Connor Baxter is no stranger to the ocean and its inherent dangers. The Maui local has a mantle full of trophies, including three Molokai 2 Oahu victories and almost too many SUP Awards to count.
But a few days ago, while Baxter was foilboarding Maui’s Maliko run with Zane Scheitzer and Alex Aguera, he had a scare unlike any other. A ten-foot tiger shark bit onto his foil and wouldn’t let go. “After about 20 seconds I realized, ‘OK, this thing is not letting go and I need to do something quick,’” Baxter said.
According to reports, Baxter was knocked onto his back, but managed to stay on his board. For the next couple of minutes, he took swipes at the shark until it finally let go. Not for long, though. The tiger shark came back around for a second go, and Baxter had the presence of mind to give it one final whack with his paddle. All said and done, the entire ordeal took about ten minutes.
“I was on my knees for the next 20 minutes, shaking,” Baxter said.
