Honolulu City closes door on any chance of a Pipe opener in 2019…
Have you been following the permit-roundabout between the City and Council of Honolulu and the WCT?
The nut of the argument was this: the WSL wanted to open the 2019 tour with an event at Pipe.
Honolulu said the WSL turned in their form late and therefore, “The Department of Parks and Recreation must remain fair to those who followed the rules.”
Honolulu’s Mayor, Kirk Caldwell, followed that piece of pedantry with a testy, “However, WSL believes the city should grant their request without hesitation, outside of the established rules, because of their economic impact to the community.”
Anyway, confirmation just came that the WSL’s grand plan for a tour opener at Pipe in 2019 has been officially binned.
The WSL’s CEO, Ms Sophie Goldschmidt, whom I’ve met once and adored, responded in the sort of opaque speak that can only come from someone who has been immersed in the patois of the corporate world her entire life.
“We are disappointed we will not be able to run the 2019 Billabong Pipe Masters. However, we are pleased that the Mayor recognizes that fundamental changes are required to the permit process that will benefit Hawaiian surfing, the surfers, the community and other stakeholders. We will assist however we can during this process and once we understand the changes, we will be able to determine which events we can invest in bringing to Hawaii in winter 2019 and beyond.”
Permits were granted to these events.
WSL PRELIMINARILY PERMITTED EVENTS FOR HAWAII 2018/2019
HIC PRO – Sunset Beach – Oct. 27 – Nov. 9, 2018
HAWAIIAN PRO – Haleiwa – Nov. 12-24, 2018
VANS WORLD CUP OF SURFING – Sunset – Nov. 25 – Dec. 6, 2018
BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS – Ehukai – Dec. 8-20, 2018
SUNSET OPEN – Sunset Beach – Jan. 18-28, 2019
VOLCOM PIPE PRO – Ehukai – Jan 29 – Feb. 10, 2019
Which raises the question, does it not, why can’t the Volcom Pipe Pro be lifted from a WQS event to a WCT event?
Easy enough, yes? A few scratches on a keyboard, a new press release, a change in event bunting etc.
Ah, but according to Honolulu, the law doesn’t allow switcharoos and therefore the Volcom Pro must remain the Volcom Pro.
Do you love bureaucracy as much as me (ie. not a lot)?
Where do you think the tour opener next year will be?
The WSL says it’s in negotiations for a new location and, therefore, can’t comment.
How about we take a wild guess?
Where’s good late February?
Hello, romantic notions? John John lost the Pipe Masters in 2017. Get a Grit, I mean a Grip!
Another spin of the graveyard spiral known as the WSL! Anyone who’s behind bringing surfing to the masses needs to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here’s the deal. All of the surf companies are broke or treading water. I doubt any of them really want to bankroll more than one event a year unless some local government or clueless phone company wants to do the heavy lifting for them.
The way things are heading, 2019 will be a shortened season just like 2001. Snapper and Bells will be the Aus CT leg due to WA government being broke. Maybe a comp in Brasil, Maybe J-Bay, Maybe Tahiti, Maybe a CT stop in Europe (lots of maybes, but who’s going to pay for all these events?). And of course the precious and un-sponsored surf ranch event followed by the even more precious (and just as un-sponsored) “world titles” in Indonesia. Plus the schermozzle of Hawaii in December with no CT event.
I guess the WSL hope the economy will have turned around enough by 2020 that they will actually have sponsors for all these events that currently exist solely at the whim of a reclusive billionaire (and hold pipe in January)
It’s so obvious that they are hanging everything on a ‘world championships’ concept that for some reason cannot be in Hawaii in December. Way to screw up the competition calendar and piss off everyone in Hawaii.
There’s a good chance a rebel tour will spring up, maybe run by people who know what the hell they are actually doing.
Back beaches of Creso have been pretty good last few days.
How about the Racecourse Masters!😃
Or Feb NE winds Southwall.
Each competitor must wear a contest rashie that has been soaked in fish guts.
Think of the ratings.
Mundaka ..
My thoughts too-just up the points
that’s how i read it. maybe a Surf Writer can find out for us!
Pipe makes way more sense as a grand finale anyway – I never understood this plan.
Oh my. But only if the Hawaii permit people agree, right? Yikes.
Honolua is such a great showcase for the pro women. Sunset is totally not a substitute for that at all.
Honolua.
whhhaaatttttt is this for reals?
yes apparently the girls thought Honolua was a bit too soft and easy and want a crack at Sunset !
ha ha well i’m pretty sure they can do it, but i’d much rather watch them at honolua.
I wonder if the cost of Honolua was too much for the WSL ?
I am sure we would all love to see Da Bay , whereas Sunset is bloody hard to watch, and if ever there was 12′ wsw swell at Sunset , good luck!
It has to be the money, right? I can’t imagine any other explanation that makes sense.
It’s not easy finding sponsorship funding for niche sports — especially women’s sports. I’m sure there’s someone with deep pockets out there that would watch a clip of Steph dancing at Honolua and think, ‘oh hey, I’d pay to be associated with that.’ But finding that person is a tall order.
I mean, you’re asking someone to pay for your party right? In return for something pretty damn intangible. Idk. I’m glad I’m not in sales 😉
thats what i was thinking, still the season opener for 2019 CT AND the QS – all 36 CT against the rest of the frothing ‘QS field, and the pipe specialist. 4 man heats, and not a throw-away result, i want to see that! Make the Best go after it, Thats how you kick a season off! especially in a re-formatted season, Go Wild WSL!!! or just make it the right hand tour and start in Morocco
Fuck them all. Rather have vaughan and the volcom than wsl. Ooops maybe tonight I’ve had too many tooheys and tomorrow we are expecting some big swell to hit Sydney beaches. Tonight, fuck the wsl, beers 80s Aussie music hangover surf tmrw
that’s what happens when you don’t maximize value for stakeholders
Welcome to A Grade Sophie….
Take off deep and have a crack …
Have it at Third Dip
Umm the WSL isn’t the only operation with permits. The other permit holders would take legal action over non sanctioned changes.
I honestly believed they’d figure this out. In trying to create a superbowl, they just lost it.
you did?
Totally, after a lil posturing from both sides. Pipes been with the ASP since ’84, no?
i meant the general incompetence of the current management, not Randy Rarick and Fred Hemmings
Did you squeal like an Ashton Goggans?
That photo, in this context, is HILARIOUS.
Or in any other context.