Mick Fanning, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

As Mick Fanning recently said, so far, 2011’s been a lot like 2010 was for him. At the Quik Pro, Gold Coast, Mick managed a 13th (where he placed ninth last year), but he turned around at Bells with a second place (same as last year). In the last Brazil event, Mick placed ninth, but he wants this year to be different: “I don’t want this year to be a repeat of last year, so I wanna make Brazil count,” said Mick on his website. “I’ve always enjoyed competing in Brazil, I’ve had two wins there and it’s also where I wrapped up my first World Title in 2007.” Mick’s made of the kinda mettle that sees him stick to his words and dig deep, no matter how all-seems-lost the situation is. A born competitor. So his competitive words shouldn’t be taken lightly. Mick’s 2011 will be different in another aspect. During the European leg of last year, Stab spoke to then-rookie Owen Wright. He told us that during a freesurf session in France, Mick was doing some huge airs. “And, Mick’s always freaking out how he can’t do airs,” said Owen at the time. Since then, various online clips and photos have shown a serious growth in the prog areas of Mick’s surfing – slob grabs, fs spins, alleyoops, the lot. He’s always had sizzle, but has, until recently, been known for his power and speed, as is shown in the photo y’see above. In 2011, will Mick implement his new-found flair when the waves are right? Here’s hoping. Check out more of Ryan’s photography on his site, here.