He rollerskated his way through the pandemic, riverside—in a shark costume—to brighten our days.
In Other News #21 // Celebrating the stories of everyday heroes among us.
If you’re anything like me, the pandemic isn’t really an anniversary I want to celebrate. It’s more like a realization that it’s been five years since the pandemic hit and altered our lives in nearly every way possible… and a realization that we survived. We made it to the other side. It’s been five years, wow.
During that often-bleak time, there was a surprisingly bright spot in Harrisburg, Pa.—a guy who started skating around the city, primarily alongside the Susquehanna River, in a shark costume. (Pictures to prove it, below!)
As a journalist, I was lucky to connect with him twice for interviews—first, in my capacity as then-host of TheBurg Podcast as his pop-up skatings began, and then secondly, a year later, when he agreed to an in-costume interview for the article below.
At the time, I thought he was just a dude who wanted to cheer people up by roller skating around Harrisburg in a shark costume. But that’s who he was on the surface. I thought the story was going to be a fun feature, but it actually went much deeper so I titled it “Deep Waters.” It published in TheBurg magazine in June of 2021, one year into the pandemic. I’m going to re-publish the article in its entirety below, with a surprising addendum.
That’s because this past Friday, I met up with Sharkman for a third time, as a friend, for coffee. Stay tuned…
He was literally a fish out of water.
Throughout 2020, someone dressed in a bright blue shark costume roller-bladed throughout Harrisburg, primarily along the Susquehanna River.
“In the beginning, there was a lot of shock,” said Sharkman, of the initial screams and stares.
Those surprising and somewhat comical shark sightings gave way to smiles—no small task amid bleak pandemic days. His positive presence was like a lifeline.
It’s why, last June, TheBurg featured his photo on the cover, which contributed to both his stardom and enigma. Who was this lone shark? Our “cover fish,” interviewed a week later on “TheBurg Podcast,” said, “I’m not really sure who’s benefitting more—the people I’m trying to entertain or myself.”
Now, one year later, he sat down with TheBurg for a deeper reflection on his pandemic persona. And we found there’s a lot more to Sharkman than meets the eye.
Sharkman, across the desk from me, during our sit-down interview in 2021
Lone Shark
Spoiler alert—he still wants to keep his identity anonymous. But we can tell you this much: “Sharkman Hbg,” as he’s known on his Facebook and Instagram accounts, is a 33-year old Swatara Township resident, who lives with his wife (occasionally spotted in a pink shark costume), two cats and Pomeranian. He’s an electronics technician who installs security systems. And he’s had a lifelong fascination with sharks.
“They’re amazing creatures—I went diving with them twice.” said Sharkman. “I just think they get a bad reputation—they’re misunderstood creatures.”
Just as sharks are considered outliers of the ocean, kids who grow up on roller blades are often perceived as counter-culture outsiders. Sharkman knows—he’s been skating since the age of 4 or 5. To him, the quirky hobby hits all the right notes.
“All the wonderful sounds from the wheels hitting different surfaces—I love that,” he said.
Last March, the pandemic provided the perfect storm of ingredients for this self-described “shy, practical joker” to become Sharkman.
“My smartwatch was asking me if I was ok, because I was coming home from work, doing nothing—I basically had six hours of inactivity every night,” said Sharkman. “Everyone was stuck inside, so I thought maybe I could entertain people, get some exercise at the same time, and the idea to become Mr. Sharky Shark went from there.”
Sharkman made his skating debut on April 10, 2020 by testing the waters in his neighborhood, then he was ready for bigger, uncharted territory.
Photo by Rebecca D’Angelo Photography
Shark Stardom
Initially, his motive was simply to lift people’s spirits. As his stardom grew, Sharkman saw another opportunity to do good. He created Sharkman-themed artwork, stickers and photo books—at his own expense—to give to fans in exchange for donations. But instead of pocketing the money, he had social media fans vote on which businesses should receive the proceeds, and several thousand dollars went into tip jars at Rubicon, Queen’s BBQ, Urban Churn and Alvaro’s Bread.
As the weather warmed through 2020’s pandemic, more people ventured outdoors—and encountered Sharkman. Some of the top questions he received?
Can I take a picture with you? “Yes, always.”
Are you hot? “It depended on the day, but honestly there were more times I was cold than hot.”
What do you wear under your costume? “Wrist pads, shorts, a t-shirt, ballcap and helmet. I wash my costume after every outing… it was $50 on Amazon and I don’t even know how to begin to leave a review for it.”
How fast do you skate? “Normally around 8 MPH. But during speed runs, I travel 14 MPH sustained for half an hour.”
Scariest moments? “I got bit by dogs twice on my knee—that was the worst. And I crashed three times last year, including straight into a wall near Knead, one of my favorite stops.”
Funniest moments? “There were so many, but the funniest was probably being netted by Jenny from J.B. Kelly at the Broad Street Market. She was apparently carrying a fishing net all day, waiting for me.”
How far did you skate? Total mileage, April 2020 through January 2021: 800 miles
Who are you? Why be anonymous? “I didn’t want any of the recognition to myself as a person—this was something I was doing for the city and to help businesses. I have a good paying job, and some people were really affected by the pandemic,” he said. “A lot of people wanted Sharky items, and I didn’t feel right charging—I never want money to complicate things—that’s not what Sharky is about.”
