WSL Deputy Commissioner Jessi Miley-Dyer in an interview about putting the contest on hold. Photo: YouTube
With just a couple of minutes to go in the Round 5 heat between Joel Parkinson and Jadson Andre on Monday, the WSL broadcast team cut to heat recap. Here’s what you didn’t see while the live feed was out: A 6-8 foot shark breaching near one of the lineup buoys at Lower Trestles, says Yadin Nicol in this video posted by Surfing magazine.
Says Nicol: “Jaddy was surfing a heat, two minutes to go, probably maybe a 6-8 foot shark, I don’t know what it was, but it was a shark, I don’t know what kind, breached out where the freaking buoys are. They had to put it on hold basically. I’m surprised it took them five minutes to stop it.”
After the horn, the WSL put the women’s quarterfinals on hold — with no word of the fish. Women’s commissioner Jessi Miley Dyer was brought on camera to explain the decision to Rosy Hodge. Without mentioning the visitor, she alluded to iffy, occasionally windy conditions. “We want the opportunity to assess the conditions. It’s still looking really good out there but there’s still a few bits and pieces,” Dyer said.
In the webcast, Ronnie Blakey and Ross Williams seemed none the wiser, or at least made no mention of the incident before Dyer’s interview. After the sighting, a lifeguard boat hung around out the back of the lineup.
