Fanning Premiere: Mick, Myself, and Eugene

Upon arrival in a stretch limo, the excited Newport Beach crowd stormed the man of the hour.

A line of pink-faced grommets wrapped around the corner of Newport Beach’s Lido Theatre on Friday, June 16, 2006 for the premiere of Mick Fanning’s new surf video, “Mick, Myself, and Eugene.” Portraying Mick as a true hero (overcoming adversity in the form of injuries and surgery), director Tom Frank provides an intimate portrait of arguably the world’s fastest surfer. Frank commented, “It’s a difficult process making a movie about someone’s life using footage from just a short period of time. So I just want to thank Rip Curl for letting me make this, and Mick for letting me hang around him a bit more than he might have wanted.” It seems like Frank got well acquainted with the multifaceted phenom as he divides the film into three segments: Mick – the professional surf star, Myself – the spiritual free surfer, and Eugene – the fun loving youth.

The man of the hour expressed some reservations about his movie’s premiere commenting, “I was actually pretty nervous for the movie to show, but I’m glad heaps of kids turned out and they were all stoked on it. I hope they liked it; it seemed like they did so I’m pleased.” The packed house definitely voiced their approval of the flick as the hoots and applause rarely came to a halt. A few of the Rip Curl’s most prized team members, Tom Curren, Pancho Sullivan, and fellow Aussie Nathan Hedge, were even on hand to support Fanning’s new film. Signing autographs and giving away tons of promotional goods, Rip Curl succeeded in pumping up the Newport Beach crowd.

What’s next for Fanning? The Rip Curl Search WCT Mexico. Fanning won the Rip Curl competition at Reunion Island last year and hopes to repeat his success, “Yeah, I’m pretty pumped for Mexico…It should be a great trip,” says Mick. Forecasts predict a triple overhead swell awaits Fanning and company - so with a new movie out, great waves to surf, and the possibility of a WCT repeat, Fanning has plenty to smile about.