A decade, at least, before they try again.
Wild scenes of jubilation at Ballina Council Chambers as people power kicks WSL to the curb and Ballina Councillors reject the proposed Easter CT at the Point 8-2.
Mad, mad scenes.
Huge turnout from local surfers, of all ages, many many artistic signs suggesting various points of the anatomy in WSL could stick their proposed comp, liberal usage of the now classic Fuck the WSL, many collared shirts, high vis, bambinos, surf media stars, spanner crab fishos, aftershave applied to dampen the humid Balinese afternoon sweat etc etc.
A very heartwarming scene. Not boomer-ish at all.
Local dawn patroller and teacher Ben Holmes delivered the case against and did brilliant. Yours truly was thrilled to hear councillors lifting whole chunks of BeachGrit text as one by one they eviscerated the WSL proposal.
Councillors referenced community opposition, texts, phone calls, media.
Much hooting and hollering as the reality sunk in.
What now for the Woz? Back to Bells?
I received a text from SurfCoast Shire Mayor Libby Stapleton during the meeting claiming she couldn’t supply me with any info about the Easter Bells Comp and to contact the WSL, to which I replied: you better contact them Libby they are presenting the case for a CT at Lennox as we speak.
Bells is gone.
Many phone calls, frantic I expect.
Can WSL General Manager Starkey survive this fuck-up of monumental proportions?
Should we prepare the last rites, write the obit?
Unconfirmed reports on Prime7 News the WSL has withdrawn the application stating, “They will not go where they are not wanted”.
A decade, at least, before they try again.
By which time, Elo, Starkey and probably the WSL itself will be long gone.
Starkey, you will not be surprised to hear, did not take my call.
More as the story develops.
Save this headline for later in the year: WILD SCENES OF JUBILATION AS DIRK ZIFF KICKS WSL TO THE CURB!
Brazil, all the pro’s are (from) there…
Just have the whole tour
in Brazil and voila, a swell
window of opportunity
Hate to sound snarky but goodbye Starkey!
I’ve seen one too many air reverses.
Wtf? I love surfing contests held in A + conditions. So does Longtom.
The talent level is incredible right now. Can you picture Jack Robinson v John John in one Semi and Kelly v Ethan Ewing in the other? In pumping 6′ Lennox screamers?
Get the fuck out of here that would have been insane. Just ask Shearer.
Its what everyone here has been asking for. Contests in real fuckin waves. Could have been Gold.
No air reverses either c4. Go back to Linda Mar.
I just think the Govt miss the point on this whole thing……watch out the rest of NSW the Wozzel (holder of surfing tournaments – is angry with you Nimbys) is coming for you. Lets hope they keep it to the City based beaches. The Deputy Premier really has no idea about surfing or what it means to the community when things change. Watch the video below. Lennox used to be a nothing town with barely a road before the surfers came to town. Lots of other places dotted around the globe are the same. Stop shitting in your own backyard.
https://www.facebook.com/7N…
I used to snicker at the bikies with their FTW slogan , now i get it FTWSL.
Does this mean the wsl / Kelly slater housing development on flood land near Noosa is killed off as well?
Barilaro just held a presser at Lismore and announced the NSW State Gov will not be overturning the Ballina Shire Council decision.
Wow. Talk about epic fail.
#youcantscriptthis
Does the wozzle know that they can just give that fat mouthpiece cunt some money?
Are you going to bitch when its shitty at Newcastle? And whine that pro tour should be held in real waves? Lol
They literally own a bubble wave in the San Joaquin Valley. They could literally bubble up the ‘CTers at that fucking indigenous hotel/casino that y’all in surf media and the surfers and the hangers-on and the bubble-adjacent-esque can bubble themselves up in. just as it seemed keen to do/write about when each and every wsl-adjacent journalistic body did when first visiting the joint. monolithic storytelling as usual. shuffling to and fro their bubble waves. until shit gets real!!!! REAL WORLD TOUR LEMOORE! mtv films, Chas and Derty Reilly commentate, Lengthy Thomas wraps. endorsements follow. will SeaBass strangle Leo? will kanoa’s wavecount suffer if/when Kelly finally localizes his takeoff spot (every 2 minutes)? will wilko (is he even still on tour) ride the locomotive down the track, chortling while waving his cowboy hat in a 360 degree manner above his head like an ELO SUP-paddle twirl????? For an international sports league, these guys are pathetic. standard knowledge. but for a supposed media production company, THEY ARE HILARIOUSLY CLUELESS. cue chas and dez stirring drama in the lemoore house in 5…4…3…2…1.
I’d subscribe
I think having anybody stay in lemoore for a week or so would make them go crazy and want to murder each other. Great for television, like that show celebrity rehab.
surf celebrity pool slab (+ catnaps)
you could call it Stab In The Dark
Which door will the barbarians be at next? Wonderful display of community flex, a model for whoever is next.
Hey LT, re the 8/2 count. Were the two promised birthday shout outs from the woz?
Or some special time with Gabe?
What a rollercoaster of a story. Can’t wait to see what Peter Jackson does with the film.
He’ll stretch it out to 8 unbearable hours and slather it in smarm and shit, and ask the NZ public to support it financially.
With another outbreak is melb overnight I can understand them wanting a back up.
Manly CT it is.
Fuck it, let’s fire Surfest back up
Yawn 🥱
I can’t wait to read how woozl are going to try and spin this ballsup….
Cone of Silence again, I spose.
totally.
“Bring it to Bondi” – that’s the new ground swell apparently – ready made hordes of viewing and partying backpackers to make it look like a super popular sport!!!
They should just do it at the pass. It’s at no risk of getting any more crowded, there’s no further way Byron can sell out anyway, and the community has been too gutted by airbnb and Rangey drivers to notice or care anymore.
Thank god. There was probably some obfuscated lawyer talk agreeing to building Kelly another pool/eco development hidden somewhere in there so, crisis averted.
Where should the WSL tour go in Aus?
Seems like everyone wants to watch some events but no one putting their hand up to host them.
Broken?
I’d prefer to have the tour at broken then the Brazilians that are there normally.
you can’t have one without the other.
I’m really hoping you’re being facetious about suggesting Broken. If not, anywhere but Lennox
would be then OK then LT? You might want to consider how many more reasons
there are against using Broken compared to Lennox (beyond nimby locals).
kidding. Erik said he lives at suffo
Small mercies. Just because we’re swamped doesn’t mean things can’t get worse.