Some of the best sportspeople come from Oz, and there's no better place to recognise it than in the water. It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that Ian Thorpe will take to the stage at next weekend's MTV Australia Awards to present nine-time world champion surfer Mick Fanning with the first ever MTV Australia "Sports Award".
Mick grew up in Sydney's Northern Beaches and spent every spare moment in the waves dreaming about being a pro-surfer. In 2001, at age 19, that dream came true when he won the Bells Beach Rip Curl Pro as the "Wild Card" of the event. Now he's anything but, having cut himself as a nine-time world champion tour winner.
"I've won a few awards over the years but I never thought I'd get to put an MTV Award on the shelf. It's great to be recognised by people with such an influential voice amongst the youth of Australia" says Mick. "It will be surreal to walk the red carpet as an award winner; at least I won't have to prepare my "losing game face".
MTV salutes Mick as a champion who knows how to take on the world with style. Don't miss him catching his Award at the MTV Australia Awards next Saturday, April 26.