If you’ve avoided Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, television and any interaction with society all day you might be unaware that Mick Fanning was attacked by a shark live on air during the J-Bay Open. You will then want to get up to speed with that HERE, our Aussie mate being mighty lucky this shark wasn’t in for the long haul.

Fanning spoke of lashing out and landing a few punches on the shark, hastening its retreat and allowing him to hop on the back of the rescue jetskis and escape to safety. What you might not have heard is the account from Hannes the Shark, with the folks over at The Bounce able to land an interview with the battered beast:

“As a proud Jeffreys Bay local, I have been a surfing fan for years, and naturally me and all my friends were excited about this year’s J Bay Open. We all drew names at the start of the week for a little pool, and to my delight I drew Mick Fanning! So as you would expect, I was over the moon when he made it to the final, and all I wanted was for him to do well…”

” As usual, we were all under the breakers watching the action, when the inner ‘fan boy’ in me got the better of me and I went over to Fanning to get him to sign my fin. I mean, once the heat is over, the surfers go back to the beach and we never get to congratulate them, so I took my chance. I swam over, but somehow got snagged in his leash, I tried to break free, and started to apologise, then suddenly, I was getting punched!

“You hear stories about Australians; aggressive, brash, mean… but you try not judge. But the way Fanning attacked me, I now see where the stories come from. I now know what the English go through in the Ashes, these guys are bloody animals. All I wanted was an autograph, I was just being a fan, but I got punched and sworn at! Nobody deserves to be treated this way, someone needs to do something about this!”

Chin up there champ, that Aussie brute will no doubt get his comeuppance one day soon. A call to all South Africans Down Under then, if a koala or kangaroo as much as looks in your direction a right hook will not be frowned upon.

You can see more of the internet making light of the attack HERE.

[source:thebounce]