Surfer attacked by shark rides wave of media frenzy

THERE’s talk of a reality show and a clothing line, speaking appearances and a book — a lot of attention for a 13-year-old girl who has never recorded a song or rehearsed a script.

Bethany Hamilton was known for her surfing skills on Kauai’s North Shore, but now tragedy has made her one of the most in-demand teenagers in the national media.

On October 31, while she was on her surf board just offshore, a shark attacked her, biting off her left arm. Fellow surfers got her to shore with a surf leash as a tourniquet.