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Australian surfing legend Mick Fanning said goodbye to his last surviving brother on the Gold Coast on Saturday, two days after the birth of his second child.
Ed Fanning, 48, died in late March in the African island nation of Madagascar, where he worked as a surf coach.
The shocking news followed the 2015 deaths of Mick’s older brother Peter and another brother Sean in a car crash in Coolangatta in 1998, when the future triple world champion was just 17 years old.
Hundreds of people, including other surfing legends, were at the Greenmount Surf Club on Saturday morning to celebrate Ed, who died from an infected cut.
On Thursday, Mick’s partner Breeana had a baby girl, a sister to their three-year-old son, Xander.
Australian surfing legend Mick Fanning (pictured) said goodbye to his last surviving brother on Saturday, two days after the birth of his second child.
Hundreds of people (pictured) flocked to the Greenmount Beach Surf Club on the Gold Coast to celebrate the life of Ed Fanning.
Mick Fanning (centre) is pictured with his mother Liz Osborne (left) at a tribute to Ed Fanning.
Mick Fanning is pictured receiving a hug from a fellow surfer at Greenmount Beach
Ed Fanning was remembered as a larrikin with a “heart of gold” and inspired Mick to become a surfer.
“Ed was so passionate about surfing that us brothers could just follow him to the beach and see for ourselves,” Mick told the service, as reported in the Mail.
“It really was life-changing, getting my first taste of the ocean in Coffs Harbor (where the brothers first surfed).
“Ed dreamed of becoming a professional surfer with his best friends.”
Mick told a story about how Ed had played electric guitar at a school concert, imitating Dire Straits’ 1985 song Money for Nothing.
He joked that the song’s lyrics of “getting money for nothing and your girls for free” became Ed’s theme throughout his life.
Ed regularly raided Mick’s wardrobe and meeting room for free clothes and surfboards, he said.
Mick said his brother loved beer and always feared that one day he would get a call telling him Ed had drunk “his last schooner.”
That call came last month, but Mick said Ed was in his “happy place” in Madagascar after moving there in 2020 to teach surfing to locals and tourists alike.
The Fanning brothers’ mother Liz Osborne spoke about Ed’s love for the Wests Tigers NRL team and how much he hated losing the surfing playoffs.
She also recalled how, when he was unemployed at one point, she referred to him as a member of then-federal treasurer Paul Keating’s “surf team.”
Osborne said Ed and his partner had adopted a girl called Jelly Baby, who had previously lived in poor conditions.
“I will return next week to see where my son is buried, in his happy place, surrounded by so much love,” she said.
A man is pictured holding a monument given at Saturday’s service.
Hundreds of people were at the Greenmount Surf Club on Saturday morning to celebrate Ed Fanning, who died from an infected cut.
Mick Fanning and other surfers pictured in memory of his brother Ed
Mick Fanning (pictured front) prepares to jump into the water in tribute to his late brother Ed
Aboriginal dancers (pictured) took part in the ceremony on Saturday morning.