Strange coincidence or some submerged plot against certain surfer group?

What the hell’s going on? Did the great white shark that rocked teenage surfer Andrew Lindop’s world at North Avalon Beach in March 2009 log onto the inter-oceanic sonar and spread word that Avalon surfer meat tastes best? Seems so. News that another Avalon regular Michael Geraghty was attacked last Saturday was damn weird. Weirder still is the fact Michael was surfing ten thousands kilometres away in Dubai. Surfing a spot known as Umm Suqeim just off the exclusive Jumeriah beach five km’s south of Dubai, Michael initially thought he’d hit some debris or something – only to look back and see the normally milky-white water turning a red hue colour. Pulled from his board Michael was eventually free of the shark (which may have been a tiger) and helped back to shore in a barely conscious state. Now, this is the first time a shark attack has been reported here – ever! And for the crew that surf this spot there are a couple of reasons why this incident sucks the big one. Surprisingly, Mike and his buddies main worry is that the authorities there, who have banned surfing before due to it’s rebellious nature, may panic and add surfing to their big list of no can do’s… the surfers working there don’t want it too come to that. The other bummer is their fun little right is not the shark free playground they once thought it was. While the outcome of the attack on the surfers right to rip in the area is yet to transpire, there remains the freakish nature of, well, nature. My thoughts are this – if the chances of being attacked by a shark are so damn low that we’ve got a better chance of winning the lotto or being hit by a bus then coping a set of jaws  around the ankle, then what are the chances of two dudes from the same town being attacked 14 months and 10 km’s apart? Shit. I don’t know weather to baste my body in fish oil and go surf Streaky Bay in salmon season solo or buy a lottery ticket? Actually scratch that, I’m from Avalon too! Lottery ticket for sure. They say things happen in three’s after all. Come in spinner!

By Col B

Photo: Michael Geraghty (L), Avalon Beack and Andrew Lindop (R).