World's Most Dangerous Place.

When I was a younger man, one of my favorite things to read was The World’s Most Dangerous Places by Robert Young Pelton. The travel guide detailed various countries/autonomous regions like Afghanistan, North Korea, Chechnya, giving each one a danger ranking while providing tips on how to move around, where to eat, who to look out for etc.

Very fun though if written today, the beaches of these United States would rank the most dangerous of all, or at least would have one month ago.

Surfing outlawed, standing still while gazing at the ocean outlawed, eating Asian fusion cuisine within a chopstick throw of the beach outlawed. Much police officer harassment. Many bullhorns used at maximum volume.

Restrictions have, thankfully, started to relax but are our beaches any safer?

The answer, sadly, is no and let us fly, metaphorically, to the Sunshine State where a man soaking in some vitamin D was run over by a large police SUV.

A man lying on a Florida beach was injured Friday after an officer drove a police cruiser over him, authorities said.

According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, William Koziarz, 66, of Michigan, was taken to an area hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Deputies said Indian Shores Police Department Officer Natasha Hindman, 27, was driving a fully marked 2018 Ford Explorer police cruiser Friday at 6 p.m., WTSP reported.

Hindman had just begun her beach patrol and was driving slowly along the sand when the left tires of her vehicle drove over Koziarz’s hips, the Times reported.

According to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office, Hindman stopped and immediately gave aid until paramedics arrived.

But have you ever seen anyone become run over by law enforcement on a beach? What about a surfboard?

I have only seen a lifeguard cruelly bulldoze a made-with-love drip sandcastle that took me over an hour.

Very sad.

"Safe travels and hopefully you are mowing more foam, and ripping again somewhere better."

It was reported here yesterday that a 26-year-old surfer was killed by a fatal shark attack a mile south of Manresa State Beach, very near Santa Cruz. He was surfing 100 yards from the shore, at about 1:30 in the afternoon, when the attack occurred and was pronounced dead at the scene from a leg injury.

Today, it was revealed that the surfer, Ben Kelly, was a local shaper.

Per his Ben Kelly Surfboards website:

I am a self-taught shaper bringing the core fundamentals of board building into a fresh new mindset and clean modern feel that works for you! I love the process of creating: taking something raw and formless and making it into something both functional and aesthetic. This involves working directly with surfers where they are at in their surfing journey and equipping them to take the next step.

Disbelief and sadness are being expressed on his Instagram account with fellow shaper at Route One Surfboards writing:

you were doing it brotha!!!! Your quick rise and hard work was inspirational and it is really hard to think that the central coast is all of a sudden going to have to move on without you. So much love to you and your family. Safe travels and hopefully you are mowing more foam, and ripping again somewhere better.

Capitola and surrounding beaches remain closed.