GREAT WHITE CLEARS J-BAY LINEUP

Surfers rush for shore with a great white looming out in the lineup. Photo: Grambeau

With a building swell at J-Bay on Sunday, a great white shark cruised through the lineup and sent every single surfer rushing to shore. “The 6-foot surf was just beginning to fire,” said photographer Ted Grambeau. “About 50 surfers vacated the lineup for at least a half hour.” Dan Ross, a former World Tour surfer from Australia, first noticed the shark when it swam between him and South African surfer Frankie Oberholzer. After everyone was safe onshore, Grant “Twiggy” Baker paddled back out into the pumping surf with a shark pod. “The surf had risen to overhead in that short time and proved irresistible to most of the crew, so they returned to a rather tense lineup,” said Grambeau. Although shark pods have proven to be successful in deterring attacks, surfing with only one of them out in a crowded pointbreak lineup is still sketchy. Would you paddle back out?

Surfers look on as empty sets roll through and Grant “Twiggy” Baker sits outside alone. Photo: Grambeau