Red Bull Australia

As the 2009 ASP World Champion, 28 year-old Mick Fanning will tell you victory is even sweeter the second time around.

"In 2007 I was a little further ahead of the pack and it hadn’t all come down to the last event so I don’t think I was quite as anxious. Going into the 2009 comp, I was super nervous and I was convinced the battle was going to go right to the end of the event," says Mick.

With two World Titles under his belt, success seems to come all too easily to Mick Fanning, who grew up on the Gold Coast. But in truth, he has overcome some monumental hurdles in life and in competition. In 1998, when he was 16, his older brother Sean was killed in a car accident. Sean was just 18 at the time and was also an aspiring pro surfer. Although he was completely heartbroken, Mick stayed true to their dream and continued on his rise as a professional surfer. "Sean is always in my thoughts and, during those big special moments, I always think about him and I think it actually helps me relax a little. A second World Title will make him proud!" says Mick.

In 2002 Mick finished in the top five in his rookie year on the ASP World Tour and was moving closer to the number one spot each season when tragedy struck again. In 2004, Mick tore his hamstring off the bone when he fell trying to execute a critical maneuver. A steel grappling hook was drilled into a bone in the back of his leg to hold his hamstring in place. After six months of intense rehab, Mick was finally able to get back on a surfboard again.

BATTLING THE WORLD'S BEST

A committed training regime saw Mick miraculously return to form and start winning events once again, but a huge challenge was still ahead of him. Since Kelly Slater won his first world title in 1992 no Australian had beaten him for the World Title. In 2007 Mick changed that, winning three events, finishing runner-up in one and making four semi finals. “Kelly’s proven himself to be one of the most superior sportsmen of all time. To have had the opportunity to surf against him and take a world title from him is what makes it all so special to me," says Mick.

In 2008 he struggled with the extra media attention of being a world champion and suffered a mid-season groin injury. He slipped to eighth position on the end of year ratings but, true to form, Mick never gave up. "I decided to compete in the US Open before Trestles and I made the final and that’s kind of when my good roll began," says Mick. "Along with CHEK Australia, I also trained with some of the high performance coaching staff at Red Bull this year and got a lot from what they had to offer."

Mick knows better than anyone that defending his World Title in 2010 will be no small ask. With good friend Joel Parkinson a hot contender, Mick will draw on the strength he developed through facing such difficult challenges both in the water and out. They say what doesn't kill you will make you stronger and that makes Mick a formidable force to be reckoned with in the year ahead.