Mick Eugene Fanning was born on June 13, 1981, in Penrith, NSW, Australia, to Irish parents.
The blond boy learned to surf at the age of five, near Mount Gambier, before moving with his family to Tweed Heads three years later.
In 1998, he loses his brother Sean in a car accident. At only 22 years, Mick enters the Dream Tour, finishes in fifth place, and wins the ASP Rookie of the Year award.
The regular footer's ascension to the top was violently interrupted by an injury in 2004 when he suffered a complete hamstring tear.
Fortunately for him, at the age of 26, he claims his maiden ASP World Championship Tour title. Fanning is the first Australian to usurp Slater for a world title in 15 years.
In 2008, Mick married his long-time girlfriend Karissa Dalton and, one year later, captured world title number two at the final event in Pipeline.
The surfer, also known as the "White Lightning," had his controversial moments with the Snickers bodyboarding ad and the Jewish issue.
Cooking is one of Mick Fanning's many special talents. He loves chocolate, and his favorite music is "anything mellow."