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Three-time world surf champ Mick Fanning, who famously punched a shark during competition, announces retirement

When pro surfer Mick Fanning set his hands and feet in cement six months ago in Huntington Beach during the Surfers’ Hall of Fame, his prints were accompanied with one word: “Enjoy.”

Fanning announced Wednesday via social media his plans to enjoy retirement, after a long career that included winning three world championship titles and punching a shark during a live broadcast of a surf contest in South Africa.

“It’s time.” he wrote on Instagram.

Instagram Photo

His last event will be the upcoming Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach as a full-time competitor, he wrote.

“The tour has given me so much but I need a fresh challenge. I still love the game but can’t find the motivation and dedication required to compete for World Titles anymore.”

He went on to say his time on tour has been “incredibly rewarding” and thanked his family, his board shaper, fellow competitors, his support crew and fans.

  • Surfer Mick Fanning speaks to the crowd during his induction ceremony into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach, on Friday, August 4, 2017. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Surfer Mick Fanning speaks to the crowd during his induction ceremony into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach, on Friday, August 4, 2017. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Australian Mick Fanning celebrates as he rides into shore after winning a heat at the Men’s Hurley Pro at Trestles in 2015. (Photo by Sam Gangwer, Orange County Register, SCNG)

    Australian Mick Fanning celebrates as he rides into shore after winning a heat at the Men’s Hurley Pro at Trestles in 2015. (Photo by Sam Gangwer, Orange County Register, SCNG)

  • Mick Fanning of Australia surfing at the Future Classic in Lemoore, CA, USA. (Photo: WSL)

    Mick Fanning of Australia surfing at the Future Classic in Lemoore, CA, USA. (Photo: WSL)

  • A “test” contest was held for the first time at Kelly Slater’s wave pool in Lemoore, California. The event was put on by the World Surf League and had a crowd of about 150 invite-only attendees who showed up for the historic day. Three-time world champ Mick Fanning tucks into a barrel. (Photo: WSL/ SEAN ROWLAND)

    A “test” contest was held for the first time at Kelly Slater’s wave pool in Lemoore, California. The event was put on by the World Surf League and had a crowd of about 150 invite-only attendees who showed up for the historic day. Three-time world champ Mick Fanning tucks into a barrel. (Photo: WSL/ SEAN ROWLAND)

  • Mick Fanning of Australia cuts back on a wave during the re-surf of a heat against Kanoa Igarashi of Huntington Beach in the Hurley Pro at Trestles at San Onofre State Beach on Thursday, September 14, 2017. Igarashi went on to win the heat. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Mick Fanning of Australia cuts back on a wave during the re-surf of a heat against Kanoa Igarashi of Huntington Beach in the Hurley Pro at Trestles at San Onofre State Beach on Thursday, September 14, 2017. Igarashi went on to win the heat. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Mick Fanning of Australia poses for a selfie after losing the re-surf of a heat against Kanoa Igarashi of Huntington Beach in the Hurley Pro at Trestles at San Onofre State Beach on Thursday, September 14, 2017. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Mick Fanning of Australia poses for a selfie after losing the re-surf of a heat against Kanoa Igarashi of Huntington Beach in the Hurley Pro at Trestles at San Onofre State Beach on Thursday, September 14, 2017. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Mick Fanning rides a wave all the way into shore in the first round of the Men’s Hurley Pro at Trestles Surfing Championship in San Clemente on Monday, September 11, 2017. (Photo by Sam Gangwer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Mick Fanning rides a wave all the way into shore in the first round of the Men’s Hurley Pro at Trestles Surfing Championship in San Clemente on Monday, September 11, 2017. (Photo by Sam Gangwer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Surfer Mick Fanning leaves his mark at the Surfers’ Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach, on Friday, August 4, 2017. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Surfer Mick Fanning leaves his mark at the Surfers’ Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach, on Friday, August 4, 2017. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Surfer Mick Fanning mugs to the cameras after leaving handprints in the Surfers’ Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach, on Friday, August 4, 2017. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Surfer Mick Fanning mugs to the cameras after leaving handprints in the Surfers’ Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach, on Friday, August 4, 2017. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Surfers’ Hall of Fame inductees Bethany Hamilton and Mick Fanning in Huntington Beach, on Friday, August 4, 2017. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Surfers’ Hall of Fame inductees Bethany Hamilton and Mick Fanning in Huntington Beach, on Friday, August 4, 2017. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Mick Fanning sits unknowingly as a shark approaches him from behind during a surf contest in South Africa. (Photo courtesy WSL)

    Mick Fanning sits unknowingly as a shark approaches him from behind during a surf contest in South Africa. (Photo courtesy WSL)

  • Three-time world champion surfer Mick Fanning was honored as Waterman of the Year at the 27th Annual Waterman’s Ball in Laguna Beach last year. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Three-time world champion surfer Mick Fanning was honored as Waterman of the Year at the 27th Annual Waterman’s Ball in Laguna Beach last year. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Australian Mick Fanning is carried ashore after he won the Men’s Hurley Pro at the Trestles in 2015. (Photo by Sam Gangwer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Australian Mick Fanning is carried ashore after he won the Men’s Hurley Pro at the Trestles in 2015. (Photo by Sam Gangwer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Fanning’s life has been much publicized.  A talented Australian surfer, he  won his first World Tour event at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach in 2002, then a contest at J-Bay during his first year on tour in 2003.  He suffered a devastating leg injury in 2004 that nearly ended his career, but after surgery and rehab, he came back to competition six months later to win the Gold Coast Pro.

