Mick Fanning wins GQ Sportsman of The Year

It’s quite a year that Mick Fanning is having. Wins the Rip Curl Pro, Bells Beach. Surfs into the J-Bay Open final and fights off a shark. Does one exclusive interview in Australia and donates his entire appearance fee ($75k) to shark attack survivor Matt Lee. Influences board spray trends (blue and black!). Tows Shipsterns after the Chopes event. Wins the Hurley Pro, Lowers. Inducted into Australian Sports Hall Of Fame. Appears on cover of women’s magazine Elle Australia. Takes a grom with brain cancer surfing for the Starlight Foundation. And last night, he was given the Sportsman of The Year Award at the GQ Men Of The Year Award ceremony.

As the Daily Telegraph so eloquently put it, Mick “ditched his wetsuit for a dinner suit” (Zegna) and rolled the red carpet with wife Karissa Dalton, looking very dapps in a black tie, white pocket square, and general look of a suave motherfucker who’s worked it all out. Held at the Ivy Ballroom, other gents in attendance included musician Cody Simpson, swimmer Ian Thorpe, actors Jai Courtney and Ryan Corr and models Zac and Jordan Stenmark and Jordan Barrett.

Mick, who’s currently 34 years old, was honoured to share the company of fellow overachievers. “To be classed against such great sportsmen in Australia is huge,” he said. “To tell you the truth, I have learned a lot about myself and how to deal with things (since the attack). There’s been good and bad, so I guess it has been one of those years. It will be a good one to remember.”