Stephen King's surfboard was bitten by a shark at Angourie. Picture: Al Morrison.

Mr King, 51, said he was thrown through the air by the impact of the attack as the shark took a large bite out of his board while surfing at Angourie, near Yamba. "I was lucky just to get a couple of grazes on my leg, "he said.

Mr King said he was about to stand up to catch a wave when he felt the shark brush against his leg before it took a mouthful of polyurethane and disappeared.

He suffered minor injuries but got back to the beach and called for help. He was taken to Maclean Hospital and given a tetanus injection.

Lifeguards closed the beach after the near miss, which happened about 6am. Local surfer Al Morrison said Mr King regularly surfed at the world-renowned point.

"We get the occasional shark sighting, but we've never had an attack before," he said.

"He felt it brush against his leg and that's when he saw it.

"He was just really lucky. The whole town is talking about it, but people are still out surfing."