Shaun Brooks, a former pro surfer, has passed away at the age of 36. Shaun was the son of Rod Brooks, the Quiksilver contest director, and brother of Troy, former World Tour surfer.
The Australian was considered one of the best surfers of his generation, in his country.
He conquered the Victorian Open Championship, when he was still a young rider, and a World Junior Championship.
"One of the Vicco boys called me this morning because I was one of the guys Brooko traveled with on tour," he said.
"I know he'd been sick for a long time with bipolar but that's all I know. Everyone is obviously very shaken", Jarrad Howse told.
Our friends at StabMag reports that Beau Emerton, an old friend, remembers Shaun Brooks as someone with "a very similar style to Mark Richards in his day, like the seagull".
"I surfed with him at the Aussie Titles down at Bells Beach and in a fair few junior events. I have a lot of good memories of him. I remember he and I getting in big hassles together! In a good way, I mean. He had much longer arms than me so he always won".
"Y'know, he was a pretty lanky bloke as well. But I mean, at that age no one could go near Shaun at Bells on the bowl or Rincon, he was just the man down there amongst all us juniors back then, in that era. Thinking about it today has brought back a lot of memories of the good times", adds Beau Emerton.