The possibility of a Pipeline-free 2018 world tour a quiet reality!
And oooo-ee things really are on a collision course on beloved Oahu between the World Surf League and Honolulu’s city council. David Lee Scales informed me of the kerfuffle during yesterday’s podcast recording, even using the word “kerfuffle” to describe (listen here!) but at the time I was slightly underwhelmed. It seemed like trivial posturing that would inevitably work out. Today, though, the sky is ominous and could the WSL actually get booted from Pipeline?
By way of recap and according to Hawaii’s ABC affiliate, the League was late turning in permit paperwork and hoping to shift the window to late January, where Volcom holds its Pipeline Pro contest now. It seems like the sort of thing that gets worked out quickly and with a few greased palms but after a night of long knives the troubles seem more intractable.
Honolulu’s mayor said, “The Department of Parks and Recreation must remain fair to those who followed the rules. However, WSL believes the city should grant their request without hesitation, outside of the established rules, because of their economic impact to the community.”
Fred Hemmings, father of modern professional surfing, parried, “I find it ludicrous that civic leaders can’t see the wisdom in highlighting the Triple Crown as an asset to Hawaii. And giving it the permits needed to continue this tradition.”
To which the WSL responded it is, “reluctantly exploring alternative solutions.”
Volcom/RedBull, who have the now coveted January spot, have not released a statement but Da Hui, which runs the Backdoor Shootout, released the following, “By eliminating another event (the Pipeline Pro) that gives them (Hawaiian surfers) opportunities that will be detrimental to them. Although the WSL caters to worldwide surfers, here in the Hawaii we’re family — we’re concern about our own kanaka maoli surfers.”
It is impossible to imagine the World Surf League not somehow working this out but if it has, indeed, lost its permit will the lack of Pipeline on the calendar taint the eventual 2018 champ? Furthermore, can professional surfing at the highest level work without Pipeline? I argued yesterday, on the podcast, that it cannot. Pipeline is the most iconic wave in the world and the only one that is an absolute necessity. Teahupoo could go away, J-Bay could go away, Snapper, Bells, Supertubos could all go away and it would be sad but not devastating. Losing Pipeline would be devastating.
Could it really happen?
More as it develops.
Absolutely absurd. First and foremost, no one cares about surfing contests. If the WSL disappeared tomorrow no one would care. In fact, t-shirts were selling on Oahu over the holidays that read, “In Memory of When I Cared” and yes, the days of caring are a distant memory. The WSL business model is toast, the Olympics are on a trial basis and if anybody hasn’t heard yet, if it doesn’t get moved to a wave pool before 2020 surfing won’t even make the broadcast. So anyone who thinks that the World Tour is dead without the Pipe is sorely mistaken because it’s already dead. Yes, DEAD, like the Walking Dead, the Living Dead, the Night of the Zombies. It’s over! It’s not if, it’s just when! RIP WSL…!
People have wrapped up the world title way before PIPE. It rarely determines the champ, Could I imagine a north shore season without the WSL, sounds dreamy..
Bullet points
* WSL is using this opportunity to modernize its wave selection. A dated, but dangerous UNESCO wave like Pipeline threatens the fun factor of KS wave pools and thus all related wave pools (key pt). Pipeline is 50’s era, and California so last decade, so the new yardstick / gauge / mecca quality wave is cloud break or restaurants. Unique locales such as waves in strange areas like Moons of Jupiter or Modern Futuristic cities like Dubai are highly sought after.
* WSL moved all interns from banzai project (some of their best and brightest) to the new vaunted Mt. Olympus project, thus when the oversight of paper filing for Oahu was found out, the best and brightest were high up on Mt. Olympus messing with Zeus and Cronos, but the pantheon cannot control time.
* Dept of Parks and Recs are currently filming new spin off show called Parks and Recs: Tropic Thunder so they are busy with that. And sorting through all the permits for late 2017 / 2018
* Govt of Hawaii had that guy (yes that guy!) that used both twist keys and flipped the cover to open and hit the Nuclear Missile Launch (warning) button demoted from button pressing and emergency / all important texting to mail dispersion for the office. The WSL held their all important documents in a single certified mail document. Jeez where did that one envelope go?
* Enter Fred H. He is doing his heroic duty but no matter what, the guy’s a black sheep due to his PC affiliation and the current actions (or lack there of) of the P-p-p-p-prezident of the Unique States, if he really a black sheep or fleeced as white as snow. Or cream like yellow snow. I don’t know.
Due to that PC thang, whatever he says defending the WSL comes across like: “Yo Dawg, I herd you like crowded lineups, so I put surfing crowds in your surf crowd, so you can crowd surf while you surf crowded.” Or “I want front of the line, VIP privileges, no cover, at the most awesome dance club with a 200 people line and 2 hour wait with a $100 cover,so a million of my people show up, who may or may not spend their money but certainly leave their trash for you guys to clean up. While normal non surfing tourism has people that leave trash, but also spend lavishly left and right on the island and are willing to wait in line and pay the cover.
