Is that a shark in the wave with Kelly Slater?
Surfing legend Kelly Slater always enjoys himself in WA for the Margaret River Pro - but did he get a bit too close to a shark during his latest visit?
GoPro video from Association of Surfing Professionals has emerged of Slater riding a wave which shows a dark shape in the wave as Slater slides by.
Slater emerges unscathed and the mysterious shape is not seen again.
Surfing WA chief executive Mark Lane said Slater was among a group of about 10 surfers at the Margaret River break hoping to catch footage worthy of a prize in a GoPro surfing competition.
Mr Lane said he had reviewed the footage and spoke to surfers in the group and was “100 per cent” sure the figure shown in the footage was another surfer.
“They would have probably been looking and watching, guys go through the tube and it’s quite common you’ll see a shadow in the wave,” he said.
“(Slater) has continued to surf for another hour or so, if there had been a shark they would have been straight out of the water.”
Today Slater said the shape was not that of a shark but of another surfer.
Emerging from his latest heat at Margaret River he said it was "clearly a guy paddling over the top".
SurfingLife Magazine quote the surfing champ saying "it's the surfer, because it's such slow mo it's confusing."
The best surfers in the world took to the surf today for day one of the ASP Margaret River Pro: Kelly Slater wipes out during his heat. Picture: Michael Wilson/The West Australian
