Watched this live it was wild, what a scary moment, thank god Micks OK !!!!!!!!

Huge props to both those guys.

Gnarliest footage I think I have seen EVER!

So glad both Mick and Julian are ok. Watching it go down live was just so heavy.

It doesn't get any closer!! Glad both Mick and Julian are all ok

Watched it live as well. Thought Mick was going to be chomped on live tv. Very harrowing to watch. At the end of Mick and Kellys heat, Peter Mel was saying the boat out there had depth sounder for spotting a shark if it came nearby. Well that clearly didnt work. Fucking lucky both of them.

Amazing! So thankful for nothing to of happened to anyone out in the water! Mad props to Julian for having such selfless reactions.

Now, is there any word on what shark was involved? From what I gather, it seemed to be more of a curious poking rather than a predatory attack. Please don't let my words be taken out of context. I would wish this upon no one and I say once again how grateful I am that every one is 100% unscathed albeit mentally shaken!

I fell as though numerous questions are going to be raised from this incident.
The end of CT level J-Bay?
Increased water patrol/protection?
Will competitors even return?

This is not the first incident of sharks at J-Bay either, but I hope that SA government resort to culling of sharks to save face for tourism in these parts.

One more time. So happy that no one was hurt through all of this. (Great result for the Aussies!!!)

great white for sure .........over 3 m plus

That was fucking evil.....wasn't that long ago comps had no skis or boat water patrol, credit to how quick those guys reacted.....had Eugene and Julian been left to get ashore on the one surfboard...SHIT....it could have ended real bad..

Watching live and couldn't believe my eyes. When clearly something was happening and he was bumped off his board - and that moment when the smaller wave blocked our view. I thought he was gone for sure. Unbelievable. So glad Mick's ok.

I am VP in charge of nothing so what would I know - but I also question the intent of the shark. It would seem to me that if such an incredible predator had real intent then the outcome would have been very different.

One thing that is without question though is that Julian Wilson is a f*cking legend.

Oh and that ADS maintains the yellow jersey - I hope this doesn't impact the crowning of a rightful champ come year end.

just a beesdick off a real horror show. That was stirring stuff seeing Julian ready to get in there.
What was that shark doing? Investigative bump and knock? Hitting him and then coming back to bite? All that now seems like modus operandi for GWS.

MIck is lucky to be alive. What a mad, mad, mad drama. Like everyone who saw it live, it was just truly shocking.

Eugene World champ your job is done
give it away you don't need it ......any of it anymore ....
its breeding time now.

Fuck he's lucky.. Julian Wilson is a fucken champion too.
End of Jbay as a contest?

Fuckn hardcore....... It will happen one day in a major comp...... A death.... Law of averages..... It'll change everything....

I said to the missus he was game to have yummy yellow on the bottom of his board during his semi, fucking lucky! So glad all ok, spin out to watch live though sheez

ADS keeps the yellow jersey - when Mick or Jules should now be wearing it.

Giving them both 8000 points is crap. If you're going to "split the points" then it should be 10,000 + 8,000 / 2 = 9,000 ea

This is how they apparently split the $ purse so why do the points any differently.

So happy Mick is alright, well done to him, Julian, Pel Mel & all the crew on the skis and boat. I agree Coops, that fluoro yellow on the board cannot have helped. Also, look at the footage of the WA attacks and note red on what % of the boards.

I don't know about you fellas but I didn't sleep a wink. Attacks always rattle the surf community, but when its viewed live, on a favorite surfer, fuck it really hits home.

It's a shame but will probably be the last time we see Jbay on a CT level.

RE: shark, some are saying it was a bull due to the fact it wasn't a full power one hit one kill type attack.. I think it just came to investigate, got stuck in the leash and started thrashing.

Fuck I'm glad mick is okay and I hope more importantly his okay mentally.

I'm just heading out for a surf now.

Can't say that won't be in the back of my mind.

All of the above. Emotional watching those interviews. Great outcome considering what could of been. Thanks goodness. Seeing it live was hard to describe.......