*Da Hui: gives them opportunties that will be detrimental . . . did they say that to rhyme like xhibit “opportunistic detrimentality but we support families. ” Wait. Should not an opportunity that harms should be . . . an adversity, or threat / harm . . . or . .. WAIT #IGETIT! Maybe grammer flip or flop. But they could have said: “elimitating contests causes opportunties lost, being detrimental to local surfers. ” But wait, maybe in pidgin the original makes sense. I don’t know. I’m just an engrish major. Hey the Da Hui can give punches and sticks and stones that can hurt your bones but words never . . . Ok at least they keep the line ups from chaos central and help with running contest stuff and waterman / lifeguard duties.
I think I dig you Hikaru
damn you are good , please join the merry men here and continue …….
Dear Sophie,
No way in hell I’m going to watch contests on Facebook.
I guess it’s over between us,
Billie Joe
Utterly horrifying stuff. I never knew that about CR. I’m continually surprised( I shouldn’t be by now) at how mentally retarded so much of the world is.
Edit: BTW I mean that phrase in a literal way, not a cruel dig at people with Down’s etc.
This kerfuffle is lame but the curfuffle on Instagram is totally rad.
endorse
I have a solution. Offering it free of charge.
– Everyone gets together and talks this through.
– The Volcom event shifts back to the current Pipe Masters dates, the Pipe event shifts forward to Feb.
– Vans or whomever tops up Volcom’s prize purse to equal Sunset and Haleiwa.
– The Triple Crown is now the World Cup, the Haleiwa Pro, and the Volcom — three top gun QS events, with plenty of special spots held aside for local Hawaiian surfers. The TC becomes the Core Surfers’ Title — three events, no wave pools, no world championship decider hanging over it and stealing its thunder like what happens now.
The WSL CT gets its Pipeline hit and then goes off and does whatever wackiness it’s got planned between then and September.
A lot of winners in that scenario.
The Sunset Beach Residents Association will still be pissed off but they’ll be pissed off in any case.
You’re just too fucken sensible for your own good Carroll.
Yeah, since when has starting at getting everyone together and talking things through ever made sense.
Don’t the fucking surfing elders realise it’s all gotta be hung out on social media these days?
Perfect , yes lets do it , but can RedBull have the media rights???
Why would Volcom give up big gnarly spitting tubes Pipeline for “you see, the sand’s in the reef and the swell is quite north” Pipeline?
That’s why everyone should get together and start talking this through mate.
You need gravitas for that, and I’m not sure anyone in WSL Land has enough of it to pull this off. Other than maybe Kelly.
Getting together and talking wont shift the sand and alter the swell direction!
True but it might just lead to everyone’s needs being met.
Can’t see Volcom being so caring and sharing. They’re not going to hand over the best time of year for Pipe to a bunch of knuckleheads.
Finally someone making sense!
If ever you tire of writing Nick (most unlikely of course), you should be appointed to the WSL Board as minister for common sense and logical planning. Hope they read your post.
And now to replace the “minister of stoke” from bumfuck Idaho, we have the minister for common sense and logical thinking….
Sorry triple F, I don’t get your point. But I do understand that Nick has at least thought about the scheduling problem and offered some sort of workable solution that is worth considering for those involved. His other suggestion, that all the stakeholders get together and discuss it more, is valid too. In short, it would seem to be the most logical approach so far to helping resolve a fairly complex situation ie – making use of better communication and good old common sense. Cheers.
or….. leave the QuickBong pro where it is for 2018 and elevate the the Volcom Pro to a CT in 2019. WSL tops up purse.
yea fuck the locals, great attitude, see you on the beach
i am confused here. Isn’t the Volcom QS event owned by WSL, but redbull & volcom host and are major sponsors? Could the WSL just pull this QS event and insert the CT? Or am I just totally confused (due to lack of coffee and too many beers last night)?
The WSL owns the CT, it mostly just sanctions the QS events (except for a couple of the big ones). It could pull the QS sanctioning from the Volcom event but man, that would be the exact opposite of a smart move.
I should add, I was mistaken re the bodyboarding dates: the issue is more complex. The WSL wanted to switch the Volcom permit (for which it does the applying on behalf of Volcom etc) to the Pipe Masters. It also wants to add and change a couple of other things, including putting an extra day on the World Cup permit so it can run a women’s event there, and taking over the early Feb Sunset Pro Junior event and turning it into a women’s CT. No wonder everyone’s in such a fluster.
The women must be pissed about loosing perfect Honolua bay! A poor judgement call by the WSL. There is a lot to be said about the lack of comment from Vans, Volcom and Red Bull too. They are coming out big loosers from all this proposed shuffling. The future now looks grim: Hawaii not the final crowning event / No CT events in Hawaii until next permit cycle at the earliest / Triple Crown without a CT ever again / No Women’s events. How can any of this be good for surfing or even the WSL? Restructuring is now more destructuring!
If Elon Musk can launch a car towards mars for a laugh, why can’t someone set up a legitimate rebel tour?
Hawaiian politics are kinda similar to Trump politics…..a lot of bullying, sprinkled with half-truths and full of bad grammar and spelling.
well, they have the KS/WSL wave pool. Just throw some boulders and sharks into the mix and that will get everyone excited… :/
Sunny just posted on instagram that the WSL did not miss any permit deadline
Sounds like an inside job to me. Someone who cannot fathom it not all coming down to Pipe.
