hardest day of my life,” he said.
“ … My older brother Sean had the same goals, and it bound us.
“We dreamt of making the tour together. He encouraged me and looked out for me. He was my hero.”
Fanning in 2013 revealed he thought of his brother constantly while surfing.
“Every time I am out there I am always asking him to send me a good wave,’’ Fanning said.
“It’s one of my rituals, scratching his initials into my wax before I paddle out.
“He is still a huge part of my life and always will be.’’
There was to be more heartbreak.
Fanning learned of his brother Peter’s death just hours before he paddled out to compete for his fourth world surfing title in December 2015.
He heroically chose to compete in the even despite the devastating news.
He finished second in the world after being knocked out of the event by Gabriel Medina following emotionally charged heats.
“I knew I could find the strength to take part in the final event of the season because that’s what Pete would want,” Fanning said in an Instagram post.
“Tell the special people in your life you love them and give them a hug.”
In March 2024 Fanning’s third brother, Edward, had also died.
Ed Fanning, 48, had been living and working at a surf tour camp in Madagascar, where he had named a surf break after Sean.
“Ed, love you my brother,” Fanning posted on social media.
“You taught me so much over the years about everything that life could deal up. The good and the bad, you were my teacher.”
PERSONAL LIFE
Fanning married Karissa Dalton, founder of bridal website The Lane, at a lavish ceremony on the Gold Coast in 2008.
However by 2015 there was speculation about the end of their marriage, which Fanning confirmed in a social media post in January 2016.
“Karissa has stood by me since we first met in 2004. We have shared plenty of great times but more importantly she has helped me through some of the toughest moments in my life, especially this past year. After giving it our all, late last year we made the tough mutual decision to move on separately,” Fanning said.
He elaborated during an interview with 60 Minutes later that year.
“For me, 2015 was such a down year,” Fanning said.
“I went through a divorce, had the shark incident and then at the end of it all I lost my brother. I was just totally empty at the end of it. I was done.”
In August 2020 Fanning and his new fiancee, Breeana Randal, welcomed their son, Xander Dean Fanning.
In December 2023 they announced a second child was on the way, with Lyla Skye Fanning born in April 2024 and the proud couple posting photos.
Fanning has been a long-time supporter of Penrith Panthers in the NRL, joking in 2013 that he narrowly avoided switching to Gold Coast Titans.
“Yeah, I still go for Penrith. I was about to jump ship to the Titans at one stage and I was good friends with Matt Elliott and it was the same year he went there as coach and he told me if I left he’d kill me,’’ Fanning said in 2013.
“The first time I went for them I think was 1990. It was Canberra and Penrith in the final and I was at the snow and we were watching the grand final on TV. Unfortunately we didn’t win that year. But everyone was going for Canberra down there and I just decided I loved Penrith. And that’s when me being a life long fan started. When I was eight or nine.’’
In 2017 Fanning was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to surfing, as well as supporting a range of charities.
BUSINESS CAREER
In October 2022 it was revealed Fanning had quietly created a business empire that dwarfed the millions of dollars he earned in the water.
Fanning was estimated to be worth $20 million, with a vast property portfolio, expanding business interests, and loyal sponsors who continue to reap benefits by retaining him beyond retirement.
A savvy businessman, Fanning’s six-figure investment into craft brewing company Balter returned an estimated $4 million windfall when it was sold to Carlton United Breweries for about $150 million in 2019.
In 2021 Fanning and Rip Curl founder Doug Warbrick were among several investors to cash in on the $130 million development of luxury apartment complex Esprit, at Rainbow Beach on the Gold Coast.
In comparison, over his 17 years on the world pro surfing tour his total prize money earnings were $2.76 million.
He also entered the fitness industry, with his own tailor-made workout called Point Break By Mick Fanning launched through pilates and yoga franchise FS8.
“A lot of the time in these businesses, I’m just the sounding board,” Fanning said in 2022.
“I sit there and maybe look at it a different way than what people in the company see each and every day, so I try to be a sounding board.”
SHARK ATTACK
For all the world titles, business success and fame, Fanning’s legacy will forever be entwined with his shark attack in 2015.
On July 19 the surfer was attacked two minutes into the final of the J-Bay Open in South Africa – all captured on live television.
He was in the water with fellow Aussie Julian Wilson when a fin appeared just as a wave obscured part of the scene.
Fanning managed to punch the shark and wedged his board between himself and the attacker.
While the shark bit off Fanning’s leash, he escaped relatively unharmed but was clearly shaken by the incident.
Wilson was hailed for paddling towards Fanning in a bid to help him, and the pair were whisked away in a boat following the drama.
The duo were named joint winners and split the prizemoney.
An emotional Wilson said the attack put the title pursuit in perspective: “I’m just happy he’s alive.”
Fanning returned to Australia the next day and admitted “I’m just lucky it wasn’t my time.”
“I instantly just jumped away. It kept coming at my board and I was kicking and screaming. I just saw fins. I didn’t see teeth. I was waiting for the teeth to come at me. I punched it in the back,” he said.
Fanning, who braved the water less than a week later, posted on Instagram his appreciation ofr Wilson.
“So thankful to have this hug with Julian Wilson. This man came to my aid like a warrior!”
he wrote.
“It was by far the scariest thing I have ever been through and am still rattled. In our sport we always think about sharks and know we are in their domain.
“Many thanks to all the people that have reached out and sent their wishes.”
Fanning made a phenomenal return to Jeffreys Bay one year after his close call to win the World Surf League event in 2016.
“It was an emotional build up coming into this,” Fanning said.
“Having my semi final with Julian (Wilson) was a really special moment. I’m just stoked that I came back and was able to right the wrong for last year. That was always my plan.”
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