When Mick Fanning walked up the beach after his final heat at the Rip Curl Pro Bells, the world didn’t know what to expect – it was the end of one of the greatest professional careers in surfing history, and everyone with their eyes on Bells Beach knew that. But what they might not have known was that moment he took off that rash vest, Mick Fanning was embarking on an entirely new adventure. It was the end of an era and the start of The Search. Within days of ringing the runner-up Bell, MF was on a plane to a foreign land without a plan, an itinerary or any expectations – simply a whisper of a wave, and the hope of finding it. Like most journeys this particular trip left him wanting more – a bigger swell, a better weather pattern, more time, less rain… the list goes on. But that’s not a bad thing – because when you leave a place with unfinished business, you know you’ll return. And that’s the beauty of The Search. It never ends.