Santa Cruz surfers mourn victim of shark attack

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) A bouquet of flowers sits on the beach less than a mile out from where Ben Kelly lost his life in a shark attack near Manresa State Beach, Saturday.

The 26-year-old was surfing with two of his best friends when the unimaginable happened.

“They took good care of him all the way to the end, and he was never alone. From what I understand, there wasn’t a lot of pain,” Kelly's friend Baker Carroll said.

Those who knew Kelly best, said his life was fueled by his wife, his faith and his passion for all things surfing.

“Whether he was paddling for a monster wave or fine tuning a board, the man had a smile on his face 10 miles wide,” Carroll said.

Monday, miles up the coast from where the attack happened, many surfers were back in the water, but the attack was top of mind.

“I’ve definitely seen a couple in the water [in Santa Cruz], but I’ve never heard of a shark attack like that," Alo Slebir said.

“As a surfer you always think it’s a possibility, but its always such a remote possibility it's easy to block out of your mind," Mid Town Surf Shop owner David Macintosh said.

Kelly was a custom surfboard shaper, and has left his mark on hundreds of boards around Santa Cruz.

Carroll's an avid surfer himself, but said getting back on the board will be a painful reminder.

“Knowing that Ben's not out there. Knowing that Ben won’t be paddling out there behind us...it’s going to be hard to surf, but with out a doubt that’s what he would want,” Carroll said.

A paddle out memorial is being planned in Kelly's honor. You can donate to the Ben Kelly memorial fund here.

PREVIOUS STORY: The surfing community in Santa Cruz mourned the loss of 26-year-old Ben Kelly on Sunday. Kelly was killed in a shark attack a day earlier.

Flowers and a broken surfboard were laid out at the steps leading down to Manresa State Beach. It was a memorial for Kelly.

"He was very genuine," Kelly's friend, Kyle Pitchford, said. "I don’t know. Just very intentional with every conversation."

And Kelly was more than just a surfer. He owned a custom surfboard business, crafting specialized boards for the Santa Cruz community.

“When you pursue a career as a surfboard shaper, it’s not a get-rich scheme," Santa Cruz Boardroom owner Terry Campion said. "You do it because you love to ocean and you love surfing and you love the art of building surfboards.”

Kelly also made boards for friends, like Pitchford.

“He really wanted to make it work for you," Pitchford said. "And if it didn’t work for you, he wasn’t satisfied.”

Pitchford said that customizing surfboards was Kelly's passion. But it wasn't his only purpose.

“More than anything to do with surfing, I think he wanted his life to reflect Jesus in the way he treated people,” Pitchford said.

Local surfers said that, between his handiwork and his faith, Kelly left behind a gaping hole in the community.

“We’ve had bites, but we’ve never had such tragedy,” Kelly said.

Kelly's friends also said he left behind a wife.

“Man, our hearts break for Katie,” Kelly said.

Campion, the owner of Santa Cruz Boardroom, said he'll be releasing details about a fundraiser for Kelly's family soon.