Surfing in Nor Cal is gnarly. There’s a lot more GNAR our there than you’ll ever find in the mountains. The largest sharks in the world frequent San Francisco waters & the nearby Farallon Islands & occasionally eat surfers. These sharks are named “The Sisters,” can be 22 feet long, 6 feet wide, and hungry. (read this book to learn about “The Sisters”: “The Devil’s Teeth”)
At about 9:30 am yesterday, Hawaiian surfer Dusty Payne got a taste of true Northern California surfing.
“I saw he biggest fin I’ve ever seen in my life, coming straight at me.” – Dusty Payne
“I saw this fin 3 feet out of the water coming at me. Growing up in Hawaii, you see dolphins, sharks, all sorts of things, but this was the biggest shark I’ve ever seen.” – Dusty Payne
Dusty was asked “What now?”
“What now? Paddle out into Round 2 terrified. It’s survival now, instead of making the heat. I don’t want to go out there, but I guess I have to.” – Dusty Payne
This Fall in Nor Cal there have been 2 shark sightings at Montara (just south of SF), 2 more sightings at Mavericks (30 mins south of SF), and a full-on shark attack in Monterey Bay (2 hours south of SF).
Yesterday, November 1st, 2011, was the first day of the Rip Curl Pro Search at Ocean Beach in San Francisco, California’s frigid waters.
10-foot surf, warm weather, and offshore winds created awesome conditions and quite a few tube rides at our beloved Ocean Beach.
It was a classic surf event day at Ocean Beach. Kelly Slater getting mobbed by crowds (while putting the nail in the coffin for his record 11th ASP Tour Campionship), great OB conditions, container ships pouring in and out of the Golden Gate, and some incredible surfing.
Kelly Slater:
Is essentially guaranteed his 11th ASP World Tour Championship today.
Tube Riding:
Jordy Smith, John John Florence, Damien Hobgood, Matt Wilkinson, all chilled in “The Popes’ Livingroom” for a bit yesterday.
Shark Sightings:
Only Dusty Payne saw the monster shark. Lifeguards, park rangers, and SF locals didn’t flinch. Neither did the other surfers for that matter. The venue was deemed “safe” and the show went on.