In February of last year, Mick Fanning and Rip Curl dropped a video the likes of which the internet hadn’t seen since the first footage of Kelly Slater’s wave pool. The title of the video was apt – “Ain’t No Wave Pool.” And the surf world collectively swooned. Maybe it was the idea of discovery in the age of Google Maps and digital swell forecasting that sparked a renewed optimism that exploration still has its rewards. Maybe it felt like a Mother Nature “hold my beer” moment at the height of an oversaturation with “Kelly’s wave.”
Whatever the case, the roping right-handers served up by Mick’s wave, nicknamed “the Snake,” led to many unanswered questions. Many of which remain.
Adding fuel to the fire, Mick recently returned to the Snake with Tyler Wright in tow for an “Ain’t No Wave Pool” redux. Wright has since withdrawn from the upcoming Surf Ranch Pro due to illness, but according to the video, earlier this year Mick hatched a plan to help her get some extra practice in for the event – by taking her to his super secret wave that mirrors the man-made perfection in Lemoore.
The jury’s out if this is, in fact, the same wave surfed by Natxo Gonzalez and friends. We have our guesses, and we’ll leave you to yours.