It was at J-Bay in 2015 that Fanning faced down a shark.

Viewers from around the world watched via live broadcast as the shark knocked Fanning off his board.  Fanning landed a blow before frantically swimming towards shore, where jet skis and boat swooped in to get him out of the water.

“I felt it and I lifted my leg and it came up, I think it bit through my leg rope. I saw it taking my board away and I started cracking at it,” he told the World Surf League.

It was the first known shark attack in the history of competitive surfing.

Fanning surfed in and around Orange County, occasionally showing up for the U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach.  He always competed at the Hurley Pro at Lower Trestles, a contest that was canceled this year.

In 2017, he was inducted into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street in Huntington Beach. The year before, Fanning was honored in Laguna Beach as “Waterman of the Year.”

“It’s just special for me to be recognized for doing the things that I love doing,” Fanning said before receiving his award at a gala on the grass at the Ranch in Laguna, surrounded by canyons.

In recent years, he came painfully close to winning world championships, only to fall short.

He hung up his jersey for a break the following year after the shark attack, but in 2017 continued to compete. During his 16 years on tour, he was always a crowd favorite, drawing fans to watch his power surfing that earned him the nickname “White Lightning.”

“I’m looking forward to life away from the tour while keeping a close eye on things. I’m so proud of our sport and the way it continues to evolve. The performance level on the Championship Tour and the Big Wave Tour is remarkable,” he wrote. “I can’t wait to watch it all go down as one of the sport’s biggest fans. I’m also looking forward to evolving my own surfing in new ways, visiting unfamiliar places and taking on different experiences.”

Fanning ended his post: “Cheers and thanks for the memories.”

01.03.2018No comments
Police log for Lake Forest, week of Feb. 21-27

FEB. 27

Petty theft report: 9:11 a.m. 24300 block of Rockfield Boulevard

Citizen assist: 8:34 a.m. 25200 block of Toledo Way

Petty theft report: 7:21 a.m. 0 block of Rue Monet

FEB. 26

Suspicious person/circumstances: 7:24 p.m. 24900 block of Muirlands Boulevard

Petty theft report: 6:31 p.m. 24600 block of Raymond Way

Burglary report: 4:38 p.m. 26500 block of Normandale Drive

Trespassing: 3:20 p.m. 22600 block of Lake Forest Drive

Citizen assist: 11:16 a.m. 20200 block of Windrow Drive

Criminal threats report: 10:39 a.m. Lake Forest Drive and Trabuco Road

Patrol check: 10:25 a.m. Boeing Lane and Lake Center Drive

Burglary report: 8:34 a.m. 0 block of Sierra Blanco

Shots heard – no suspect information: 1:33 a.m. 19400 block of Rue de Valore

Suspicious person in a vehicle: 12:04 a.m. 25200 block of Trabuco Road

FEB. 25

Drunken driving: 6:26 p.m. Trabuco Road and Bake Parkway

Disturbance – music or party: 4:28 p.m. 23200 block of Orange Avenue

Suspicious person/circumstances: 3:48 p.m. Ridge Route Drive and Muirlands Boulevard

