Pipe Masters until 2021!
Does it warm your heart every December when the non-surfing marketing executive turned Dear General Secretary of the WSL, Sophie Goldschmidt, makes her annual appearance on the podium at the Pipeline Masters and talks about surfing’s “hallowed waves”?
Its’ all very…inclusive… devoid, as it is, of gender or even participational bias. We’re all surfers now etc.
Earlier today, the WSL announced it had secured permits for events in Hawaii for the next three years. This is a switcharoo from last year when the Pipe Masters was all but shelved (figuratively, not literally, as in ass) after a testy permit-roundabout between the City of Hawaii and the WSL.
Not any more.
From the presser:
“…the World Surf League is pleased to announce that the City & County of Honolulu has approved three years of permit applications, ensuring that the following WSL events will have the opportunity to run during their traditional holding periods and at their usual locations in 2019, 2020 and 2021:
- Sunset Open, Sunset Beach, January 18 – 28
- Volcom Pipe Pro, Banzai Pipeline, January 29 – February 10
- HIC Sunset Pro, Sunset Beach, October 28 – November 10
- The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Series:
- Hawaiian Pro, Haleiwa Ali’i Beach, November 13-24
- Vans World Cup, Sunset Beach, November 25-December 7
- Billabong Pipe Masters, Banzai Pipeline, December 8-20
“Hawaii is an integral part of surfing and a hugely important community for the WSL,” Sophie Goldschmidt, WSL CEO said. “The permit approval is a great step to not only ensuring the world’s best surfers continue to be tested in Hawaii’s hallowed waves in the coming years, but that these events provide infrastructure and developmental support for up-and-coming surfers from the region.”
Two more WSL events will be held before the 2018/19 Hawaiian winter surf season draws to a close: the Sunset Open QS1,000 (January 18-28) and the Volcom Pipe Pro (January 29-February 10), which will see the return to competition of former two-time WSL Champion John John Florence (HAW).”
Excited?
And do you think John John Florence will ever return to port?