A paddleout tribute organised to commemorate the recent death of shark victim Mercury Psillakis at Dee Why was always expected to draw a big crowd, but even organisers were surprised when more than 1000 surfers took to the water on Saturday.
The surfing community’s traditional ceremony extended across Dee Why and Long Reef beaches and was watched by crowds as the Psillakis family, friends and the larger surfing community came together on the same surf break where the 57-year-old was killed three weeks ago.
A paddleout at Dee Why was held on Saturday to mark the recent death of surfer Mercury Psillakis. His twin brother Mike was at the centre.Credit: Channel Nine
Psillakis, known as “Merc”, has been praised for his bravery in the moments before he died. Having spotted the adolescent great white shark, he warned surfers near him to form a huddle to make their way out of the water, while remaining at the back of the huddle. His board was bitten in half and he lost both his legs.
“We were expecting about 1000 people here, but I’m sure, as you can see from the aerial footage, that the paddleout was chockers,” said Long Reef Boardriders club president Tash Gee.
Traditionally, surfers take flowers out to the surf, but because Psillakis loved palms, the club asked everyone to take a palm frond out instead.
“A paddleout is a traditional Hawaiian ceremony to farewell a fellow waterman or waterwoman, and we’ve adopted that here in Australia,” said Gee.
“It was a really sombre event, but also full of everyone cheering. It’s a celebration, not a mournful event.”
Psillakis has been described as a “keystone” of the local surfing community after decades of involvement alongside his twin brother, Mike, who was in the middle of Saturday’s paddleout.
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