Breaking: We have just received word that there has been a fatal shark attack at ‘Tabletops’ near Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach, Ca. Apparently the man bled to death after the shark bit both legs below the knee, severing one of his legs.

Witnesses say the man, who has been identified as 66 year-old David Martin, was swimming with a group this morning around 7:30 AM and was about 150 yards offshore when they noticed he began to struggle. Nearby surfers paddled over to help the man and discovered both of his legs had been bitten by the shark, one of them being severed. Both swimmers from the mans group and the surfers helped the man to shore. By the time they reached the beach there was no saving him and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Coast Guard helicopters have been called in to assist officials on the scene and they are clearing people from the surrounding beaches and waters. Most of the local beaches within a 7 mile radius are closed at this time until further notice. The shark is believed to be a 12-17 foot White Shark and the coast guard is actively looking for it. If they find the shark they will do nothing to harm it, only monitor it’s activity and make sure that any nearby waters are cleared.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family of the victim. This is the first fatal shark attack in the San Diego area in 50 years.

Stay tuned - We will update this post as we receive more information.

Thanks to reader JFaris for this tip.

Under the watchful eye of a picture perfect Hawaiian sky, North Shore-native Jack Johnson and lovely wife Kim once again held their annual Kokua Festival this past weekend in Waikiki, HI. The festival has steadily grown over the last few years, and this year the surfer/film-maker/musician put on what could only be described as a truly magical and enriching evening for all in attendance.

As the festival itself has grown, so have the caliber of musicians who come to play and help benefit the Kokua Hawaii Foundation, which was founded by Kim Johnson in order to help give back to the children of Hawai’i as well as raise awareness for our struggling environment. Among the many musicians was the legendary artist and activist Dave Matthews, who couldn’t help but state time and time again what a truly inspirational and admirable event this was. It was the first time Matthews has played in the islands, as well as the first time that he and Jack have ever been on stage together.

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As I sat and waited in between sets yesterday, I tried to remember the story behind how that particular break got it’s name. Now it looks like the famed ‘Marijuana’s’ surf spot on the North Shore may have a challenger for the right to hold onto that name.

In the latest of a string of smuggling boats found washed up along the coast of San Diego county, the U.S. Coast Guard was called to a boat in distress off of Sunset Cliffs early yesterday morning. At the bottom of the rocks they arrived to find a completely totaled vessel, along with dozens of bails of marijuana that all-in-all came out to total 362 pounds. This is starting to be somewhat of an alarming trend as two abandoned boats believed to have been used for smuggling drugs and people washed ashore near Torrey Pines and Coronado within the last week alone.

One of my favorite things about surfing is that we have always give certain breaks names for any variety of reasons. It’s always interesting to hear the names of surf spots around the world and the story of how they came to be. With that being said, I think this seems as worthy a cause as any to give the break nearest to the crash site a new name. Any suggestions?

Summer is right around the corner you may be thinking of updating your quiver. If you want to step outside your normal three fin thruster routine you may want to consider buying a quad. Four fin surfboards are going to be hot this summer with pros and everyday surfers using them more frequently. The idea behind getting a quad this summer is that with smaller and less powerful conditions speed generation is key. Quad setups reduce drag and create a very maneuverable board. Drivey let loose is the key to smaller surf. This list is for the intermediate to advanced surfer in mind.

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Anytime you come out on top of a field that includes the likes of Mick Fanning, Taj Burrow, and Julian Wilson you have to be pretty stoked. Combine that with a check for $25,000 and you have to think that 18 yr. old Owen Wright has to be on top of the world right now.

The wildcard contestant, Wright, overcame a stacked line-up to become the winner of the second annual Boost Mobile Surf Sho. The Australian Junior champion soared pass the field and capped off his performance with a 9.93 in the closing minutes of the 25-minute final to take home this year’s aerial crown.

“It’s hard to explain how good I feel,” said Wright. “I did a couple of good airs in the opening stages of the final, but couldn’t stick any. With a couple of minutes remaining the perfect ramp popped up and I sealed the deal. When I landed it I hoped no one landed anything bigger cause all the guys were capable of pulling a big move off. It feels great to win it.”

Conditions on the Gold Coast proved to be ideal for launching huge airs and provided an absolute show for the thousands of spectators. Although Taj wasn’t able to pull-off a repeat victory in this years event, he did liven things up a little by taking to the waves on a bodyboard and pulling out a 360. The whole weekend proved to be a blast and at the completion of the event’s action, contest organizers vowed to be back once again and go even bigger and better next year. Congratulations Owen Wright, the 2008 Boost Mobile Surf Sho champion!

