France through the eyes of last year’s winner: Mick Fanning

All photos Rip Curl/Trent Mitchell

France is a minute away from starting and Mick Fanning has a world title campaign in the balance. Anything short of a victory will ruin back-to-back titles in 2014. Gabriel Medina, with three wins and his lowest throwaway a 13th, is fast sealing this year’s biggest party. Kelly Slater and Joel Parkinson are ahead of Mick on points, but Mr Fanning has two wins and a 25th to be rid off and he’s won here in France four times. More than any other surfer in history, actually. It’s an endurance race, France; a competition of smarts, judgement and opportunity. It’s an event for the darkest horses; Dane Reynolds made the final as a wildcard against Kelly in 2012; Gabriel won here in 2011 in just his second event on the elite tour after mid-year qualification. It’s a gambler’s nightmare that changes on the tide, on the swell, hell, even on the fog, and Mick’s got everything to lose, even more to gain, and we’re riding shotgun with him through the lens of Trent Mitchell.