It’s an often uttered criticism of surf journalism that the majority of interview questions posed to the icons of our sport only ever dig skin deep.

If pro surfers had a quid for every time a mic was thrust in their face and ‘how’s your equipment feeling?’ or ‘what’s your mindset coming into this event?’ were fired at them, they’d be considerably richer than they are. Most surf reporters like to keep it safe and light.

However, every now and then journalists, often from outside the world of surfing, take it upon themselves to dig a little deeper into the psyche of surfing’s biggest players, asking questions that demand a more considered response than ‘my boards are feeling great’.

Here’s a a recent interview, conducted by American musician/actor/writer/ radio host Henry Rollins, with the newly retired Mick Fanning as its subject, that aims to dig deep on various subjects including toughness, sharks and retirement: