"I basically evacuated Mavericks!"
What’s scarier than the cold, mean, rocky, deadly, foggy, big, cold, seaweedy, cold, big waves of northern California’s pride and joy Mavericks? A huge Great White shark swimming in those murky depths, acquiring a taste for delicious bootied feet.
Yikes!
But it’s true. There is a shark there and let’s turn directly to the Bay Area’s ABC affiliate to learn details. Let’s not waste even a moment’s time.
Mavericks surfers got a major dose of adrenaline Sunday, but for once it had nothing to do with surfing huge waves.
Instead it came from a close encounter with a humongous great white shark, estimated to be 18 to 20 feet long, that cruised within inches of one jet ski and forced the evacuation of the entire surf break.
“This was by far the biggest and scariest creature I’ve ever seen in the ocean.”
And Drake Stanley would know.
A big wave surfer and professional surf rescuer, Stanley has been the ocean his entire life, diving and spear-fishing.
It started as just another day out at Mavericks.
Stanley said he had surfed in the morning and was working as a jet ski rescuer for other surfers in the afternoon.
He told ABC7 News that he was sitting on his jet ski with the engine turned off around 1:30PM by and area known as Mushroom Rock when he first saw the huge shark.
“It looked like a whale,” explained Stanley as he watched it rise out of the green depths of the ocean.
Stanley said the shark swam just inches under his jet ski, close enough for him to see the scratch marks on its skin and its dark gray eye.
He estimated the shark to be about 16 to 20 feet long since it was much longer than his jet ski and rescue board.
It was so big, that it didn’t even fit into the frame for the one picture he was able to take of it.
But the frightening encounter got scarier when Stanley said the shark spotted a surfer paddling in from the Mavericks break.
“It saw the surfer and just made a beeline for him… I thought, ‘I’m going to watch a shark attack.'”
Realizing that the surfer had no idea the shark was out there, Stanley turned on his jet ski and revved it loudly several times in an attempt to draw the shark’s attention away.
It worked and Stanley was able to scoop up the surfer on his jet ski but the shark then started heading for the waiting lineup of surfers at Mavericks.
Stanley raced out to those surfers and alerted them about the huge shark, pulling as many as he could onto his rescue board and towing the rest in on their surfboards.
“I had like 8 people in,” recalled Stanley “I basically evacuated Mavericks!”
I’m going to crawl under the covers now and never come out.
So long!
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Invested in and surfed Kelly’s wave like the ultimate wannabe hero kook. And made all of surfing avert its eyes for shame.
Yeh he’s a hero
It was probably a toothless basking shark.
Just a gummy
So where’s the fucking picture?
Ok found it and now I wish I hadn’t
There’s nothing in that photo but water and old jizz on the lens.
I’m calling bullshit.
Stanley and the sharks doo doo do do doo
With teeth like Stanley Knives doo doo do do doo ……
Obviously no where is safe from baby shark…
Dr Livingstone , I presume ?
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
6-8ft Hawaiian
And they only filter feed on plankton . Save the whale shark I say !
Rarely sighted Jaguar Shark
Who ze shit is Stanley Zissou?
Or Winthorp
The use of “humongous” there gave me so many giggles.
Do you know Drake, Jen?
No! But “humungous” is in the news channel’s copy, which is why I’m giggling.
his parents own Esaus on linden
Glad to see your girlish humor has not changed a bit!
Even though never meeting you before, I am sure this will always be one of your top 3 best attributes.
Using his last name “Stanley” made the story so ho-hum. Stanley sounds like the retired professional receding hairline that lives next door and always, out of sheer kindness, mows your front grass too. Should have used “Drake”. “Drake” sounds superhero. Jetski Man! Dragging 8 Men with Just His Jet Ski!, the story headline could have read. But no, they went with “Stanley”, ffs where’s the drama people?!
Maverick’s wasn’t the only thing that got evacuated. Bet there were some wetsuits that needed an extra rinse that morning.
I dunno, “Drake” sounds like a soft-ass Canadian rapper to me.
Drake could use more street cred. Stanley though, he could 187 a rival and still be thought a goober.
Maybe the Aussies amongst us think it sounds hard though, like a Stanley knife.
he is an unlikely fellow not what one would expect from a big wave guy….but he charges when he’s in position. Kind of a “point and go’ type surfer. Not much street cred, but when you see his ski hitched to his truck you know what is happening. Heard his Fuckbook page is revealing.
Flat Stanley aka Stanley Lambchop could have waited for a breeze and floated himself to safety like a kite.
Stanley sounds unmovable TTVOMJ
Are all rappers imported or does it just sound like that?
Only the silly ones (except Slick Rick).
There was a cholo kid in my HS who went by Stanley. You never know.
I wouldn’t have bothered Christy. He would just told the shark that it wasn’t his time to go and he should bugger off and bother someone else.
If the shark saw Christy it would’ve jumped on the ski. Is Christy our very own Chuck Norris?
Who’s Christy?
Dude had a Heart attack on a wave at Mavericks and lived to tell the tale. Plus he beats up sharks.
Ah sorry! Yes of course.
I humbly apologise to Christie.
Long may he wrastle Mavs, and knock sharks out.
That photo has just enough information to really bum me out.
“Stanley said the shark swam just inches under his jet ski, close enough for him to see the scratch marks on its skin and its dark gray eye”
Fucking chilling.. As if Mavericks wouldn’t be scary as fuck already.. Heart attacks, hungry noah’s, and monster slabby coldness. Fuck that shit.
And to think that Jeff Clark surfed it alone for 15 years ……
..and nobody believed him til he showed em!
That is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of that place. One of my regular spots (in non rocky/cold/seaweedy/no undersea death cave socal) is well populated with sub 10 foot GWS “juveniles”. Weekday surf is frequently solo or 1-2 other guys all winter. Honestly can’t imagine surfing Mavericks alone 25 years ago.
What’s the name of it? What tide is it best?
Salt Creek. Don’t blow it out. Works at all tides.
Shhhh – only now starting to get crowded. Keep it on the low !
Maybe there were others who had surfed it alone before Clark, but never lived to tell of the spot as the “big man in the gray suit” got to them first.