Legendary North Shore surfer and lifeguard Tamayo Perry (49) was killed in a shark attack on the northeast side of Oahu on Sunday afternoon…

Ocean Safety, fire and rescue services were called to a beach in Laie (near Goat Island) around 1 p.m. because a body had been found there.

According to emergency services, a 911 caller said the body showed signs of more than a shark bite…possibly a tiger bite.

Lifeguards recovered Tamayo’s body and brought him to shore on jet skis, where paramedics pronounced him dead.

Born and raised on the east side of the island, Tamayo Perry has made a living as a lifeguard, professional surfer, pipe specialist/standout and surf instructor, and made his Hollywood debut in the 2002 hit “Blue Crush.”

The shockwave is growing and is now sweeping across the surfing community and beyond.

This is difficult because Tamayo was a very good person… always smiling, positive, enthusiastic and connected to everyone who knew him.

See the declarations of love for Tamayo on his Facebook page HERE.

We will continue to keep you updated on this developing story and Tamayo’s inspiring legacy.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Tamayo’s wife Emilia and her family and friends.



MATT WARSHAW/EOS

Perry was born and raised on the east side of Oahu in 1975. He started surfing at age 12 and soon became friends with future pop singer Jack Johnson, who lived in a house on Pipeline Beach.

“Perry was known in his late teens as the quiet, up-and-coming local boy who had to borrow surfboards because he had no sponsors.”

“By 1997, the wiry goofyfooter had come a long way, developing a tube-riding style that combined features of Gerry Lopez and Tom Carroll, his two favorite old-school pipeline surfers. In the meantime, he had become a devout, born-again Christian: When a surf magazine asked him to name the last two books he’d read, Perry named the Bible and The End: 50 Reasons Jesus Christ Might Return Before the Year 2000.”

“Perry competed selectively and with modest success. He finished fourth in the 2000 Pipeline Masters Trials and fifth in the Billabong Pro Trials in Teahupoo. Nevertheless, he was widely considered Pipeline’s most dominant surfer in 2005.”

“Perry has appeared in more than a dozen surfing videos, including The Bomb (1998), Revelation (2000), All Aboard (2002) and Loaded Pipe (2004). Emila Perry, Tamayo’s Australian-born wife, is a professional bodyboarder.”



Single frame of Tamayo’s reaction as he thinks back to the “best ever”…