Dam I was surfing the entrance channel today....for some reason the footage put me off

That was very surreal..real heavy...Stoked it turned out good....GWS dont usually bump, they usually chomp, maybe it was about to chomp and the lease got caught in its mouth....

Check this frame grab from the moment just before Mick gets slapped off his board...

I ws watching live too, thought Mick was gone, or at the very least severly fucked up...my take is the shark was going for an exploritory grab at his legs and got the leggy first...what's the old saying "that escalated fast"

This is the most surreal photo for me. A photo of pure fear.

So overwhelming to see this live before your eyes. I thought he was gone, I am so very thankful that he's okay and Julian also who should be commended for his fast and extremely brave reaction.
I can't actually believe this happened but what I cannot believe even more so is that Mick is physically fine. Like he said as he's walking back to the competition site " someone was looking after us".
Such a fortunate outcome to have such a champion still with us and in my eyes makes him even more of a legend!
Hats off to all involved and also to the way Kieren Perrow spoke after the incident. So well spoken and heart felt in my opinion,a real credit to the WSL.

Definitely a white from that frame grab.

I really struggled to get to sleep after watching that last night, for a few moments there I thought we were all going to witness a brutal attach live especially when that wave blocked the view of what was going on.

It is going to be very interesting how the WSL are going to manage this and future events, not only at J-Bay, but at most tour locales including the likes of Margrets etc.

Unbelievable.
His brother was looking over him.
Funny when Peter Mel was talking about "sealife" and the patrol boat he never said shark(probably didn't want to jinx it)!!!
Mick fought well which probably scared the attack off, along with the roar of the patrol boat and jet skis approaching.
Didn't Taj refuse to surf a heat years ago at JBay ?? He got spooked by something BIG.
Survived a real shark attack unscathed, amazing !!!

That was possibly the scariest thing I have ever seen. I'd tuned back into the coverage about 2 sec before it happened, took a moment ot process what the hell was going on. When that wave cut-off our view of Mick it was harrowing.

So glad he escaped unharmed.

Fuck, look at the death mask face Fanning has on the vid frame grab at the start as he realises what is happening.

Seen some reports saying 2 sharks involved? That big hit from oceanside does look like another fish came in and rammed the board free?
Having smaller waves calmer seas must be a contributing factor to having them sniffing around.
Thank God neither was injured, always come across as humble dudes.

Are the South Africans as vocal about culls like the Australian wankers when something like this happens, I can imagine the headlines if this happened in Australian waters.

Agree FR the look on his face when he realised what was going on is what will stick in my mind

Stabmag have a pic up..... the distance from the top of Fannings head to his waistline then compare it to the size of that fucking tail fin !
Any drone footage about yet ?

The decision to award both Mick and Jules first place trophies, and first place cash, proves once again...

The World Surf League rules!

oh, and eat more shark meat.

What about Micks illegal gill rake. That's not cricket, poor shark.......

Joint first place, joint first place and prize money!!!! Give em half an hour to have a cry and send em back out there. Monitor the shark. If said shark try's anymore funny business it gets terminated via giant lasers mounted to drone aircraft, all of which paid for and endorsed by the WSL. Champions.:)
OR
An eating contest to see who takes this one down. Train for that........

I reckon the shark was thrown off its attack by getting the legrope tangled in its mouth. It would have broken the normal patternof the attack. The shot of Julian paddling as the boats arrived showed him at full speed heading straight for where Mick was. Full speed to the rescue with just a thin sliver of board as protection is courage and character. Great to see how both reacted.

Mick did the right thing to turn to face it after his short swim too. They will chase down fleeing prey. Wow, when he disappeared behind that wave and just a few splashes could be seen I thought he was gone.

You could see Mick get the spider sense just as that fin showed up and he got his legs out of the way, that probably saved him with the shark getting legrope and not legs.

Maybe they'll go back to Keramas?

Should they have "split" the points (ie, 9,000 ea) this is what the leaderboard would now look like -

1. MICK FANNING 33,950
2. ADRIANO DE SOUZA 33,200
3. JULIAN WILSON 32,450

I sincerely hope this isn't an issue come year end.

Double second? That means the farking shark wins!

Do they still hold an awards ceremony?

