Shark Sands

Oregon's New Surf Vs. Shark Drama

By Justin "Scrappers" Morrison

Oregon’s most popular surf spot is in the middle of a big natural process that might make the water very sharky. A dead 38ft humpback whale washed up on Oswald West's sandy shores yesterday.

According to the The Daily Astorian, The whale is staying put. “It looks like we’re having a series of lower tides and based on the current location of the whale, we’re expecting it to remain in place.”

Photo ganked from the Daily Astorian

So the beach is pretty stinky. This stink isn’t just in the air, it’s in the sand, and the water. This stink is death and sharks love death!

We can’t honestly look into the future and say we know what will happen, but come on. Sharks are coming to Short Sands. They might just swim by and decide it’s not worth it. Or they might stick around for a long time?

Let’s look at the dead whale that washed up in Southern California in November, 2002. As it decomposed it became buried in the sand chumming the waters of popular surf spots San Onofre and Trestles for a long time. These spots have now become white shark breeding grounds. In a Surfline thread Ralph S. Collier, from the Shark Research Committee admits, “increased frequency of white sharks at San Onofre could have been the result of the dead whale on the beach leaching decaying material into the water”. 

Collier went on to caution surfers about the whale juice attracting sharks, “The juveniles remain close inshore and feed on fishes. Most of the sharks being sighted off our Southern California beaches are juveniles or sub-adults, which range in length from 4 to 9 feet. Although they are not interested in humans, encounters are possible and therefore caution should be exercised when using areas they are known to frequent.” 

Short Sands is not infested with sharks right now, but on Wednesday, Sept 21, 1994 Rob MacKenzie was attacked there. ”Rob went flying into the air, still attached to his board by a seven-foot leash, and came down in the water just in front of the shark. The board had become impaled sideways on the shark's lower jaw and, to dislodge it, the shark raised its back half out of the water and slammed its head on the surface until the board floated free. Then the shark dived, getting its tail caught on the leash and pulling Rob and his board under as it swam for deeper water. Under the strain, the leash broke, shooting the board high in the air and allowing Rob to surface and retrieve it.” Read more attack details >>>

Portland is getting three new surf shops: Cosube, Leeward, and Up North Surf Club. Short Sands is one of the nearest beginner's surf spots. The rotting whale is welcoming hungry sharks. We don’t know what will happen, but let’s just be extra safe out there and follow these tips:

-Don’t surf alone.

-Don’t surf after dark.

-Don’t surf if you see other water critters doing weird shit like jumping out of the water as if they are trying to escape a predator.

-Don’t surf near spots that the salmon are running up to spawn. Think rivers and creeks.

-Don’t surf where a dead mammal, or whale, is rotting into the sea.

I hate writing this story! Short Sands is my favorite place in the whole world. I'm totally going to surf there knowing my chances of shark death are better than ever. Fuck it. I go to die eventually and I'd rather die doing something I love in nature than watching the Price is Right in a hospital bed full of cancer.

Sun Salutation

Interview by Megan FreshlEy

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Photographer Matt Gonzalez is on a layover at JFK between the Dominican Republic and his home in Portland, Oregon, where he’s about to embark upon an entirely different sort of journey. He's finding himself in good company as the next ambassador for Lululemon’s Washington Square outpost. “They have a way of finding the most incredible, genuine people. The type of people who lift everyone up around them,” he says. Having been the one to capture portraits of previous ambassadors — most of whom are fitness gurus — it’ll be different to have the camera turned on him for a change. Gonzalez’s mantra as a photographer? “Every person deserves to have a picture of themselves that they love. I want other people to see the photo and say, ‘Yes, that is that person to a T.’”

Gonzales is used to shooting Lululemon’s ambassadors in their natural habitats, be they boutique studios, yoga classes on the beach, or sweaty training rooms where the bass is always turned way up. “It’s the greatest job in the world to get to take photos of the people Lululemon finds out in the community. I’ve stayed in touch with most of the ambassadors I’ve shot over the last few years,” he says. “Every time I walk into one of their stores I feel greeted by friends.” Gonzales and his family fell in love with the PNW and he eventually settled into the enclave of YoYoYogi in NW Portland. Their Lululemon-sponsored charity events linked him up with the company and he hasn’t looked back since. “They sell stretchy pants so they can change the world,” Gonzales says. And he means it.

Matt Gonzales: mattgonzalezphotography.com // @mattgt3

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Visit Lululemon's newest Portland location at Washington Square

9585 Southwest Washington Square Rd, Portland, OR 97223

Grand Opening Events:

Friday, Sept 16th (all day) - GIF booth (print photos AND upload to social media)
Saturday, Sept 17th, 8:30am - Meditation with East Forest
Sunday, Sept 18th, 8:30am - Pilates with ambassador, Alli Breen

More info on their Facebook page >>>

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Meet the other Washington Square Lululemon Ambassadors:

Shannon McClintock: Barre3 instructor 

Alli Breen: owner of Pilates Royalty 

Meghan Atkinson: Runner & Yoga Instructor at Sculpt Yoga 

AJ Riley: Orange Theory Head Coach

The Monster of Crater Lake

Story by Justin “Scrappers” Morrison

Photo by Dan Kuras // kurasphoto.com // @dankuras

Wizard Island floats in the middle of Crater Lake like a wizard hat floating in the middle of a lake, but Wizard Island is really the tip of a volcano rising 2,700 feet from the lake floor. The lake was created about 7,700 years ago when Mount Mazama erupted. It is the deepest, bluest lake in the USA and the crown jewel of Klamath County, Oregon. 

There are more than 40 caves in Crater Lake National Park, but be careful if you go exploring… you might cross paths with THE MONSTER OF CRATER LAKE (dun-dun-dunnnn)!!!

The first crawdaddy probably splashed into the lake around the same time non-native fish like trout and salmon were tossed in for tourists to catch. Since then, crawdaddies have become monsters destroying the habitat of the peaceful Mazama newt. The newt and crawdaddy eat the same food, live in the same shoreline habitat, and compete for the same sunbathing spots, but the big difference is that crawdaddies eat newts. Crawdaddy claw versus squishy newt paw? No contest.

Park biologists say crawdaddies have taken over 80 percent of Crater Lake’s shoreline. As they invade the lake further, they push the newt closer to extinction. The lake has no stream running in or out, so there is no escape for the newt. This native critter evolved to live in this lake, and can only live in this lake. 

Some believe the Mazama newt’s greatest hope lies in the hands of park resource management, but I think it’s the responsibility of all of us. So how about we get in the car and go hunting for the Monster of Crater Lake? Fishing is encouraged since it helps remove invasive species. You don’t even need a license, and there is no limit to how many of these little monsters you can catch. 

Win an All Good Trip!

EXCITING STUFF: Our pals over at All Good are doing trips now!

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