Eric Geiselman’s Great White Shark Scare
Ryan Brower
- November 06 2009
- 33 comments
Just-after-the incident video footage of Eric Geiselman getting blasted from below by what is thought to be a Great White shark outside of Santa Cruz, California. By the tone of EG’s voice it’s pretty apparent he was rattled…who wouldn’t be! Glad you’re okay buddy! Video courtesy superspectacularadventures.com
Yesterday afternoon while surfing north of Santa Cruz during an O’Neill Cold Water Classic lay day, Floridian pro surfer Eric Geiselman was standing on his board when what we assume was a Great White shark came up from below and snapped his board clean in half. He wasn’t riding a wave, but standing on it like surfers do when trying to get a better look at the horizon. Eric was out the back all-alone after his brother, Evan Geiselman, caught a wave in. Amidst the commotion, his foot hit the creature as he began paddling the remnants of his board toward shore. “It’s nuts to think how helpless you are,” said a rattled Geiselman to TransWorld SURF’s Aaron Checkwood.
We first heard about the incident via a text message from Etnies team manager Joey Daroza, here’s that conversation:
From Joey Daroza (Etnies Team Manager) to TransWorld SURF’s Scott ‘Desi’ Desiderio:
Geiselman just texted and said he can’t make dinner. A Great White shark ran into him and broke his board!
Naturally, Desi texts Eric Geiselman…
From Desi to Eric Geiselman:
You OK Buddy? I heard you had a close call!
From EG to Desi:
Yeah, was so nuts!!! The thing came up from underneath me and broke my board in half. So sketchy!!!!!!!
From Desi to EG:
Holy crap! You OK?
EG to Desi:
Luckily!!! Just trippin’ still, thank God!!!!
The ironic part of the story is that Eric Geiselman comes from the “Shark Attack Capitol Of The World” New Smyrna, Florida. Glad to hear EG is okay, we’ll get some more details as they come out…
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November 6th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
You should have a paddle out ceremony for your board. Just not in Santa Cruz.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Eric elaborates on the story at spectacular surf.com
http://superspectacularadventures.com/?p=88301896
glad your alright buddy!
November 6th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
E.G. You are now a man.
November 6th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Wow, glad the kid is alright. Gives me the eebi jeebies.
November 6th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Word on the streets…somebody got footage of the ordeal.
November 6th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Let's see it…I got $$ for it!
November 6th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
too bad he's not a Drifter - he would have had his own footage.
November 6th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
yes, bru, that's a powerfully cr@p website.
November 7th, 2009 at 12:19 am
wea? wea? tree mile? 4 mile? nattys?
November 7th, 2009 at 12:20 am
negative reputation points have been deemed appropriate here
November 7th, 2009 at 1:39 am
No $hit, how lucky is that?
Think Eric G's got some discipleship work to do for the Lord after that save.
November 7th, 2009 at 1:50 am
no bite… no shark attack… probably just a blind dolphin trying to surf..
November 7th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Just posted it…heavy!
November 7th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
exactly. I've seen heavier shark attacks in Solana Beach.
November 7th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
kinda suspicious that there's no footy of the shark but judging by his reaction it had to be real, he looked fuckin freaked
November 7th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
was hot !
November 7th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Was Hot !
http://www.freaksurfmag.com/
November 9th, 2009 at 12:17 am
I doubt it was a shark. No way would his board break without Mr. White breaching. Board was probably already cracked and when it broke he kicked the lower half.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:46 am
bull crap…. I've actually been attacked by a white shark and this kid wasn't attacked. Waves break in water half as deep as their height. This is a fact. Looking at the waves in the vid + knowing exactly how small the surf was that day (i live 30 minutes south of this "attack"), there werent any waves bigger than head high. seeing how he was up and riding that means that he was surfing in water that was literally 2 to 3 feet deep. You think there was a big white shark swimming unnoticed over a 3 foot deep sandbar? No. The kid was already scared. Maybe he ran over a sea lion or harbor seal or somethin. Don't listen to this nonsense.
November 9th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
todd i am skeptical as well, however, I don't support your poor analysis of the situation
November 9th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
hoof, i will qoute you in your above comment "he is "standing" on his board." this was what i believed to be the situation. secondly, i live in marina which recieves the brunt of most NW swells, plus if you look at the vid and what his bro is surfing, you'll see it's tiny. lagunas is all sand right now, what bathymetry are you speaking of? its flat and shallow. also, small sharks are generally eating fish, not something the size of a shortboard. Shark attack? I believe not.
November 10th, 2009 at 1:39 am
Elephant seal? WHo knows if you didn't see it.
November 11th, 2009 at 1:58 am
pwnage, hoofcovers, pwnage.
November 11th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
No, I don't think it was a shark attack. As a someone who works with sharks regularly, and is involved in a lot of shark research I'm going to have to say it was most likely an elephant seal getting territorial. Sharks hit teeth first, they don't just ram you. In fact, it could have been a dolphin as well. They ram things like that too. Sorry, but not only is this story unreliable, it is also not helping the way people view sharks. Surfline's headline about how all surfers hate sharks is uncalled for. I've been working for years to change peoples perceptions about these animals that I swim with regularly, and have only been bitten once… (my own fault) that said. I'm glad you are ok, regardless of what it was that hit you, that's one hell of a scary experience.
November 16th, 2009 at 1:47 am
Can I have the 47 seconds of my life you too.
Fake shark attack are just as kool as a ballon with a kids in it hoax. Shark wont come in that shallow to investigate posssible pray.
November 16th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Tell me, what good does it do to try to discredit another's direct testimonial evidence in order to "help the way people view sharks?" I'm all for conservation, but there is no "science" behind theories like "mistaken identity". Nor are we any the wiser due to your speculative nonsense about an elephant seal "getting territorial". Sharks very often "bump" potential food items. Humans are a known tertiary food item- 100% edible. Humans and our ancestors have been in the oceans since time for us began. White sharks know what we are. They are generalist feeders. They just very rarely prey on us. But aside from "mouthing behavior," when an apex predator takes a bite out of a person, it is predation, plain and simple. No need to find other reasons or explain away the truth in order to "improve" sharks' public image. There is a reason why the root word for "shark" is the parent to a curse in the German language. They are menacingly frightening predators to their potential prey. Just listen to our man, E.G.
November 17th, 2009 at 2:00 am
Enter text right here!
November 17th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Davenport local here….just a few miles up from Lagunas….word with the guys here is it was a Hoax to keep ppl away from the water up here