The Dorsal Fin

Australia’s Ten News recently interviewed surfer and shark attack survivor Bethany Hamilton. The movie “Soul Surfer” which is based on the true story of Hamilton’s “triumph over tragedy” opens in Australia today.

In addition to the movie, Hamilton’s “Soul Surfer” book reached the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestsellers list for Children’s Paperback Books earlier this month, and is currently #3 in that same list.

The teaser trailer for Soul Surfer the movie based on the story of surfer Bethany Hamilton is online. Hamilton became a media sensation after her recovery from a tiger shark attack and her comeback to the world of surfing.

Soul Surfer, which opens in U.S. theaters on April 8, stars AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt, and Denis Quaid.

Kudos to those behind the trailer for Soul Surfer for focusing on Hamilton’s triumph and not playing up the shark attack element in the trailer.

Australia’s Sunrise 7 recently interviewed pro surfer Bethany Hamilton. In 2003, Hamilton lost her arm as the result of a tiger shark attack off of Hawaii.

Topics discussed in the interview include Hamilton’s recovery and her return to surfing. Additionally, Hamilton discusses the upcoming movie “Soul Surfer” which is based on Hamilton’s book “Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family and Fighting to Get Back on the Board.”

Shark attack survivor and surfer, Bethany Hamilton, appeared on the Today show on December 11 as part of their “Buzziest Stories of the Decade” series. Hamilton lost her left arm as a result of a tiger shark attack 6 years ago and has since become an inspirational figure to many due to her perseverance after the attack and her return to surfing.

Unlike some of the other shark-related clips that have appeared on the Today Show over the past year, this one is fairly devoid of over-sensationalizing sharks and manages to focus more on Hamilton’s story of triumph rather than emphasizing shark-related fears. While Matt Lauer does ask Hamilton if she thinks about sharks, I think it’s a fair question to ask, and he seems to respectfully take her answer at face-value. Perhaps, the Today Show is getting better at dealing with shark-related stories.