Mick’s used to an audience, and he can put on a show at Snapper. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot
You know what’s nice? When you’ve been surfing the same wave day in and day out. Figuring out what direction, tide, wind, and all the other stars that need to align to make it work its best. Knowing what a wave will likely do before it’s breaking. Knowing where to paddle, where to sit, when to stall, and when to pump. It’s all part and parcel of being a “local” somewhere, and Mick Fanning is a local at Snapper Rocks.
It helps, of course, that Mick Fanning is also a three-time world champion. No matter what wave he’s surfing, he’s going to surf it well. But Snapper? Fanning and Snapper have been longtime partners. They work well together, don’t they? Mick knows Snapper’s little quirks. When she’s aggressive, he balances her out. When he’s feeling aggressive, she keeps up with him.
It takes a lot to stand out at a wave like Snapper. Much like Pipeline, when it’s working, some of the best surfers on Earth are there. But unlike Pipeline, Snapper can hold a lot more surfers in the lineup, so the crowds are pretty intense and far more spread out. But for Mick? It’s no worries, mate, because he’s Mick Fanning and he knows Snapper Rocks about as well as a surfer can know it.
