Friday, June 06, 2008

Whatever Happened to El Duque?



The last issue, from Summer 06, had a great interview with Brian Anderson of Seaside, who was bitten by a great white shark in December 05. A quote from Brian gives a firsthand account of the incident and tells what you should do in case you have a run-in with the man in the gray suit:

"I was paddling and duck diving to get into position, waiting for a set to come in. All of a sudden something swam up and bit my leg. There was a sharp pain in my foot and then in went numb. I thought, this can't be going down. I was holding on to my board, I looked down and it was right beside me. It took a few seconds for my mind to be like--that's a great white shark! It had my foot in its mouth. It has surfaced and it was looking at me. I started swearing and punching it. It was latched on, but after a few blows it swam off...

"I thought it was going to be the last day of my life. It seemed like ages going by, like slow motion. I was thinking of my son Christian and my wife Lynette. Sometimes it can take 15 minutes to get back in. It was kind of a miracle, a wave picked me up and put me on the rocks. Once on shore, it's about a five hundred yard walk over rocks. I was hobbling around and couldn't stand on my foot. There were big blood blobs coming out of it. I grabbed my leash and tied it around my shin."

Step 1: Punch it (and swear at it).
Step 2: Get to shore and tie your leash above the wound.
Step 3: Get to a hospital.

The magazine's website is down, but you can purchase back issues of El Duque, the long lost underground Pacific Northwest surf 'zine, HERE.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I live up here in Oly- where it was created. Matt their ad guy told me awhile back that it was an Evergreener's project and that they were trying to put out another issue. That was over a year ago however- maybe they moved on to other things. Too bad, it was a great little publication.

Gazelle said...

Reading the surfer's account of the attack made the hairs tingle on the back of my neck. If he's still surfing, he's f@!*in' gnarly.

jdog77 said...

Gazelle-I have only ever heard of surfers that have gotten back into the water. Yet to hear an account of someone who gave it all up. Such is the allure of sliding on waves. Getting back out there is probably the best form of therapy and recovery. Only ever heard of one guy whose been bit twice- A Mendocino abalone diver 25+ years apart.

Rockaway Condos said...

what's with all the shark shit lately?

Chum said...

Well, I mean it IS shark week...

Rockaway Condos said...

That figures since I don't watch television...

Gazelle said...

jdog -

I think I'd want to get back into the water if I survived an attack (though I'd no doubt have to battle my wife over it), but it's still amazing to consider if you haven't experienced it.

I think that ab diver's second attack was his last, if I'm not mistaken. I'll try not to read into that (or dive in Mendo).

Anonymous said...

El Duque took an el dumpy probably for the better. Blogs are the new zines.

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