Mick Fanning a chance of fairytale finish at Bells Beach

Mick Fanning has survived a tough challenge from Sebastien Zietz to reach the fourth round of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.

Mick Fanning surfs at first light at Bells Beach. Picture: Jason Sammon.

Exhausted and knowing every heat could be his last, Mick Fanning has survived a tough third-round assignment against Hawaiian Sebastien Zietz to reach the fourth round of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach and keep alive the prospect of a fairytale finish to his accomplished career.

Fanning ran down the famous wooden steps and straight into a tunnel formed by a swarm of spectators before paddling out with his game face planted firmly on. The three-time world champion is on no carefree farewell tour in the final event of his career. He’s desperate to end his professional career by getting his hands on the most prestigious trophy in the sport for an unprecedented fifth time. If he gets the dream ending? “We’ll have a hell party and then disappear,” he laughed.

Hawaiian Sebastian Zietz. Picture: Jason Sammon.

With every heat at Bells, Fanning is potentially 30 minutes from the end of his career. Loud support from the beach could be heard in the line-up. He began with a routine ride of 4.17 points before Zietz, whose style is uncannily similar to Fanning’s, responded with a 6.17. But Fanning replied with rides in the six-point and seven-point ranges to get the job done by 13.56 points to 9.10. He’s feels more at home at Bells than at his real home on the Gold Coast.

Bells is where he won his first professional contest in 2001. His heat-winning rides were smooth and flawless examples of his trademark rail work. He was all business. He’s looking forward to the next stage of his life — the freedom to chase waves wherever and whenever he wants without the constraints of a strict competition schedule. But he wants to go out with a bang at Bells.

Fanning and Zietz are good mates. “He’s one of those people who is never fighting the fun,” Fanning said. “I’m just stoked I got to surf one more heat against him before it’s all said and done.”

Huffing and puffing on the sand straight after his win, with another sudden-death heat possible to come later today, Fanning said: “It’s hard getting old. “Not as fit as I used to be. It’s hard work. The waves come all the way through, you try to put so much into it. It takes a lot out of your legs, you’re sucking in the breaths and then you’ve got to paddle back. It’s hard work but hey, that’s what we’re here for.”