A youth surfing contest featuring 250 of the nation’s top under 18-year-old surfers came to a halt Wednesday when a shark was seen leaping out of the water less than a hundred yards from surfers in the lineup.
The incident occurred around noon during the Toyota USA Championships at Lower Trestles at San Onofre State Beach in north San Diego County, according to Surfline.
Surfline’s surf cam captured the moment the shark breached. The video then replays the jumping shark in a closer view. Another replay sped up shows the surfers quickly paddling into shore. A clearer version can be seen on Surfline’s website.
“For a bit, I was scared for the kids out there as they paddled in super fast,” competitor Ollie Zeitz told Surfline.
State park lifeguards called the surfers in and everybody was updated on the sighting, described as the lowest-level advisory issued for a shark sighting.
After consulting with lifeguards, organizers and parents opted to resume the contest, though parents and surfers were advised to decide on their own whether to continue surfing or not, Surfline reported.
A second breach was reported at Upper Trestles three hours later and since it was within a mile radius, the advisory was extended into Thursday.
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“The safety of the surfers is always our top priority,” USA Surfing President Andrea Swayne told surfline. “We were pleased with how quickly San Onofre Lifeguard Chief Mark Allen, State Parks and announcers acted to take the right precautions. We were privileged to have so much expertise on hand and that the decision to resume the event could be made collaboratively with State Parks and the lifeguards. We greatly appreciated the quick and useful information the lifeguards provided, including their first-hand report and continuing water patrol.”
The competition continues through Saturday when the semifinals and finals for all divisions are scheduled. Surfline will broadcast live.