Stolen vehicle: 3:29 p.m. 20200 block of Windrow Drive

Vandalism in progress: 2:49 p.m. 1000 block of Lupine

Patrol check: 2:30 p.m. Los Alisos Blvd and Jeronimo Road

Petty theft: 11:56 a.m. 27200 block of Portola Parkway

Assist outside agency: 10:55 a.m. 22700 block of Lake Forest Drive

Search and rescue: 9:31 a.m. 27900 block of Glenn Ranch Road

FEB. 24

Suspicious person/circumstances: 4:56 p.m. 22400 block of Aliso Park Drive

Citizen assist: 4:35 p.m. 20200 block of Windrow Drive

Reckless driving: 3:28 p.m. 21700 block of Fernleaf Drive

Drunken driving: 12:20 p.m. Lake Forest Drive and Toledo Way

Petty theft report: 12:19 p.m. 20200 block of Windrow Drive

Stolen vehicle: 6:59 a.m. 1800 block of Indigo Place

Assist outside agency: 1:09 a.m. 0 block of Goldenrod

Suspicious person in a vehicle: 1:08 a.m. 24600 block of Via Tequila

FEB. 23

Suspicious person/circumstances: 9:53 p.m. 21000 block of Monisha

Annoying phone call: 8:40 p.m. Alton Parkway and Towne Centre Drive

Suspicious person in a vehicle: 5:17 p.m. Lake Forest Drive and Rancho Parkway

Citizen assist: 2:26 p.m. 0 block of Torino

Pedestrian check: 1:43 p.m. Rockfield Blvd and Boein Lane

Fraud report: 1:32 p.m. 24300 block of Fordview St

Burglary report: 8:12 a.m. 22900 block of Cavanaugh Road

FEB. 22

Assist outside agency: 11:45 p.m. 22400 block of Rippling Brook

Disturbance – music or party: 11:27 p.m. 23300 block of Ridge Route Drive

Citizen assist: 10:57 p.m. 24600 block of Shadowfax Drive

Missing adult: 11:06 a.m. 24600 block of Shadowfax Drive

ID theft: 8:52 a.m. 20200 block of Windrow Drive

Fraud report: 8:25 a.m. 25800 block of Wright

Suspicious person in a vehicle: 12:48 a.m. El Toro Road and Bridger Road

Suspicious person/circumstances: 12:04 a.m. 25300 block of Villa Real

FEB. 21

Suspicious person in a vehicle: 7:50 p.m. 19400 block of Bake Parkway

Citizen assist: 6:57 p.m. 0 block of Massier Lane

Suspicious person/circumstances: 6:31 p.m. Vintage Way and Normandale Drive

Trespassing: 6:02 p.m. 25400 block of Trabuco Road

Petty theft report: 2:52 p.m. 22300 block of El Toro Road

Found property: 11:27 a.m. 24900 block of Muirlands Boulevard

Stolen vehicle: 8:35 a.m. 23200 block of Olive Avenue

Police log compiled by Magda Liszewska

01.03.2018No comments
UCLA’s Monique Billings uses size and ‘smize’ to excel

Monique Billings stands in front of the mirror. The UCLA forward needs some practice.

Shoulders down. Back straight. Eyes up. Squint.

She’s working on her “smize.”

That would be smiling with your eyes. Supermodel Tyra Banks coined the term on her TV show “America’s Next Top Model.” It’s a model’s secret to a perfect photo, one Billings is determined to perfect the same way she has refined her face-up game and footwork because the 6-foot-4 senior from Corona refuses to let the dimensions of a 94-by-50-foot court limit her potential.

“She’s a renaissance woman,” UCLA head coach Cori Close said. “She’s an incredible model. She’s an incredible passionate teacher of youth. She’s a trailblazer.”

Billings, who earned her second straight All-Pac-12 and All-Defensive Team honors Tuesday, is climbing to the top of the UCLA record books as the No. 9 Bruins start postseason play Friday in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament in Seattle.

The record-setting forward, who already owns the school’s all-time blocks record (218) and is third in rebounds (1,109), grew from an insecure fourth-grader with big feet who towered over her classmates. On the court, she found a place to celebrate her height.

She found role models in former Stanford standouts Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike and Tennessee superstar Candace Parker. To nurture her off-court passions, Billings looked to model-turned-mogul Banks, who has inspired Billings the way she hopes to inspire other young girls.

“(Banks) just inspired me that it’s OK to be different,” Billings said, “and I can inspire other people to be different and that different is cool.”

Billings stands out from her basketball peers with her potent combination of athleticism and skill. Fellow senior Jordin Canada calls Billings the most athletic post player with whom she’s ever played.

As her four-year UCLA career winds down, Billings, who dunked in a warm-up last year, has added a mid-range jump shot and impeccable footwork to counter the double teams in the paint. She’s shooting a career-high 70.1 percent from the free-throw line this season, up from the 47.7 percent clip she is embarrassed to admit she shot as a freshman, and has 34 assists on the year, already matching a career-high for a single season.

“The athleticism has always been there, I just had to put the talent with that and that just came from work and reps,” Billings said. “Just really beating on my craft.”

The extra work earned her a tryout with Team USA last summer. She had just averaged a double-double (16.7 points, 10.5 rebounds) and grabbed a spot on the final U.S. roster that won gold in the Under-24 Four Nations Tournament in Tokyo. She wasn’t a McDonald’s All-American like many of her peers. It didn’t stop her from wearing her red, white and blue USA jersey.

“This was her chance to show really anyone in the country that she could compete at the highest of levels,” said Close, who was a court coach at the training camp. “Don’t overlook her.”

Between trying out, making the team and winning the tournament, Billings did an internship at Ivan Bitton Style House last summer, working behind the scenes to style Hollywood celebrities. She even got to model a few items, putting her “smize” into action.

Billings bristles when people ask her whether she prefers basketball or modeling. To her, there’s no need to choose.

“That concept was important to me, coming into college, not just being a basketball player, but to do more than one thing,” she said. “Something we always say in our program is basketball doesn’t define who we are.”

Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament

Quarterfinal: No. 4 seed UCLA vs. No. 5 Cal/No. 12 Washington

When: 2 p.m. Friday

Where: KeyArena, Seattle

TV: Pac-12 Networks

01.03.2018No comments