On May 9, surfer Ben Kelly was fatally attacked by a shark while surfing at Sand Dollar Beach in Santa Cruz County.
Kelly, 26, a 2015 graduate of Vanguard University, was well-known in the community.
Ben working on a new surfboard
He started shaping surfboards as a teen and owned Ben Kelly Surfboards in Watsonville.
He was active on Facebook, sharing his new creations. “Nothing quite like the feeling of waxing up a fresh new sled … so good!” read one post on April 22.
He made a lasting impression at Vanguard University, which gave him the McNaughton Award, its highest honor for business and management students.
A resident advisor, he started a club for students who shared his passion for surfing and helping the community and used what he learned in his business classes to help Kenyan entrepreneurs improve their business plans via a ministry called Fruited Plains.
Katie Kelly, Ben’s wife
With his wife Katie, a 2015 Vanguard grad, he founded a social media marketing company, Authentic Approach, Inc., in Santa Cruz.
Locally, he made an impression at the Capitola Village Business Improvement Association, where he was the communications manager for the past two years, posting on Instagram nearly every day. He led board meetings and strategy sessions, providing statistical reports, and with Katie taking notes, complete follow-up summaries, according to Carin Hanna, the membership secretary, who described him as “wise beyond his years.”
He was active at Twin Lakes Church in Aptos, where Kyle Pitchford, pastor of college students and young adults, was impressed by his sharing and caring for people.
Vanguard emeritus professor Ed Westbrook, who mentored Ben when he was a student, said, “He wanted to live simply, own his own business and make enough to support his family but still maintain a close-knit community with time for surfing, family and friends. He died living his dream.”
His friend Zachary Shull started a memorial fund to support his wife Katie and carry on Ben’s legacy of love and generosity. More than 800 people have contributed. When donors met the $50,000 goal, Shull set a new goal of $300,000. You can donate at https://www.gofundme.com/f/3wktg-ben-kelly-memorial-fund
Here is Shull’s tribute:
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How do you distill the essence of a person’s life into a few sentences? Somehow tying words together in a way that simultaneously honors them, grieves their loss and also helps you cope with the shock and pain you feel knowing that they aren’t in this world anymore, feels impossible. But I have to try — I’m not sure of any other way to process this kind of freak, tragic accident.
Ben Kelly
It feels like the ultimate form of betrayal to fall victim to the one thing a surfer recognizes and fears as a possibility. We sign the proverbial liability waiver every time we paddle out, but the thought of such a horrific event is dismissed as an extreme rarity. Those thoughts are quickly overshadowed by the joy and refreshment that comes from surfing and getting a good wave, and so we still choose to paddle out.
Ironic that in all of this, the least I remember about him was how he surfed or even his style. Don’t get me wrong — he was a really good surfer. I can still picture his frothing face after getting a nugget. I highly doubt he’d care to be remembered for that though.
The most memorable thing about Ben was his unashamed, unrelenting passion for his faith and his relationship with Jesus. I don’t say this to somehow selfishly reassure myself or others that he’s passed on to Heaven. I don’t have to wonder whether he knew Jesus, or whether his faith was secure. It was. Everybody knew it. He truly lived his faith out. In nearly every conversation I ever had with him, he tied God and the redeeming love of Jesus into it.
Small memorials such as this one can be found in various places along Sand Dollar Beach. • Photo Credit: Michael Oppenheimer
He loved his wife unequivocally. He was stoked out of his mind whenever she’d surf and he was so proud of her. Adventure and travel was a huge part of their lives. They were dreamers, go-getters. Ben had an entrepreneurial spirit and drive that is so rare. He had such a special bond with her and it was evidenced by their sincerity and kindness to one another and their passion for serving others like Jesus. They were hospitable and fun, always down for a game night or a BBQ with anyone they knew.
We’re remembering: all those dawn patrols. Strike missions up and down the coast. Watching surf movies. Talking about shaping. Drinking cold IPAs and napping in the sun post-surf. His passion for a good board game. The way he talked so fast when he was stoked. How passionate he would get during a game of Spikeball. How he would read tax laws for fun. How much he loved talking about Jesus’ teachings and encouraged everyone to love Jesus more too.
He was a good, godly, humble man who deserved many, many more laps around the sun and many more good waves. We all miss you, Ben.
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Kelly Family Photos Courtesy of Zachary Shull