The slow mo footage is really compelling .

I think one Juvenile <3M .

The first splash is its dorsal fin changing directions , the second its tail which is what is grabbed in all the still images as its further out of the water .

The reason i say such a small juvenile is because it turned atleast 150 degs in a matter of milliseconds . And that the distance between the fins didn't look that great .

Either way I'm sure it wasn't the best feeling .

Good on Julian for thinking quickly . ( Combative ) .

Question i'm sure no-one can answer .
Does the Sonar thing actually work as an Attractant ?
Does a Juvie relate a sonar to a fishing vessel Source of scrap food .
Why just in the final was it used .

This is going to go Super viral for all the wrong reasons .

Considering the colour of the under side of his board . I'm not sure Mick will want to wear the Yellow Guernsey for the rest of the year .

The only benefit maybe less mums and dads will send their kids to nippers .?!

Dear ol Liz Fanning was watching it on live on tv........story on ABC online.

I'm not an expert on sonar, but I dare say as sharks don't have a swim bladder, it wouldn't be picked up.

Not so sure about the yellow board theory. How many times would someone of ridden a yellow board out JBay over the past 40 years with no problems? Just wrong place wrong time I reckon.

Interesting thing to ponder if they don't return to JBay next year because of this incident. Whilst I know it's probably not comparable but the WSL & general surf viewing public don't seem to have any problem (in fact almost demand it) in returning to surf locations that have claimed multiple lives, eg: Pipe, Chopes etc. Granted these lives haven't been lost during a contest.

After all they still compete in the Margaret River region which is obviously a well documented shark attack area. Maybe the surfing pros should have a greater say in locations, if they don't already. If they vote to return to JBay then so be it....

Wonder if Eugene came out and had a coupla beers last night?

Gotta hand a big congrats to that support boat and skis - they were so quick in there to get the guys outa the water.!

I wonder if wsl were like oh shit shark attack! Then seeing he was ok was like RATINGS!!!

Gotta say, as scary as it would have been I had a few doubts whether the shark had real intent.

I mean, a predator like that can't often come away without drawing blood if it wants to. Pete Mel had a few doubts too...

But I am certainly no expert but this guy sure is and it sounds like Mick was very bloody lucky indeed.

http://m.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/punch-saved-mick-fannings-li...

I would also say that Joycey would most likely be the second thing that saved Mick Fanning from blood being spilled . The shark may have / most likely heard / felt the sound of another human / thing approaching rather than retreating . Like a dog in aggressive mode the GWS would have been spooked that this second object was coming towards it . Just a theory , but if it is true ( I couldn't see any actual footage of JW paddling towards ) , then I reckon Mick will owe him for a long time ! Well done Aussies .

The shark would have been spooked by all the boat noise as well. The legrope tangle, punches from Mick, Julian steaming in and 3 boats roaring in would have upset it plans and made it hesitate a couple of times at crucial points. I reckon the legrope tangle stopped at least some form of bite in the inital seconds. You can imagine it thinking WTF as it towed him under.

If you were out there alone it would have been a scary swim to the beach and a high chance of it having another look.

Mick having to deal the the PTSD type effects from this AND now the media shit storm would crumble mere mortals. He's showing what a true professional he really is ... just hope he copes OK as all the hype subsides.

And, Julian, Fuck me, paddling TOWARD Mick - courage most of us would love to have when it counted.

I've watched the clips, and the full video now a few times, and I may be off base here, but I think the ski's were way to slow to react. Watch the footage, and you see the boat was heading in there way sooner than the skis were, and the ski's with the better speed, arrived at Mick around the same time. So, they could have, should have, been there a LOT sooner. What the fuck were they doing? If this all went down differently, and the shark had decided to take a chomp out of Mick, every few seconds could have made a HUGE difference. I'm sorry, but the WSL applauding their ski guys for the quick action is a bit OTT for me. The boat driver is the bloke who needs to get the accolades, he reacted WAY quicker!

