From Heartbreak to High-Fives: The Week in Surf
The ocean gave and the ocean took this week. Here are three moments that matter to anyone who chases waves—or captures them through a lens.
1. Sydney Shark Attack Claims Beloved Dad
Mercury Psillakis, 57, paddled out at Long Reef for an early-Saturday splash with mates and never made it back. Witnesses say a shark well over four metres moved through the line-up just after 10 a.m.; by the time lifeguards reached him, catastrophic injuries meant there was nothing anyone could do. Police recovered two snapped pieces of his board for forensics, closed beaches from Manly to Narrabeen, and admitted the mesh net in place at Long Reef simply didn’t stop this encounter. It’s Sydney’s first fatal strike since 2022 and only the second in six decades along the city’s beaches, but that stat is cold comfort to the family Psillakis leaves behind—especially with Father’s Day the next morning. The local crew is spooked; boards will stay on the racks for a while. The Times has the full, sobering account here.
2. Welsh “BrainWaves” Program Puts Patients on Adaptive Boards
While Sydney mourned, Broad Haven in Pembrokeshire was celebrating small miracles. Hywel Dda University Health Board teamed up with Blue Horizons Adaptive Surf to let stroke and brain-injury patients trade hospital corridors for waist-high peelers. Six weeks ago Pete could barely wrangle a wetsuit; last Saturday he was trimming across foamies on a prone board, grinning every time he pearled. Qualified instructors work shoulder-to-shoulder with physiotherapists so each pop-up doubles as rehab. Carers report better balance, bigger smiles, and a renewed sense of identity—proof that salt water might be the best medicine going. Get the feel-good details from the Pembroke Observer.
3. Belmar & Manasquan Throw a Longboard Party
From tragedy to therapy to pure stoke: the Jersey Shore cooked all weekend. Three-day Pacifico Belmar Pro pulled groms, pros, and lensmen to 2-foot runners, while the nostalgic Danish & Friends Longboard Classic one mile south kept things retro. Cooper Lysinger tip-toed ten over on a turquoise Bing, Keaton Fortney chased noserides on a father-son backyard shape, and eight-year-old Adriana from Pennsylvania declared the whole show “better than TikTok.” If you’re hunting East-Coast autumn swell photos, scroll the gallery—board shorts, sunnies, and enough cross-steps to fill a coffee-table book. Asbury Park Press wraps the contest vibes right here.
Three coasts, three moods—reminding us why we paddle out, pick up the camera, and never take a session for granted. Stay safe, stay inspired, and keep sharing the real stories through your Snaps.