And, question, is there any female athlete in the
current Top 17 with a functioning Pipe game?
Gots to admit, I’ve been feeling flat since Sophie left
the building.
I know it’s “gauche” for surf journalists to admit their
feelings. We should be objective
and cool and report the facts and save the feels (and salacious
details) for the post-career memoir.
But still, we is human
beings.
Maybe disappointed is a better term, I thought Sophie and the
Ziffs were a genuine dream team, and now doubly disappointed
because Sophie’s legacy as a fearless warrior for gender equality
is under attack and she ain’t around to defend herself.
I speak, of course, about the proposal from Sophie’s old bête
noire, the Honolulu City Council, and it’s new resolution 20-12
(the so-called Blue Crush law),
mandating gals inclusion in the Hawaiian events.
I am such an unreconstructed heteronormative piece of shit I
didn’t even realise they weren’t.
Chas, of course, covered the initial story but we now have the
actual resolution and the WSL’s response to the resolution to dig
into.
We all remember what happened with the last face-off between
Sophie and the bureacratic muscle of the City and County of
Honolulu: the Dept of Parks and Recreation.
Sophie tried to publicly strong-arm the short-sleeved pen
pushers by claiming what an indispensable boost to tourism pro
surfing was to Hawaii and the short-sleevers with the underarm
stains* called her bluff.
Sophie blinked, no new Pipe permits and the dream of a
restructured Tour died unlamented in a ditch.
Now, Elo and the WSL are playing a much more sophisticated game.
Something like Kissinger’s Iron fist in a Silk
Glove, with maybe a touch of Sun Tzu’s Art of War thrown
in.
The actual resolution, spearheaded by Hawaiian core-lord Heidi
Tsuneyoshi comes in hard and heavy on the WSL: WHEREAS, female
competitive surfers face discrimination at certain professional
surfing contests and events in terms of inclusion in competitions,
access to venues and facilities, resources, competition time, and
pay…
The rebuttal by the WSL is very calming but laced with a faint
but distinct odour of passive-aggressive butthurt: The WSL
supports Resolution No. 20-12 and commends the work of Council
member Heidi Tsuneyoshi and the Committee for Equity in Women’s
Surfing on this resolution. We are advocates of all positive steps
that benefit and support gender equality and remain deeply
committed to developing women’s surfing, aiming for long-term
sustainable growth.
Heidi’s resolution then details steps forwards for gender
equality including the Tokyo Olympics, WSL equal pay, a women’s
Jaws event and Keala Kennelly’s Eddie Invite, before going back on
the offensive: WHEREAS, unfortunately, despite this progress,
gender discrimination still persists in professional surfing
contests and events, including those that hold competitions on
public land or otherwise utilize public venues or public resources;
and
WHEREAS, for example, the failure of promoters and leagues
to mandate that a womens division be included in all events on the
World Championship Tour, effectively creates a loophole to equal
pay achievements…..
and about 50 more WHEREAS…..which basically state it’s on public
land, we dish out the permits and make the rules etc etc.
To which the WSL came in meek and mild as a lamb: Since the
resolution just passed, and the permits for our events are fixed
and the event schedules have now been set for several months, we
are not currently in a position to immediately commit to adding a
women’s division for our events on the North Shore. We plan to have
further discussions with the Department of Parks and Recreations to
understand their position and their timeline for the integration of
a women’s division into existing events on the North Shore for
which permits have already been issued.
Before signing off with another ever so slightly sniffy end
note: We look forward to continuing to work with the Honolulu
City Council and our partners to explore sustainable opportunities
for the expansion of women’s surfing both on the North Shore and
around the world.
Couple of things.
First, any parent/coach of a fifteen-year-old female athlete and
by athlete I mean surfer better make sure their charge has a
functioning Pipe game by the time they turn pro.
Second; what’s your favourite use of the world sustainable?
The greenwash, we-are-causing-no-harm meaning, or the more
hard-edged economic
we’ll-give-the-gals-what-the-market-can-afford-to-pay-them
meaning?
I think the WSL presser writer’s use of the second meaning was
very masterly, or mistressly.
Whatever the case may be.
Gals at Pipe?
I’m down with Heidi a hundred million per cent.
I also feel sorry Sophie’s legacy is under attack while the exit
door is still swinging, especially from the sisterhood.
Thirdly, is there any female athlete in the current Top 17 with
a functioning Pipe game?
Fourthly, is Tulsi 2020 officially over?
Despite requests being made, at time of writing Honolulu
Councillor Heidi Tsuneyoshi was unavailable for comment.
*At least a nice floral print aloha shirt on Casual Friday.
