First day of summer. And here come the sharks!
A few hours ago, a surfer was hit by a shark at Booti Booti National Park right there in the dreamy southern corner of Seven Mile Beach, near Forster on Australia’s mid-north coast.
Sixty-five-year-old Colin Rowland was hit from below and dragged underwater by his legrope. His board was ripped in two but the only injuries he suffered were deep cuts to his foot. Relatively minor when you consider the commotion that must’ve gone on in the battle between man and misunderstood beast.
Check out the photo here. What kind of shark’s going to hit you from beneath and bite your sled in two? Ol Mr Whitey, yeah? Newspaper reports suggest a 10-foot White.
Anyway, paramedics swooped, drove Col to the local bowling club where a rescue chopper flew him to hospital, Col giving the thumbs up to photographers. All good, mostly. Lucky escape etc.
So where is this joint?
If you know your surf movies, and your photos, you’ll have seen the waves around here a thousand times. Blue water. Dreamy, sometimes empty, peaks. Three-and-a-half hours drive north of Sydney. Look up the oeuvre of Newcastle’s Bosko to see a catalogue of the joint.
But.
Sharky as all hell, always has been. I was surfing a little peak at nearby Seal Rocks two weeks ago, closing on dusk, when a kid started screaming to his little brother that a shark was next to him. Next thing, a local paddles out and says an eight-footer swam under his board while he was riding a wave. Of course I shrieked and windmilled to shore, kissing the sand, panting etc.
I remember a wonderful story, years ago, written by Nick Carroll, where he came face to face with a shark underwater and totally fronted it. Stared at the fucker until it left him alone.
(Nick, if you’re reading this, do fill in the blanks.)
And, the board pictured. The JS. Does it not strike you as remarkable that a senior rides such a modern piece of equipment? It ain’t even sorta fishy. Usually, the aged totter around on SUPS or ancient longboards or some kinda deadly hybrid. This stud must rip and therefore we wish a swift recovery.
(Note: JS Surfboards is going to replace the mutilated sled. Col? You out there? Contact Curt Emerton at JS Surfboards. He’ll sort you out. Also, Dayan Neve from FCS is going to supply the leash, the grip, the fins.)
Meanwhile, Seven-Mile Beach and nearby Boomerang and Blueys have been closed while authorities, well, they can’t do much. But closing beaches does give the appearance of doing something.
Anyone got any good Forster/Pacific Palms shark stories?
Loads of old dudes up here on the MNC riding short boards. They’re awesome. I’ll never be near as good as a lot of 60yr olds here. All the best to this fella, glad he’s OK.
fuck all my fave east coast haunts are riddled with sharks! Really taking the shine off the old road trip! In other news Derek, how was the sting when your realised Noz said no to Necro cause he was busy starting his own ill conceived traction co?
It’s not retarded when it’s done by legends such as Bonga, Taylor Jensen or Harley Ingleby. Kook.
What Australia needs is Mark the shark hunter. Pile em up on the dock savage style.
Ha yep my 1st reaction was 65 yo riding a hifi JS what a legend.
Classic case of mutton dressed as lamb! Have a speedy recovery!
Looks like there are more sharks on Straya’s East Coast than in New Zealand these days
Fuck it was a column in the original swell.com – early morning session at Blueys. The shark was riding a swell pulse underwater like a dolphin. I saw it and duck dived early to have a look at it – a six-foot bronzie, wings out and flying. It saw me and freaked out and turned on a dime and took off along the line of the swell. I’d never seen a shark do that.
I’ll try to find it. Meantime, talked to one of the Tuncurry crew. They’ve been feeling the same vibe as Ballina. The species recovery along Australia’s east coast is changing surfing.
http://www.coastalwatch.com…
…oh yes that’s the one. You broke his will! And this was before Great Whites starting appearing in everyone’s morning Corn Flakes which made it so…exotic.
Saw two 8-10 foot sharks cruising the beach at Treachery and then another a similar size that same afternoon at Seal Rocks about 3 weeks ago…..
We should all stay away from this place from now on.
Derek don’t be fucking telling everyone where Bulls Paddock is!!!!!! But apparently there has been a few hanging there last couple weeks and Blueys, Boomers.
My mate told me this morning was northerly on it so cant been pristine and additionally is heap of the red algae in water so maybe a little less clear than normal??
Gee Derek you sound like a young middle class trump supporter when you say……”And, the board pictured. The JS. Does it not strike you as remarkable that a senior rides such a modern piece of equipment? It ain’t even sorta fishy. Usually, the aged totter around on SUPS or ancient longboards or some kinda deadly hybrid. This stud must rip and therefore we wish a swift recovery.”
If he was riding a log you would wish him a slow recovery?
Having just turned 60, I was ready to be mildly offended by your stereotyping of us follicly challenged surfers, however you redeemed yourself in the end! I ride a JS Monsta & love it! Mate I would rather open a major vein than be seen on the aforementioned surf craft!
Speedy recovery to my fellow JS team rider!
Follically challenged , and just so you know those monsta’s are top of the GWS’s menu!
Good Point! Maybe I should get a Hypto Krypto, no self respecting GWS would go near them!
Lol. On the other hand, modern longboarding rocks.
Jimmy whatever turns you on! For me it’s like a Harley & a Ducati both fun, but oh man that Ducati!
no surprises, new normal, whites galore around Byron-Ballina through winter-spring then heading south and hanging foul between Forster and Stockton.
3 ten foot plus females tagged here in the last week, including one that came back for sloppy seconds ie first tagged in June.
didn’t Dave Sparkes get hit at Sandbar/Cellito a few years back>?
musta felt wonderful after he freed himself from the rampaging white and stuck his fingers in that hole in his foot. Least he still had his leg on.
Wouldn’t that be the worst thing: still alive and reaching down to feel no leg there.
Or, in the case of Tadashi Nakahara, no legs. A mortal wound. The new normal. Yup. Say, when are you going to dazzle our little community with a story on the state of play?
Have to say glad he is okay, all things considered. Props for still shortboarding at 65.
I once saw Paul Gallen paddle out at Treachery…. good story?
The stud who plays football?
You asked for a good shark story did you not?
hahahahah
had he been nobly astride an ancient longboard not only would his foot have been saved, but his board would now be adorned with a glorious glistening-white diadem of great white teeth broken-off-and-embedded into the otherwise totally unharmed volan – a reward from poseidon, the hoary lord of the depths himself, for choosing to uphold and cultivate the archaic and eldritch logging arts of antiquity
YOU’RE HIRED
Near Seal Rocks? I wonder where the sharks feed mostly?