Top Surfers Arriving Amid Shark Sightings

The best surfers in the world are coming to Southern California for next week’s Boost Mobile Pro, the only Assn. of Surfing Professionals World Championship Tour event on the U.S. mainland.

And their timing couldn’t be worse, or better, depending on whom you ask.

The contest, at Lower Trestles with a 10-day competition window beginning next Thursday, coincides with the sighting of large sharks at Trail One near the southern end of San Onofre State Park, which features 3 1/2 miles of coastline.

Park officials denied a published report Thursday that said they were considering closing that portion of beach, but they said they were watching the water closely from the bluffs.

Contest directors, who have been in close contact with park officials, decided Thursday to proceed with the event. Andy Irons and Kelly Slater are a close 1-2 in the world championship race.

“The sharks add a little more excitement for the crowd,” said Mark Fewell, a Boost executive and one of the contest directors. “It’ll be a little like watching a car race. People seem to enjoy the wreckage.”

Joking aside, the tour’s 46 surfers, whose venues are often in areas known to have sharks, are probably not too concerned.

However, Fewell pointed out that during the last WCT event at Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa, a 15- to 17-foot white shark swam beneath Australian Taj Burrow’s board “and it rattled him for the rest of his heat.”

Fewell added, “These are also great whites, so they’re obviously dangerous. I believe they could cover the distance [from Trail One to Trestles] in about 15 minutes, so it’s not outside the realm that they could get over there, and we obviously won’t send the guys in the water if we know they’re there.”

A swell is expected to hit the Southland early next week and last about five days, so a Thursday start is likely, Fewell added.