Time for respect.
Proper resentment is taking hold amongst Hawaii’s professional surfing class as competitions remain cancelled, due Covid-19 restrictions, while soccer, football and other team sports are in full swing.
According to a new report on the islands’ ABC affiliate, the World Surf League has cancelled yet another regional qualifier citing state mandates on the number of people allowed to gather together.
Former pro surfer Kahea Hart told the station, “I’m taking it more as a cultural insult you know, as a Hawaiian, and watching football, soccer, and those sports being able to be played and surfing, which is outdoors and there’s four guys in the water, that’s our ancestors did that. And it’s not right. Football players are on the line, going head to head coughing, spitting, grunting pushing each other, tackling each other. How much more safe is that than for surfers in the water not touching?”
Jen Tema, whose son Luke has dreams of making onto tour, is agitated as well declaring, “None of our Hawaii kids have trained, they’ve had one contest in two years. And the kids that want to go on tour and the kids that want to try to qualify, have no points. I’m asking (the government) to reclassify it or rename it if it’s considered a gathering, put it in the same you know, same boxes football and soccer whatever is allowed them to keep going, Reclassify it, rename it recategorize it whatever they need to do to give us the same respect that they give football, soccer, all the other sports.”
Honolulu’s mayor has assured his weary public that no other surf competitions will be cancelled but his optimism beggar’s belief as Governor David Ige has extended his emergency proclamation indefinitely.
A solution?
One octagon to unite them all.
It has been pretty oppressive. If I didn’t live within 5 clicks I’d have to have risked a hefty fine to get to the beach. Broke free last weekend though and went down the coast a bit.
Damn spell check. Yes TOBOR is what I meant to type. It was supposed to be a grand compliment to you as everyone know the 8th Man is awesome. My bad.
According to my Aussie friends the cunt..ry has gone full bogan and it is a power grab by weak politicians to control the bogans due their inept decision making around the vaccine.
Jack You are one twisted soul! LEGENDARY!!!! Ronnie G is smiling somewhere…of course he is hidng his gun, but smiling just the same!
Thanks TVOR! I prefer to call my stance regular as well as anti corporatist, pro capitalist, 100% personal responsibility, and I’m firm on surfing is not a jock sport but the cultural act that offers the most fun. As well as a strong belief that the surf industry is lame and sold out for the all mighty dollar and think that if it was to collapse our culture would be better and stronger for the future. But more than anything else I’m a hypocrite that has worked in the industry for decades and watches most the comps as I yell “die surf industry die!”
What if one effectively has no hair?
Man, I’m just looking for footage coming out of the swells in the last month from Tahiti… Yall are talking about Great White dicks or something, Stab has Koa Smith’s instagram footage behind a paywall, now I’m forced into The Inertia. 2021 IS FUCKED
They’re Halyin!
fornoreason.
Erections have consequences as well.
always Hawhinin bout sumptin boo. Aloha.
Most surfing events in Hawaii come under the Department of Parks and Recreation – for the use permit.
Locals refer to events as “Surf Meets”, like it is still the 1950’s.
It’s pretty clear that surfing is not considered a professional sport in Hawaii, rather a form of leisure recreation.
To be fair, these contests are important to surfers who want to become professional.
I believe there are a lot of kids in Hawaii chasing that dream and good on them if that’s what they want.
It’s stupid that team sports are allowed but a surfing contest isn’t. Like wtf?
Kook
Hawaii is fuck’n up. January looks doomed. We managed a full leg of the tour here with a low vax rate and no one had a cry. I can’t get enough of the 808 leg, it’s always good and something about the Sunset comp happening really tickled my balls.
I was looking forward to seeing the guys and women wrangle big old west peaks and the bowl on a 7’0″. Big turns, big boards, big waves.
No respect at our local this morning. Was getting the board out of the car and my mate parked next to went to wax his board. Turned out someone had played a long game and replaced his wax in it’s cardboard box with a bar of, (and I kid you not), ‘Goat Soap’. It wasn’t me, but I wished I had thought of it.
To confirm that he was the goatiest, we later re-enacted Slater and Machado’s Pipeline high five. Again, he was the Slater, except this was a 2′ wave on rapidly filling sandbank. Good times.
“Reclassify it, rename it recategorize it whatever they need to do to give us the same ‘respect’ that they give football, soccer, all the other sports.”
So Jeff Spicole is finally going to get the respect that he deserves?
PS
I resent that Slater jersey being by my name.
Add your own avatar photo or picture then Freerider.
Can’t blame the Hawaii public officials after King Goober Elo went and spread his covid everywhere.
Yep. No Freedumbs here. Don’t come, you’d hate it.
Last time I went to Oahu I sent BJ a facebook message and asked if he was gonna be at the gym, I’ve always wanted to meet him. I honestly didn’t think he was respond, anyway he does like straight away and apologizes and says he is in Vegas. Coolest guy ever I’d totally vote for him
Did you also find $50?
How good is a stray pinney!
So good. If you’re ever telling a story and realise half way through that nobody cares, just chuck it in at the end. “And then I found $50” BAM story is good again
Wise counsel. That happens to me a bit, the first part. Did I mention we had onions on our belts, which was the style at the time.
Big misconception, we lurrrrve rules. Genetically predisposed. I was made fun of in the states once when driving for actually stopping at a stop sign at a deserted snowy Colorado intersection. My sepp mate was like “why’r you stahhp’n, there aint no car” I was like, “ahh.. stop sign”. He just laughed and called me and all skips he knew rule followers. I was deeply offended.
Edit* Rule following aside, we definitely are NOT mini China. Too fond of white powders and slamming tins.