Mick Fanning wins J-Bay Open in fairytale sequel after shark attack
MICK Fanning has won the J-Bay Open in a fairytale sequel to his nightmare shark attack at last year’s event.
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MICK Fanning has won the J-Bay Open in a fairytale sequel to his nightmare shark attack at last year’s event.
The Gold Coaster defeated Hawaiian John John Florence at Jeffreys Bay in South Africa.
Fanning’s mother Elizabeth was there to see the three-time world champion overcome his demons and again rule the break that he loves.
DON’T MISS: MICK FANNING TRIBUTE POSTER INSIDE TOMORROW’S BULLETIN
Fanning won through to the final by defeating fellow Australian Julian Wilson.
He was competing against Wilson in the final last year when Fanning was attacked by a great white shark — an event that was flashed around the world.
Fanning started the heat with an early 7.17 score in small but clean conditions.
Florence — tipped as a future world champion — responded with an aerial manoeuvre that netted him an 8.5.
But Fanning’s patience and wave selection saw him nab a stunning 9.93 as a bigger set rolled through.
Florence was unable to respond and Fanning added to his previous J-Bay Open titles won in 2006 and 2014.
After the win Fanning said: “I’m just really stoked to come back and right the wrong.
“Thanks to everyone who supported me. Let’s go celebrate.”
HOW FANNING’S J-BAY JOURNEY UNFOLDED:
Fanning had to wait a week after six days of poor waves on the South African coast to put the full stop on his J-Bay return.
He also ticked off the re-match with fellow Aussie Julian Wilson, who came to Fanning’s aid when the shark attacked as they clashed in the final at J-Bay last year.
The pair didn’t meet again in the final, but clashed in the semis where Fanning proved too strong.
After the siren sounded to end their match-up, Fanning paddled over to Wilson and the pair embraced, a special moment between two surfers forever bonded by the events of last year.
It was the fourth straight J-Bay final for Fanning who may never have returned after last year’s attack, but was adamant he loved the wave, and the local surfing community too much to turn his back on them.
Congratulations @Mick_Fanning, winner of the 2016 #JBayOpen! 🆠https://t.co/jRBPMAn7Qb
— World Surf League (@wsl) July 16, 2016
Fanning had surfed in red bibs all week but for the semi-final and final, as a result of his lower ranking, donned the same blue No.7 top he was wearing when the shark went at him last year.
Having been in South Africa for nearly three weeks, including some “anxious” moments before his first surf at Jeffreys’s Bay since last year’s attack, drama continue to follow Fanning who hurt his ankle on just his second day of pre-event surfing.
Round-the-clock treatment allowed him to get up and firing for his first competition heat last Wednesday, which he won with masterful surfing on the wave he has been champion three-times.
He then had to wait another three days to get back in the water for competition last Saturday, when he again destroyed all challengers on his way to qualifying for the quarter-finals.
Layer upon layer of drama continued to be added to what loomed as a phenomenal sporting story as poor waves all week forced Fanning and his fellow competitors out of the surf for six days.
Then, in frigid conditions, they got the call to go ahead, and what started out as OK surf started to pump and Fanning got to work again.
He disposed of Brazilian Filipe Toledo first up in a heat for the ages, as both scored eight-point rides before Fanning found a nine-pointer, as he had done at least once in every heat at J-Bay this year.
His quarter-final victory set up a high quality semi-final clash with Wilson in which Fanning again picked up a nine-point ride, on his second wave, giving further demonstration of perfect craft on the J-Bay right-hander.
Having never lost to Wilson in World Surf League competition, including last year’s J-Bay final which was cancelled as the pair went head to head, the veteran was again too good and headed to his second straight final.
Fanning and Wilson came together in the water, the latter having declared he “took strength” from Fanning’s response to the shark attack last year.
World Surf League commissioner Kieren Perrow conceded it wasn’t ideal to wait almost a week to surf the finals but was happy to get underway.
“That was crazy to get competition underway at the beginning of the window and have three great days,” Perrow said.
“Then we went on hold and we’ve been waiting around for quite some time … so we’re really happy.”
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