TWO-time world champion Mick Fanning will be back in action today at D-Bah, competing for his club, the Kirra Surfriders, in the Gold Coast round of the Jim Beam Surf Tag Teams Challenge.

At the end of last year Fanning withdrew from the Hawaiian Triple Crown and Pipeline Masters in November and December, citing a bad neck injury.

There was talk of burnout after a gruelling back end of the ASP World Tour.

During the epic Christmas-Boxing Day 2011 swell, Fanning was seen relishing some of the best Point surf seen in a while, looking more relaxed.

He had grown his curly white hair and even added some kilos.

I managed to catch up with the man they call "White Lightning" and, with a huge smile on his face, had great delight in telling me that his neck injury was much better.

The KSC (Kirra Surfriders Club) will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Saturday, January 28 on top of Kirra Hill.

Kirra is the three-time defending champion of today's regional club competition. Fanning has competed in the last three titles and Kirra is hoping he can lift it again to a fourth in a row.

"Mick is incredibly passionate about surfing for his club and has always been super inspirational for the team," said Kirra spokesman John Robin.

Fanning is expected to compete for Kirra in the second quarter-final scheduled for about 10.30am (NSW time), according to Jim Beam Teams organiser Steve Harrison.

"There's no doubt that Mick will pull a big crowd plus Snapper have listed world No.2 Joel Parkinson, Byron have recent Pipe Masters champion, Kieren Perrow and Leba will have world No.3 Owen Wright," Harrison said.

"The ASP have allowed for their top 34 surfers to compete in the Teams with the option of surfing twice in a regional or national event."

In previous years the Jim Beam National Teams has been held at North Narrabeen though this year's title will be fought out at North Wall Ballina for the first time on February 22-23.

Twenty clubs from Gold Coast to Ballina will compete at D-Bah today with five in each team surfing one hour matches.

"Anyone can win in this format and one wipe-out can prove costly in the pressure-cooker of one-hour matches," said D-Bah team spokesman Ray "Poppy" Helton.

Helton has left the Kirra Surfriders to steer the new club made up of former Snapper and Kirra members.

The D-Bah boardriders team will include Brent "Brenno" Dorrington, John "Bearsey" Cummings, Damon Harvey, Nick Vasicek and world junior champion Jack Freestone.

The LeBa Boardriders, who won last year's Straddie Teams event, will be surfing under a bit more pressure than most as one of their stars, Stu Kennedy, is getting married at Lennox Head in the afternoon and at least half of the LeBa team have been invited to the wedding.

Apart from trying to win the regional round it will be a mission for Stu and the Leba boys "to get me to the church on time".

Already they have Stephen Walsh on standby to back up the groom.

The Snapper Surfriders, who won the JBST in 2002 and 2006, have entered two teams and will be calling on their big guns like Parko, Kersey, Occy, Gossy and Jay Phillips plus new hotties such as Mitch Crews and juniors Noah Deane and Mitch Parkinson to finish on top.