Skateboarding shark sinks his teeth into the streets of SCV

The Shark of SCV dances on the corner of Newhall Ranch Road and McBean Parkway on Tuesday, August 1, 2017. Katharine Lotze/The Signal
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In Santa Clarita, every girl’s crazy about a shark dressed man.

One sharp-toothed fish friend is making his home on dry land as he travels throughout the city, waving to his “human friends” and sharing the message that “fish are friends, not food.”

This summer, the Shark of SCV could be spotted near busy intersections, in front of popular restaurants and on active street corners skateboarding, dancing and waving to cars and people passing by.

Every day this grooving shark is making moms laugh, fans honk and kids wave as they spot him at new locations and share their excitement on social media.

The Shark of SCV made his first appearance on land in June when he earned his fins and began his mission to make people smile.

“I really just wanted to entertain people around the community and make them laugh,” said the Shark of SCV, who asked to keep his real identity private.  “I thought it would be a cool way to meet new people and spread joy to people who maybe need it or need a brighter day.”

Most of the time it’s just him and his skateboard out on the open road, but the Shark of SCV has had animals and humans join him during his daily swims on land.  One week ago he could be spotted skateboarding around the streets with gold balloons attached to his fins.

“I got yelled at by the cops because they were too shiny,” the Shark of SCV said.

When residents do see him, the Shark of SCV said they are surprised and ask him how he is doing or how his day is going.

“Or they’ll just say hi and tell me a little joke,” he said.

The Shark of SCV skateboards across Newhall Ranch Road at McBean Parkway on Tuesday, August 1, 2017. Katharine Lotze/The Signal

The fish out of water has also gained quite a following on social media with more than a thousand Twitter followers and dozens of mentions each day for his account @SHARKofSCV.  His Twitter bio claims that his favorite movie is “Shark Tale,” although he was the star of “Jaws,” and that Katy Perry is his homie.

“I thought I would maybe have like 200 or 300 followers, but I got a lot more people interested,” the Shark of SCV said.  “So I’m trying to create more content and am working on a music video spoof.”

Only about 20 to 30 people who are close friends with the Shark of SCV know his real identity.  He said part of the fun is people not knowing who he is.

The Shark of SCV dances as traffic moves down Newhall Ranch Road at Grandview Drive on Tuesday, August 1, 2017. Katharine Lotze/The Signal

However, being the Shark of SCV does require some work.

To stay cool in triple-digit heat, he wears a cold towel around his shoulders and ice under his shark suit.  He also does exercises to strengthen his arms so he can keep them out straight for hours.

“They get sore so I have specific exercises I do to strengthen my shoulder muscles just so I can keep them up for this,” he said.

Unfortunately, the end of this summer will also mark of the end of the Shark of SCV’s tour of Santa Clarita before he heads off to college in the fall.  Before he leaves, he is considering hosting a parade or a meet-and-greet to say hi to people in the community.

The Shark of SCV skateboards across McBean Parkway at Newhall Ranch Road on Tuesday, August 1, 2017. Katharine Lotze/The Signal

But while he is still in town, the Shark of SCV hopes to make residents realize that what they thought was one of the deadliest animals in the ocean is actually one of the friendliest.

“I just want people to know there are friends everywhere,” the Shark of SCV said.  “It’s OK to laugh at people and it’s OK to be yourself.  Don’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone and do things that might scare you a little bit.  If you don’t like it then you don’t have to do it again.  Just see what things you like and explore who you are a little bit.”

[email protected]
661-287-5575
On Twitter as @_ChristinaCox_

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