Maroubra World Surf League Qualifying Series event to go ahead despite nearby shark attack
Not even a fatal great white shark attack will stop Sydney surfers carving up Maroubra for the third of four stops on the Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series.
NSW
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Not even a great white shark attack will stop Sydney surfers carving up Maroubra for the third of four stops on the Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series set to still go ahead in March.
The elite three-day World Surf League Qualifying Series 1000 rated event will call Maroubra Beach home between 4-6 March with a live webcast on 5-6 March via Surfing NSW Facebook and Kayo Sports.
Maroubra beach was closed on Thursday in wake of a fatal shark attack less than 10 kilometres away at Little Bay on Wednesday.
“As surfers we support the decisions regarding our safety made by Surfing NSW and the World Surf League in the lead up to and during the Maroubra Pro,” a Surfing NSW spokeswoman told The Daily Telegraph.
“There is water safety from land, water and air, with drones from the Australian Surf Life Saving UAV Service, throughout the whole event that help make us feel safe.”
Meanwhile Randwick City Councillor Danny Said stated that the elite event at Maroubra Beach is one of the highlights on the summer calendar.
“The Mad Mex Maroubra Pro has been a staple competition on the Randwick City Council calendar for over five years and we can’t wait to see it return in 2022,” Cr said.
“The event regularly sees some of Australia’s best surfers in action at one of Sydney’s most iconic beaches and provides up-and-coming local surfers with plenty of inspiration as they venture down a competitive surfing path.”
Spooked locals shun surf after shark attack
Sydney swimmers ditched the surf for ocean baths today as beaches reopened following the horrific shark attack which killed British expat Simon Nellist.
Thirteen beaches in three Sydney LGAs stretching from Bondi to Cronulla were closed on Thursday after Mr Nellist, 36, was mauled to death at Little Bay by what’s believed to be a 4-5 metre great white shark.
SMART drum lines were set up in surrounding areas by the Department of Primary Industries and police, Surf Life Saving NSW and local lifeguards spent much of Thursday searching for any sign of the shark which has not been found.
Friday morning saw the stretches of sand and surf reopened to the public just in time for the weekend, but few were keen enough to enter the water.
At Bondi Beach, plenty of beachgoers packed onto the sand for their morning exercise but only a handful actually ventured in for a dip.
Instead, nearby Bondi Icebergs was packed with swimmers, with dozens cramming into the ocean pool to welcome the dawn.
Among those who did venture back into the surf were the swimming group Bondi Salties, who held a group swim from North to South Bondi just after 6am.
The Salties then held a minute‘s silence in the waves in honour of Mr Nellist, who was an experienced swimmer and scuba diver.
Added precautions will remain in place at eastern suburbs beaches in the coming days, with extra jet ski patrols from lifeguards, while the Malabar Magic Ocean Swim has been cancelled.
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