Mick Fanning chills out surfing glacier waves

Australian surfer Mick Fanning has taken time out from the World Tour to literally chill out – surfing some of the coldest waves on the planet.

Fanning and fellow surfer Mason Ho travelled to North America in search of freezing waves and peace of mind in the film series Rip Curl's "The Search"

The footage shows the pair travelling to one of the most picturesque, if not bone-chilling, locations to surf glacier waves, with nothing but sea lions to keep them company.

Fanning wrote on his Instagram page that the search was “my trip of a lifetime”, and in an interview with Rip Curl admitted the trip was the perfect escape.

“To be in nature and not have a fixed schedule, cell reception or internet," Fanning said.

"It was just what I needed — to get off the grid and disappear.”

Fanning endured a difficult year in 2015 which included a marital separation, a shark attack and the death of his brother.