Mick Fanning to be Awarded Waterman of the Year

We’ve already chatted on Mick Fanning’s year with stupid clichés about carnival rides. Most notably, him serving as missed bait for a curious shark on the WSL’s live broadcast at J-Bay. It was during a time that the majority of the Stab staff was asleep (ZAF is a less than ideal time zone for Oz and our California correspondents). It was weekend biz as usual, stifled by a 4:30 am wake up, a-buzz to phone calls originally thinking, you’re fucking with me, that didn’t happen… until I played it back and saw, it did. 

Mick recoup’d his love life, re-separated, lost his brother on the eve before finals day and has been donned with more awards in 2015 than The Revenant at the Oscars. So why not another in 2016? Mr Fanning will be awarded Waterman of the Year at the Waterman’s Ball taking place on the affluent coast of Laguna Beach in August. And it really comes as no surprise, remember when he donated 75K to a fellow shark attack survivor, or when he granted a wish for a grom with cancer? The award is well deserved for the man who’s World Title hopes were dashed by a hail-mary whirly-bird kicked by Gabriel Medina in the semis of the Pipe Masters. A move that was debated largely via social media, critical of if the score was deserved, but hell, Gabs did what Gabs does.

Mr Navarro displaying how you ride your premiere big wave spot. Like a kid in a candy store, if candy could kill…

In other awards, Chile’s Ramón Navarro, will be given the Environmentalist of the Year award. Ramón’s a big wave charger through and through, who finished in the top of the 2009 Eddie Aikau and competes on the BWWT. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of viewing The Fisherman’s Son, documenting how Mr Navarro put Chile’s Punta de Lobos on the map and is now the sworn protecter of the break, you should go ahead and treat yourself.

Additionally, Simon Anderson out of the Sydney’s Northern Coast, you know the guy that invented the thruster? Presumably your chosen fin set up… and if it’s not, cool, quads, twins and singles are fun too. But if you really want that control and drive, nothing gets the job done quite like a having that fin dead center beneath your back foot. Well, Mr Anderson will be donned with the Lifetime Achievement award. To which we say, Bravo!

At the tender age of 61 Simon Anderson still cranks it off the top with style and ease.

“The 2016 Waterman’s Weekend is going to be especially exciting,” said Paul Naude, SIMA Environmental Fund President. “Not only do we have three amazing surfers who have done so much for the industry and sport, but the event will be all new this year with the Ball being held at The Ranch at Laguna Beach in a outdoor setting. We look forward to honoring Mick, Ramón and Simon and raising money for the conservation and protection of our ocean environment.”

For the 27th annual Waterman’s Ball it wouldn’t be right not to note this speckling of feel-goodery: the two day fundraising event is expected to produce a lucrative $400,000 for 18 ocean conservation groups this year. Curious who will benefit, check it out right.