Good bloke, that Mick Fanning. “Best bloke ever,” actually, reckons 16-year old Ben Beasley from Adelaide, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour in March of this year. He’s since undergone emergency brain surgery and seven rounds of chemotherapy, and still has five left to go.

“A bit of a rough trot,” as Fanning puts it in his typically understated manner.

In fact Ben had a round of chemo just a week before the above clip was shot. Ben thought he was off on a random family trip to the Gold Coast, turned out that Mick was waiting there to take him for a surf at Snapper. The whole thing was organised by the Starlight Children’s Foundation, who specialise in “positive distraction” to enrich the lives of ill children and their families, and for whom Fanning’s an ambassador.

“It was the best moment of my life”, said Ben afterwards.

Another story that’ll tug on the old heartstrings!