With its thousands of miles of coastline and millions of surfers - as well as just beach-goers in general - the United States sees more shark-human interaction than any other country in the world. But where do most of the encounters with our finned-friends take place? The International Shark Attack File(ISAF) just released their list of the top shark attack beaches in North America. The list was quite interesting to check out - especially when I read it the morning before paddling out to location #2, The North Shore. You may just want to peep it yourself and see if your local break shows up on the list of the Top 8 Shark-Attack Beaches of North America.

1. New Smyrna Beach, Fla - known as the shark capital of the world, this beach has an abundance of Blacktip, Spinner, and Bull Sharks that like to feed in shallow water. This causes numerous encounters and yet the county keeps it open. Surf at your own risk!

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Looks like Teahupoo strikes again, and this time it laid a licking on one of the Dream Tour’s finest.

According to Transworld SURF’s Senior Photographer, Tim Jones, Damien Hobgood got sucked backwards over the falls on an eight-footer at Teahupoo. Apparently someone had called him off the wave, so Hobgood pulled back, but still got slammed onto the reef. Though he is in stable condition, he did sustain a serious concussion, along with a chewed up shoulder and back. Initial guesses have him out of the water at least six-eight weeks.

This will more than likely keep him out of next months Billabong Pro, which of course will be held at ‘Chopes. This is doubly sad considering he won the event last year and we’d all love to see him defend his title. After taking a pounding like that at a break that is as heavy and deadly as any in the world, I’m guessing that is the least of Damien’s concerns right now. The fact that more guys aren’t laid up by this Tahitian fire-breather is a testament to the talent and skill possessed by those who are constantly charging such an unbelievable wave.

We wish Damien Hobgood all the best and look forward to seeing him back in the water once he is recovered.

The second annual Boost Mobile Surf Sho is set to kick-off this weekend and two more monster talents have thrown their names into the event. Bede Durbidge and C.J. Hobgood both confirmed they will be in attendance, giving an event that is already choked with world class surfers even more star-power. Hobgood and Durbidge will join a line-up that already includes current world-champ Mick Fanning, wonder-kid Julian Wilson, Ozzie Wright, Ry Craike, as well as last years Surf Sho winner Taj Burrow.

The whole event is set up to wow spectators with some of the more dynamic aerials and tricks that are coming into performance surfing. It’s great to see more of the top WCT surfers participating in an event that is completely geared toward progressive surfing. Bede’s participation has me especially excited to watch as I have yet to see much of the White Fijian’s aerial repitoire.

The event will be webcast this Saturday and Sunday. This is definitely an event worth taking a look at. Putting some of surfings top talent and just letting them boost air after air will keep anyone watching on their toes. The Boost Mobile Surf Sho is gaining momentum in only it’s second year and is becoming an event to annually keep our eyes on.

The epic swell that set off an all-time Teahupoo on November 1 of last year ended up providing more than just breathtaking waves and jaw-dropping images. Following the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards, it also sent surfers Shane Dorian and Manoa Drollet, as well as photographers Gustavo Camarao and Jeff Flindt home with much deserved awards that altogether totaled $62,000.

The Big Island native and big-wave pioneer Dorian took home the highest honor of the evening when he was awarded Ride of the Year. He somehow pulled into a section of Teahupoo that few live to tell and was spit out into a full cart-wheel. It was an unbelievable ride, and one that sent one of surfing’s legends and all-around good guys home $50,000 richer.

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I’m really starting to just be completely over plastic already. I know that may seem like a strange line to open an article with, but I’ll explain. My news-cruise through Surfersvillage ended with my reading of an article about the heavy increase of plastic litter on the beaches of Britain.

The Marine Conservation Society, which campaigns for cleaner beaches and seas, said plastic litter has increased by 126 percent since its first survey in 1994. This is disastrous to a countless number of creatures that call the ocean their home. This is disastrous for all of us as well.

Hearing the specific numbers that studies such as this produce is always astounding. The truth is none of us really need a study to realize the sad state that much of our ocean and beaches are in. A walk along any random shoreline will provide a small sample of the mass amount of nonsense that has made its way into the water.

To be honest, it wasn’t only until recently that I became aware of how dangerous plastic is to the ocean and its lifeforms. I think my whole life I’ve known that it obviously wasn’t good for the ocean, I just never completely realized how serious of an issue it is. I know a little better now, and it is for this reason that me and plastic will be going our separate ways.