But Rio can stay…that would be devastating
No one gonna watch on FB so maybe the whole title can be 1 event – just at Rio!!! But we string it out for 6 months
Sounds promising. Go Sophie go!
Who writes Da Hui press releases? Not sure I followed the grammar or the logic. Does Babel Fish translate Da Hui speak? Forgive me, I’m just a stinking Haole.
Eddie is the mokest haole ever but they say something like ‘getting rid of the Pipeline pro would be a tragedy for the community because it gives local surfers a great opportunity to compete at pipe and we really only care about our local surfers.’
Thank you for treating my casually racist post with way more respect than it ever deserved!
“mokest haole ever”…truest, most succinct description ever
Dear Sophie,
So let me get this straight..
Your legacy could be;
You got surfing INTO the Olympics and OUT of Pipeline?
We’re on your side but you’re not off to a good start.
Watch fast Eddie start crying about the departure of the WSL, poetic justice?
And I thought Kauai was backwards!!! Get Chas on this Costa Rica story asap, this reader demands it!!!
I think the permits in question are for the 2019 season no? This is going to be detrimental to Wessley Danta’s title run.
S’right. This is for 2019 to kick the Tour off ?
So this year Pipe runs Dec. Then 2019 Pipe potentially runs the next month? Does the triple crown get moved with it as well?
i think they (WSL) want the dates that RedBull/Veeco already have. my guess is that they (RB/V-co) are not too excited about the proposition given the way things have gone since WSL disallowed carrying the broadcast on their own sites and WSL refusing to allow their surfers to compete in non-sanctioned events. Hawaii is trying to decide who to back here (WSL/Facebook) or Kering and RedBull.
Redbull seems to have unlimited access to capital, they’re basically Amazon to WSL’s local mom & pop shop, The WSL would have to present itself as the soul of surfing to stand a chance against a giant like that. Ironically, the WSL being the soul of surfing is the most fucked up thought I’ve had all week
It’s the classic attempted Corporate Cock Block. WSL want to get Red Bull’s hands off surfing. What better way than forcing the local government to choose between the Red Bull and the WSL for the same dates. No way WSL “forgot” to lodge the paperwork. This is high wire negotiation and I reckon they have fucked up. Going to be an interesting few weeks!
leaving the WSL with shit leverage in the FB deal by making it clear that RedBull, Kering, and Oaktree are about to do an end run around us rather than paying us for locking up these athletes with an exclusivity clause. RedBull sure as hell doesn’t need WSL production capabilities, what are Ziff and co really contributing at this point?
Well, they’re contributing nothing really. Instead of “partnering” with bigger and more financially viable entities, they want “exclusivity”. The surfers will follow the money. and the WSL will be left with exclusive rights to a chlorinated pool in the middle of nowhere.
You should trademark ‘Corporate Cock Block’.
Mightn’t be much use now, but if Bernie Sanders ever gets in, you’ll be rich.
Redbull is worth 8.7 billion dollars, if the WSL manages a successful dismount from this high wire negotiation it will be only because Redbull allows it, If Dietrich Mateschitz decides he wants surfing he’ll get it. Question is why would he want it? Motocross fans live on a steady diet of energy drinks, one event probably generates more cash than an entire season for the wsl
True! Red Bull would potentially only be interested in the high risk surfing events, which is what their brand is all about. I’m thinking Big Wave Tour, Pipe, Chopes, Ours etc. Which is kinda what non-surfing audiences are only interested in as well. As with all the sports they are involved in, if someone’s potentially gonna die, Red Bull are in 🙂
Red Bull does not try to own whole sports. They want pieces of each. They like being the alternative edgy one. They aren’t gonna pitch to be the tour milkman.
Energy drinks own motocross and snowboarding, Nike owns competitive skateboarding, ESPN (Disney) owns X-Games. WSL is on borrowed time IMO
PS. Also think this may be their end game, make surfing great again, get gobbled up by Haliburton, make off with big fat cheques.
Nah the WSL wants the bodyboarders’ dates.
dammit NC, I just visited the APB website to see what they had, maybe RedBull can help them moving forward, eh?
More detrimental than his paddling style?
Wessley has two small outboard motors instead of feet
Sssh! The Russian Olympic team might be taking notes. Don’t want to give them ideas.
ftfy: The possibility of a Pipeline-free 2019 world tour a quiet reality!
Per the Star Advertiser article:
“The switch would take effect during the 2019 season, thus allowing the 2018 Billabong event approved for Dec. 8-20 to go on as scheduled”
From fake nuclear alerts to biting the hands that feed (ie: pro surfing), Hawaii has become the tropical “New Orleans” of the Pacific. Racism, corruption, ineptitude, and a general lack of education and intelligence.
Yet dey all dumb, fat, and happy, brah!
Powa to da peepuls!
I think you just described Trumps Meerycan Swamp!
WSL is not the economic boom you think it is. Nobody in San Clemente cared that WSL isn’t coming this year.