In terms of ticking things off the bucket list, Mick Fanning may have trumped just about every surfer on the planet with a once-in-a-lifetime surf under a stunning Northern Lights display.

Fanning — currently on a hiatus from professional surfing — camped out on a beach in the Norwegian archipelago of Lofoten, Norway with local photographers Emil Sollie and Mats Grimsaeth waiting for the conditions to align and, as it turned out, they didn’t have to wait long.

“We’d set out a 10-day waiting period because there were so many elements that had to come together,” Fanning told the ABC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCrqGw02hYk

“Even then it was a bit of a roll of the dice. You need the right waves, clear skies and on top of all that, you actually need the lights to come on.”

The lights came on for the first two nights, however, the waves refused to co-operate.

“But on the third night we got lucky,” Fanning said.

The surfer spent the night riding “surprisingly good” waves as the photographer set to work capturing an image they planned for two years.

Mick Fanning kicks off a bucket list item off Norway. Photo: Mats Grimsaeth

In keeping with his ethos for 2016, Fanning also took time to take in the spectacle.

“From my end it was pretty easy, I just had to ride the waves,” Fanning said.

“But there was four to six minutes between sets [of waves] and in that time I was just staring up at the sky just screaming with excitement.”

With the shot in the bag, Fanning and the photographers took a moment to celebrate the achievement.

“Everyone was on a high,” the three-time world champion recalled.

Mick Fanning described screaming in awe of the northern lights display. Photo: Mats Grimsaeth

“I think I finished surfing at 2:00am and I tried to put myself to sleep but I couldn’t, everyone was so pumped when we saw the pictures.”
Taking difficult year

Fanning has taken an indefinite period of leave from professional surfing after a tumultuous 2015.

In July, he was attacked by a shark while competing at Jefferys Bay, South Africa. Footage of the incident has since clocked up close to 26 million views.

Footage of Mick Fanning’s run-in with a shark has clocked up close to 26 million views. Photo: Getty

Fanning bounced back and continued to compete, but learned of his brother Peter’s death on the eve of a world title showdown in Hawaii.

In February, Fanning announced he had separated from wife of eight years, Karissa Dalton.

Earlier this year he confirmed he would only compete selectively but would not be drawn on his intentions after that.

He posted an emotional win at the event in Jefferys Bay but has not competed since the World Surf League event in California in September.

Fanning said he’d learned to deal with the sustained media interest in his life after the shark attack, but welcomed periods of “unplugging and getting away from it all”.

“It does take its toll from time to time but you just have to take it in your stride,” Fanning said.

Still amazed how beautiful Norway was but am sure not missing the cold haha #bucketlist 📷… https://t.co/IZbSM9r5sM

— Mick Fanning (@Mick_Fanning) November 29, 2016

“Sometimes you just want to disappear and fall off the face of the Earth, but I think everyone does that.”

Fanning is not the only veteran surfer to send out mixed signals about his future in the sport. Eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater took to social media stating he was “all in” for one last shot at a world title.

“To be 45 and still winning events is just out of this world,” Fanning said of Slater and the possibility of his retirement.

“He’s done things that will never be repeated and he took the sport to the mainstream. It’s going to be a hard one not having him there.”

– ABC