One year ago, Mick Fanning had just been on the end of a shark attack while in the water at the J-Bay Open, a competition that takes place in Jeffreys Bay, located on the eastern cape of South Africa.
The Australian surfer has overcome nerves and injury to record a first-round win at Jeffreys Bay, where he clashed with a shark last year. Check out the video from last year below…
Fanning notched up a combined score of 13.67 in clean conditions to take the win over Brazil’s Alejo Muniz and Connor Coffin of the US.
The three-time world champion injured his ankle during a warm-up surf earlier this week, but said he had enlisted the help of on-site medical team to get back in the water.
“It’s been a big week actually, I had to sit out on the sidelines and watch the amazing waves go through which was just like torture,” Fanning said.
“But the medical staff worked so well on me and I got it taped up and once I was out in the heat, I didn’t feel anything.”
Fanning also said he had shaken the nerves brought on by last year’s widely publicised near miss with a shark at the same event and was not fazed by having to surf the first heat of the event
It was a seemingly casual win for the champion surfer, visibly hobbling from his ankle problem as he was greeted by photographers and media when he returned to shore.
Fanning didn’t reference the shark attack in an interview with Rosy Hodge from the World Surf League after his heat, preferring instead to focus on how he was getting over his ankle injury.
“I got here early and hurt my ankle, and had to sit on the sidelines and watch the amazing waves go through, it was just like torture … once you’re out there in the heat, you don’t feel anything. It was great to get back out.”
The World Surf League has deployed additional shark-spotting utilities for the event and banned photographers from filming in the water after Kelly Cestari was left to swim to shore after Fanning’s terrifying encounter.
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