Shark makes an appearance at world surfing competition

Nina Selipsky • Jan 12, 2018

Jan 12, 2018

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                <h1>Shark makes an appearance at world surfing competition</h1>
                <h2><p>The “Summer of the Shark," as Discovery dubbed 2015, is really living up to its name. Jaws became a reality for three-time world champion Australian surfer Mick Fanning during yesterday's televised finals of a world surfing competition in South Africa. Fanning was sitting on his board, awaiting</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/nina-selipsky-crosscut-com/">Nina Selipsky</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Jan 12, 2018</time></p>
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            <p>The “<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2015/01/29/media/discovery-expanding-shark-week/?ref=avalancheghost.one">Summer of the Shark</a>," as Discovery dubbed 2015, is really living up to its name. Jaws became a reality for three-time world champion Australian surfer Mick Fanning during yesterday's televised finals of a world surfing competition in South Africa. Fanning was sitting on his board, awaiting his turn at the JBay Open in Jeffrey's Bay in the Eastern Cape Province, when he was struck by a shark from behind and knocked into the water. <a href="http://www.komonews.com/sports/World-champion-surfer-fights-off-shark-during-competition-317342181.html?ref=avalancheghost.one">According to Associated Press</a>, Fanning tried swimming away at first, but then decided to defend himself and turned to punch the shark in the back. The World Surf League cancelled the remainder of the event, calling Fanning's composure and quick acting in the face of a terrifying situation "heroic." Fanning escaped unharmed, and he and fellow Australian surfer Julian Wilson (who was also in the water when the attack happened) will share second place and split the prize money.</p>
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The “Summer of the Shark," as Discovery dubbed 2015, is really living up to its name. Jaws became a reality for three-time world champion Australian surfer Mick Fanning during yesterday's televised finals of a world surfing competition in South Africa. Fanning was sitting on his board, awaiting his turn at the JBay Open in Jeffrey's Bay in the Eastern Cape Province, when he was struck by a shark from behind and knocked into the water. According to Associated Press, Fanning tried swimming away at first, but then decided to defend himself and turned to punch the shark in the back. The World Surf League cancelled the remainder of the event, calling Fanning's composure and quick acting in the face of a terrifying situation "heroic." Fanning escaped unharmed, and he and fellow Australian surfer Julian Wilson (who was also in the water when the attack happened) will share second place and split the prize money.

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By Nina Selipsky

Nina Selipsky is an editorial intern at Crosscut. She is a senior at Lakeside School in Seattle, where she is an editor and writer for the school newspaper. Nina spent last summer working with a non-p