MICK Fanning first visited Bells Beach in 1998, and will end his run on the WSL men\u2019s Championship tour in the same place two decades later.<\/p>\n
The three-time WSL champion\u2019s last event on the full-time tour will be this weekend\u2019s Rip Curl Pro, but he said he was not dreaming of ringing the bell for the fifth and final time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not too fussed \u2013 I just want to go out there and put on a performance. I get to surf against the best guys in the world. Every time I paddle out at Bells, there\u2019s so much history, so I really just want to take in the moments that come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fanning watched Tuesday\u2019s Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony held on the beach before speaking to the media, and said he was keenly aware of the legacy of the place.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s so much history, from the Wathaurong people all the way up to when they started the event here at Bells. Even just the area down here has got so much history, with the major companies like Rip Curl and Quiksilver starting here.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo me, there\u2019s just so many stories. I first came down here in 1998, so it\u2019s a bit ironic that it\u2019s 20 years later. It\u2019s just one of those things\u2026you can feel the history down here, especially walking down the stairs; it\u2019s just really special.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fanning said he still felt right about his decision to retire (which he announced in late February) but did not know what he would do next.<\/p>\n
\u201cActually, I\u2019ve been too busy to think about it, really. I don\u2019t want to put any expectations on it, or whatever, I\u2019m just gonna go and just surf.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just stoked that I\u2019ve got a whole bunch of family and friends coming down, and we\u2019re gonna have a good time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fanning\u2019s alter ego \u201cEugene\u201d (the surfer\u2019s middle name) is notorious for his occasional hijinks following WSL contests, but Fanning himself was unsure if Eugene would make an appearance this time.<\/p>\n
\u201cDepends how late you\u2019re up! Yeah, hopefully not.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more on this year\u2019s event, including surfer profiles and a special #cheersmick poster, see the special Swell lift-out in this paper.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MICK Fanning first visited Bells Beach in 1998, and will end his run on the WSL men\u2019s Championship tour in the same place two decades later. The three-time WSL champion\u2019s last event on the full-time tour will be this weekend\u2019s Rip Curl Pro, but he said he was not dreaming of ringing the bell for […]<\/p>\n