Ash Bolt
Three-time surfing world champion Mick Fanning will take to the waves at the Surf Coast next week after being awarded a wildcard for the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.
Competition organisers announced Tuesday Fanning would come out of retirement to compete in the iconic Torquay surf competition from April 10 to 20.
“Bells is the wildcard I really wanted. I did Narrabeen last year but Bells is the one I was really aiming for,” Fanning said.
“It’s a place that is really close to my heart, and if I was ever going to take a wildcard, it would be there, so I’m pretty fired up.
“Personally, I really like the wave at Bells. The speed of it, the wide open canvas, and the fact that it is a right hand point break. I love everything that comes with Bells, the history, the cliffs, the gathering of everyone down in the car park. It’s so awesome. It’s something that sits in my heart.”
Fanning officially retired from professional surfing in 2018 after 17 years competing on the world circuit.
Over his career he had 22 championship tour victories, 11 top five finishes, and three world titles, cementing him as one of the greatest surfers in history.
“To go and ring the Bell for the fifth time, no one has ever done it apart from Gail Couper,” Fanning said.
“During my career I got close, but right now I just want to focus on putting on a good performance. My preparation when I was on tour was non-stop training but this time around I’ve just been focusing on my surfing and making sure it’s up to the level of the best in the world.”
The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach is the longest-running surfing event in the world, dating back to 1973.
It has been a proving ground for the greats, with 11-time world champion Kelly Slater, seven-time WSL champion Stephanie Gilmore, Fanning and surfing legends Lisa Andersen and Mark Richards having all won the event four times each.
