Mick Fanning Talks About His Favorite Memory of Andy Irons

Although they were competitors, Mick Fanning and Andy Irons had a special friendship.

In this outtake, Fanning describes the moment he won his second world title at Pipeline, and how he was greeted at his surprise party at Turtle Bay by a swift face slap from Andy.

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“Everyone went dead quiet, and then when they saw Andy laughing and doing that to me, everyone just erupted,” Fanning said.

Fanning recalls Andy looking him in the eye and saying, “I wanted you to remember exactly the first time you saw me after you won.”

Even though Fanning’s cheek took a beating that night, that memory is representative of the friendship the two shared. The way Fanning describes it, there was no malice in Andy’s voice when he saw him after he won his world title; Andy was overjoyed for his friend.

Throughout their career and friendship, there were definitely moments of tension between the two surfers. Especially when they were in the same competitions and going for the same waves.

But Fanning still has the photo that was taken shortly after he got slapped by Andy, and it continues to be one of his cherished memories. “It was a really special moment for me, for sure. Every time I look at that photo I just remember, a little sting on the cheek comes back” Fanning said in an interview with TGR.