Earlier this week, 3-time world champion Mick Fanning was attacked by a Great White shark while surfing in the Finals of the Jeffery’s Bay, South Africa World Surf League tour stop.
Surfing may well be the last sport left where you can be eaten by a wild animal while competing.
This shark attack has prompted an interesting discussion about skiing/snowboarding’s risks verse surfing’s risks.
In skiing/snowboarding, our big X-factor is avalanches. In surfing, their big X-factor is sharks.
This begs the question:
Which do you prefer: Avalanches or Sharks?
To help you make an educated decision on this topic we have some important information on Sharks and Avalanches below.
SHARKS:
- Sharks kill about 12 humans per year worldwide. (Humans kill about 100 million sharks per year.)
- There are somewhere between 5 million to 23 million surfers in the world (source: surfing encyclopedia)
- There are around 2 million surfers in the USA
AVALANCHES:
- Avalanches kill about 150 people per year worldwide (source: national geographic)
- There are 400 million skiers worldwide (source: isiaski)
- About 11 million people went skiing or snowboarding in 2009 in the USA (source: isiaski).
- About 70 countries have outdoor skiing facilities.
Ok, let us know:
- Would you rather deal with avalanches while skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing, snowshoeing?
- Or would you rather deal with sharks while surfing, boogie boarding, kneeboarding, stand up paddleboarding, or surf kayaking.
The thing about sharks is that they are everywhere, but rarely do they attack you. Avalanches on the other hand don’t just happen all around you with 9 times out of 10 deciding not to swallow you. You can see sharks every day without being attacked. Likely if you see an avalanche, you triggered it and are in it. Personally I’d rather deal with sharks.
I more concerned about a sharknado, gotta sharpen the chainsaw!!!
Ever heard of Avalanche Sharks…? Sharkalanche?
don’t let the sharks see this…they might want to try and even up the odds.