Diving Deeper
About 15 years ago, Sharkman’s teen years were rough. He endured bullying in high school. As he approached the age of 18, he had a vision to get his life back on track by attending HACC and pursuing a trade.
“Moving to Harrisburg and going to HACC saved my life—that’s the truth,” he said.
After earning two degrees from HACC, he decided to stay and make Harrisburg home. He kept a low profile—until he surfaced as Sharkman.
“As time went on and more questions were asked about Sharky—and I guess coming to terms with things in my own life—becoming Sharky became a tribute to my best buddy. We skated together pretty much every day growing up. He ended up committing suicide two years ago. We were supposed to go shark diving together, but it never happened. It’s affected me greatly. So, it’s a tribute to him—being a shark, as well as skating, since it was his hobby as well as mine growing up,” he said.
How did he turn something so painful into a positive?
“As tragic as it was, you still have to find good things to hold onto, and I think that’s what helped me,” he said. “Because of the popularity of Sharky over the summer, I didn’t want the perception to be, ‘He’s just using his friend’s death for his own gain,’—and I still don’t want to do that. I try to do what I can, with the means that I’ve been given.”
Sharkman has scaled back from his pandemic schedule of fives weekly skates, but he hasn’t hung up his skates entirely. He makes charity appearances and organizes occasional group skates via social media.
The first time he asked skaters to join him along the river last year was “special.”
“That was probably the first time I skated with anyone by my side, since we—my buddy and I—skated together. My buddy would’ve wanted that,” he said.
Just as sharks are often misunderstood creatures, Sharkman hopes his story—and Sharky persona—ultimately helps others. This shark, it turns out, has a heart.
“It’s good for me to share these life experiences, and be part of Harrisburg,” he said. “People want to know the story about the shark, whereas as a person, they might not. Sharky is relatable.”
You can find Sharkman Hbg on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MrSharkyShark and @sharkmanhbg on Instagram.
In 2022, the above story won Second Place, Personality Profile in Pennsylvania’s Keystone Media Awards, by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association (PNA).
And now, a more recent follow-up. Out of the blue about two weeks ago, I received a Facebook message from Sharky. “I’m moving to Colorado soon. It would be awesome to grab coffee together before I go.”
As a journalist, I’ve been incredibly honored to interview hundreds of people. I never take the trust between me and an interviewee for granted. So, it was extremely humbling that Sharkman opened up to me for the podcast, as well as the above article—the only full-length interview and article he granted, aside from various photos that ran in other media outlets. I don’t say that to toot my own horn in any way; I say that because somehow, Sharky trusted me to tell his story.
And this past Friday, as we met over coffee, he trusted me as a friend. On both counts, I’m honored.
Even though I had looked him in the eyes, throughout both of our previous interviews, five and four years ago, he’d been in costume both times. But Friday marked the first time I saw him out of costume, the persona dropped.
It's hard to summarize a two-hour conversation over coffee into a paragraph or two, but the bottom line is that he doesn’t feel the need for costumes anymore. After a long run as Sharkman, he changed things up by becoming Glitch the robot—also on skates, also in costume. Today, he gifted me these two little robots he’d crafted, having coffee. I’m gifting one to a very special friend, who adores Sharky’s story. And the other, I’ll cherish as it finds a special place aside my kitchen coffeepot.
The costumes, he says, served their purpose. And honestly, as much as they brightened the days of strangers, he thinks he was actually the one who benefitted the most. All the people he met, all the good that was accomplished together—it helped him grow and move past a lot of pain in his own life. Now, he’s ready to put it behind him, literally, by moving across the country to Colorado, a place he’s always loved to visit. It’s a place that clicks with him. Somehow, he says, it already feels like home. Although the move requires a leap of faith (he needs to find a new job, for one), he’s ready.
From what I know about sharks… they typically don’t stay in the same territory. They migrate and move on. Godspeed, Sharky and I’m wishing you all the best always.
Nature Nugget
A quick travel tip and photo, sharing incredible views, trails, or parks
No sharks in this photo, but how many horizontal layers or stripes can you count in this sunrise photo? Taken at Delaware Seashore State Park.
Luna Lens
Sharing a photo of my fluffy floofy dog Luna… because there’s plenty of fluff to go around.
Earlier this week, on our morning walk, Luna seemed to pause and take in the sunrise. I loved seeing the sun’s glow illuminating the fur around her face.
Comfort Corner
A great recipe, or a Spotify song. Comfort food or chill tunes. Maybe both.
Easter is coming, which goes hand-in-hand with bunnies and therefore… carrot recipes. I have made this unique recipe for numerous church brunches over the years, and every time, I’m asked for the recipe. Now, it’s yours for the trying, as well. :-)
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
Pinch salt
1 1/2 cups grated carrot
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey
1 cup milk
1 large egg
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup walnuts
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F and spray an 8x8 inch square pan with cooking spray.
Place oats, baking powder, spices, salt and grated carrot into a large bowl and stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, mix vanilla extract, milk and egg.
Pour wet ingredients into the dry. Add honey, then stir until everything is mixed.
Place in prepared baking dish and level off with a spatula/wooden spoon.
Place in the oven for 35-40 minutes, until golden, slightly puffy and set. The edges will be a dark golden color.
Enjoy!
Thanks for reading… and I wish you a wonderful week ahead!
Be well,
Karen
