Unfortunately for Tour rookie Ethan Ewing, his poor seeding put him into the heat draw against a seething Mick Fanning. Fanning doesn't like surfing in Round Two, especially at Bells (or in this case, Winkipop). The man's a 6x Finalist and 4x Champ at the Rip Curl Pro. He doesn't do Round Two. Surfing against Fanning at Bells is almost unfair. It's like playing an away game against his beloved National Rugby League club, the Penrith Panthers. Heck, it is a home game for his longtime sponsor, Rip Curl, which is based in Torquay. He loves the place. He's already made it public that he'll retire in the region after his career ends. Not that Fanning needs an advantage, but he had a leg up on Ewing before they even hit the water.
