mick fanning
"Usually before his heats, he goes off by himself and has this thing. Right before a heat, I don't say a word to Mick. I don't even look him in the face, because he just likes to be in his own headspace. He always sits down, crosses his legs, gets in his mindspace. I think he almost thinks about his brothers he lost and Andy. He'll look up to the sky and give props up to somewhere with people he's lost in his life. It's a very intense thing, and he's always by himself. It's one of those moments I've shot a million times, but it's never old for me to shoot. I'm always moved by it." Photo: Steve Sherman
I met Mick in ’99 when I went over to Queensland for Transworld Surf, and we were doing a whole thing in Australia. I met him and Parko around the same time. We went down to Kirra and shot some photos. From that point on, we became friendly. Mick is just a sweetheart of a person. He’s very approachable. If I send him a text, he’ll text me back right away. He’s pretty unaffected by the notoriety, especially considering he’s one of the top athletes in all of Australia. I just think the world of him. When I heard he was going to retire, I was really emotional, and I sent him a text. He said, “There’s no reason to cry, mate. Not now, at least.”
I think he went off tour for six months, and he just realized it’s fun to go surfing and explore. And just cruise. He finally just slowed down a little bit. He’s been going in fifth gear on this World Tour thing for so many years, I just think he’s going to enjoy life. He’s got Balter, MF soft tops, and he’s in a position to enjoy life. It’s been an absolute honor shooting with him over the last two decades, and I wish him nothing but the best. The images above are a few memorable moments from a hell of a career.
Editor’s Note: View more of Sherm’s iconic work at t-sherms.com. You can even order his prints on tees now. Give ’em a look!