EDIT - here's a link to the footage as it went down. Jump to the 14minute 40 sec mark ... you'll see that at the 15 minute mark the camera goes back out wide, and at the moment, the boat has already started to move, but no sign of the jetskis, they don't appear on screen, coming in from the left, until another 6 seconds later. The boat gets to Mick / his board and circles it by the 15.09 mark, ski's don't get in there until the 15.15 mark ... WHAT WERE THE SKI's DOING ??? They reacted WAY too slow. Accolades should go to the boat, the video shows he reacted WAY quicker.

Link:

Most of you would have missed this (I got the joy being layed up with the flu!) but WSL CEO Paul Speaker was on the Channel 7 "sunrise" program yesterday morning, and well, quite frankly he was dodging the issue ... He is asked is there were any shark sightings in the area, and he does he full on 'dodge' response!

He also alludes to Kelly being in the water at the time by saying Kelly told the ski's to go to Mick, and well, the interview with Kelly tells a different story. Speaker fluffing the story a bit for the "star" ... I doubt Kelly would be impressed, he seemed really genuine in his comments and thoughts for Mick and the impact of the incident.

Here is the Sunrise story with the interview with Paul Speaker:

https://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise/video/watch/28922700/aussie-surfer-fight...

And, here's a link to Kelly's interview:

EDIT - and, oh yeah, the shark 'expert' in the sunrise story / interview says it was a bull shark, and maybe two of them!

Not much from Karissa Fanning in the media ?

Did not Bethany Hamilton had her whole arm bitten off by a massive Tiger Shark, and still surfed comps, and gnarly as spots?

Man up boys.... Or the ghey label just might find a place to stick.

Next up on the mens' schedule?... Tahiti.....

http://www.sharkattackdata.com/place/french_polynesia

zen,

You are so right, mate. When Jules and Mick both paddle out in their respective heats at the next comp, can someone remind us how "brave" Bruce Jenner is?

Not many shark attacks have the benefit of having video review available for every Tom, Dick & Harry. I think most of those who saw it live realized exactly what they were seeing.

The other interesting thing is if this had occurred on a regular day, to a regular person, it probably would have never been reported.

went surfing this morning found myself looking behind and over my shoulder more than normal!

I'm no expert either, but I know from what I have read that GW's attack from the bottom up and not from the side. I reckon he was having a suss.
Not to say he wouldnt have bitten given the chance, but if the shark was in attack mode I have no doubt there would have been blood in the water.
Glad Micks OK. He handled it great. And Julian is a fucking legend.

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/mick-fanning-shark-attack-hero-surfe... live stream inteview soon

.

For Sale:
Mick Fanning Mask
Guaranteed Shark Repellant

Reports that WSL rescued Fanning and Wilson but left WSL photographer Kelly Cestari in the Jbay line up and he had to swim to shore ???

Fatal attack on a scallop diver Maria island Tasmania today presumed to be by a GWS.

'If you were out there alone it would have been a scary swim to the beach and a high chance of it having another look.'

'The other interesting thing is if this had occurred on a regular day, to a regular person, it probably would have never been reported.'

'Whereas the boat's ONLY purpose was shark patrol.'

'"they train for that" when discussing the response by the Jetski "water patrol"'

'"... the boats were gone so I needed to get in. But I actually hung around for like maybe a minute thinking the jet skis would come back to me," he said. '

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-25/photographer-left-swim-back-to-sho...

Just a simple case of the wrong last name.

J Bay news .com - A ocean swimmer has just been killed by a GWS at J.bay

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-20/sa-man-attacked-by-shark-same-spot...

deleted

http://www.9news.com.au/world/2015/07/24/02/16/forgotten-third-man-in-th...

Wonder what Derek Hynds thinking or Fanning ..he had his first surf since the JBay attack this morn .

I like that Fanno climbed back on the horse by surfing by himself. Gnarly. Probably the right thing to do. Respect.

uplift wrote:

http://www.9news.com.au/world/2015/07/24/02/16/forgotten-third-man-in-th...

I'm just relieved we have something to criticise them about. After all, this is the internet.

The guy was heroic, selflessly waving them past him, while he was swimming. Shouldn't be forgotten. And especially not by 'trained professionals'.

Fanning and Wilson nominated for the 'Don award'