Sharks enthusiasts have used fish guts to attract great white sharks for years, but it seems the fearsome creatures may be attracted to something more pleasing to their ears: music from Australian rock band AC/DC.

Matt Waller, a tour operator in South Australia’s Neptune Bay, has observed that when sharks hear the band’s hits, especially Shook Me All Night Long and Back in Black, they are drawn to the source of the music.

Matt’s research was inspired by dive operators on Guadalupe Island, who discovered playing music underwater for clients also caused changes in shark behavior. He and his company, Adventure Bay Charters, decided to do some experimenting of their own.

Using underwater speakers attached to diving cages, they pumped Australian rock hits through the water. Most of Matt’s tunes had no effect, but when the great whites heard the AC/DC songs, they swam up and rubbed their faces against the source of the music.

The Surfrider Foundation won an important victory today when Judge Joan M. Lewis ruled in favor of open beach access at the Dana Point Strands Beach.  Specifically, she ruled that the City of Dana Point’s severe beach access restrictions are unlawful because the record put forth by the City was “entirely lacking in evidentiary support for declaring a nuisance and that the City acted arbitrarily and capriciously in making such a declaration.”

“We are very pleased to see Judge Lewis rule in favor of the public interest at Strands Beach, instead of allowing the private development to lock out beachgoers from the main accessway at this beautiful beach,” says Surfrider Managing Attorney Angela Howe. “Surfrider Foundation brought this lawsuit to defend public beach access – a right that is sacred in California.”

From the beginning, Strands Developer Headlands Reserve LLC intended to provide a private beach for residents who purchase the multi-million dollar homes.  In October 2008, the developer attempted to get out of building a central stairway to the beach, telling the California Coastal Commission that the Mid-Strand access stairway was “geo-technically infeasible.”  The Commission saw through the excuse and required that the stairway be built.  The case at hand was a result of the locked gates and restrictive hours installed at that central Mid-Vista stairway.

Machado, Frye, Dale, “Gidget”, Beacham, Fury and Hole in Wall Gang honored in 18th annual ceremony

The votes have been tallied and seven legendary wave riders will once again be forever enshrined in surfing’s history books. Through a selection ballot, a host of respected surf industry veterans, former professionals and surf journalists narrowed down a field of hundreds of candidates to name the seven 2011 Surfing Walk of Fame’s honorees in their respective categories – Rob Machado (Surf Champion), Skip Frye (Surf Pioneer), Dick Dale (Surf Culture), Debbie Beacham and Kathy “Gidget” Kohner (tied for Women of the Year), Bill Fury (Local Hero) and The Hole in the Wall Gang (Honor Roll).

The Surfing Walk of Fame is the only tribunal in surfing to award specific categories as well as require a 10-year margin since the commemorating achievement. This year’s recipients will be cemented alongside past inductees, earning their immortal place in the pavement on the corner of PCH and Main Street, directly across from the famous pier in Surf City USA — Huntington Beach, California.

“The Surfing Walk of Fame board of directors is very excited with this year’s voter-selected honorees for the 2011 induction,” said Don MacAllister, SWoF Chairman of the Board. “For the past 18 years, we mail ballots throughout the world and gather votes to make our selection.”

Rob Machado, a former Pipeline Master and World Number Two surfer, has a definitive history surfing in Huntington Beach. A well worthy Surf Champion, he won the U.S. Open of Surfing three times and finished runner-up three times. Even the lefthander south of the pier will forever be dubbed “Machado’s Peak” after seemingly magical waves appeared out of nowhere, propelling the stylish goofyfoot to victory.

“It is a true honor to be inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame and very humbling to be included alongside that group of people who have all made incredible contributions to surfing,” Machado explained. “Surfing has given me so much and I feel like my career is nowhere close to over.”

Earning the Surf Pioneer nod is San Diego’s Skip Frye — a legendary surfer, competitor and shaper during the 1960s. After a trip to Australia, Frye came back with knowledge of the vee-bottom design, which soon helped fuel the shortboard revolution.

Musician Dick Dale, largely regarded as the founder of surf music, is undoubtedly worthy of the Surf Culture recognition. He was once quoted as saying he was trying to “match the feeling I had while surfing” to his music.

The Woman of the Year goes to two honorees this time around — Debbie Beacham, a former world champion turned women’s contest promoter, and Kathy Kohner (also known as “Gidget”), who’s Malibu upbringing spring-boarder her into a pop icon.

Also in this year’s ceremony, surfer/shaper Bill Fury is recognized as the Local Hero. And HB’s legendary surf team “The Hole in the Wall Gang” earns the Honor Roll spot.