Andy King says he that started walking, talking and surfing all at the same time so it wasn’t surprising that he became a professional surfer in 1996. His career lasted for 8 years but then on a night out with his girlfriend and now wife, Nadene; he was hit from behind and fell to the round smashing his cochlear. When he woke he was deaf and had lost his sense of equilibrium.
With the help of other pro surfers he was able to receive a cochlear implant so that he could hear again. He re-learnt to walk and was eventually able to surf again, but his days as a professional were over. This led him into coaching.
He started as a coach for young surfers on the Red Bull circuit in America, and went on to coach Mick Fanning on his way to 3 World Championships in 2007, 2009 and 2013. Then in 2013, with surfing confirmed as an Olympic Sport at the 2020 games, he was appointed as National Surfing Australia based at the Hurley High Performance Centre on the Gold Coast. Today he is a professional coach for many surfers on the world tour.
