Professional surfers around the world will be questioning their motive for taking to the water in the wake of Mick Fanning’s horrific encounter with a shark during South Africa’s J-Bay Open final, according to a leading sports psychologist.
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“I’ll never forget the time last Christmas in Tasmania when I saw the fin of a great white shark right near my board”.
“It was absolutely terrifying”. “I’m just tripping… To walk away from that, I’m just so stoked”. “We nearly just watched our friend get eaten by a shark and I’m just blown away that there’s no damage at all”.
Rebecca, now 21, said she had just finished eating a birthday breakfast when she chose to go in the water.
“I went over to the television nearly as though I could pull him out of the television, I just wanted to save him”, Osborne told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Osborne said she believed Fanning’s brother Sean, who died in a auto accident 17 years ago, was watching over his sibling.
Fanning and Julian Wilson were immediately pulled from the water by a nearby safety boat.
The 43-year-old said she didn’t expect World Surfing League organisers to cop any heat over the incident because everybody knows Jeffreys Bay is a “sharky environment”. I watched with wide eyes as Fanning fought off the shark. I’m halfway between crying and laughing because he [Fanning] got so lucky. “I thought we’d lost him”.
“There wouldn’t be a surfer around the world who’s not on edge with that”. And I’ll take Mick Fanning over any American in his sport. The two will share second place.
“The safety of our athletes is a priority for the WSL and, after discussions with both Finalists, we have chose to cancel the remainder of competition at the J-Bay Open”, the statement read”.
The World Surf League, which runs the competition, said it was the first time in surfing history that there had been an attack during a world championship event, and fellow surfers were dumbfounded and incredulous that he had escaped unharmed.
Commentator Ross Williams said there are occasionally shark sightings in and around events, but an actual attack was very unusual.
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Penna said any return to the water from Fanning would have significant consequences with the next leg of the men’s world tour not scheduled until the Billabong Pro in Tahiti on August 14.
