Finnegan (pictured) irresponsible. Photo: Barbarian
Days
Largely illiterate Southern California
surfers flock to writer’s symposium as Pulitzer Prize winner Bill
Finnegan set to speak on “the North Pole of irresponsibility!”
By Chas Smith
Sit at the feet of the master.
Southern California’s surfers are known for
many things including quick tempers, strong opinions and bubbling
resentment. They are not known for overwhelming literacy and so, as
you can imagine, social scientists became extremely baffled when,
on Wednesday morning, caravans of Sprinter vans began making their
way from all points south of Santa Barbara to San Diego for today’s
Writer’s Symposium by the Sea.
Hosted at Point Loma University, the yearly event promises “to
inspire readers and writers alike, featuring evocative
conversations with exemplary writers from various genres,
backgrounds, and perspectives.”
And this year’s guest?
One William Finnegan.
The author of Barbarian Days, who calls New York home, will
travel in to share about the one book every surfer has at least
attempted to read. Finnegan, himself, calls the work “maybe the
long story of trying to become an adult,” and told the local public
radio affiliate, “I’ve had this kind of bipolar life and surfing is
the North Pole of irresponsibility. But then there’s the other
impulse to be a responsible citizen, to contribute — and in my case
— as a writer, to have opinions and inform my readers. So does that
tension — that tug of war — I think all through the book.”
Grave fears for iconic Hawaiian surf spot
after super yacht runs aground on its pristine coral reef, “What
happened at Honolua Bay is an environmental disaster!”
By The Editors
"Thanks elites. Your dream life fucks up our only
life. Send dis guy back. With massive fines that go back to
restoring land and water in Hawai’i."
A wild-looking 94-foot super yacht ran aground in
Honolua Bay on Maui Monday morning after its mooring line
snapped, sparking outrage on social media over the boat’s potential
damage to the iconic wave and the surrounding marine
environment.
Videos posted to social media showed the vessel, named the
Nakoa, stuck on the rocks in front of where surfers paddle out to
the world-famous righthand point. It came to rest about 700 feet
out- side of the state Honolua-Mokuleia Bay Marine Life
Conservation District at the part of the reef surfers call the
Point.
“Such a bummer,” big-wave surfer Kai Lenny commented on one
Instagram post.
“They need to be held responsible for every inch of reef,” wrote
another user. “I hope they receive millions in fines by the looks
of the yacht that they have.”
From another,
“Thanks elites…Your dream life fucks up our only life. Send dis
guy back. With massive fines that go back to restoring land and
water in Hawai’i. Too many fuck ups over here. We cannot overlook
anymore.Barred. No can ever return.”
The vessel is one of two luxury yachts owned by Noelani Yacht
Charters. With a top speed of 32 knots, the Nakoa has four
bedrooms, five bathrooms and a full kitchen. Charter packages start
at $9,801, according to the company’s website.
“While she’s well suited for day trips around any of Hawaii’s
major islands, she’s more perfectly suited for unforgettable multi-
day luxury experiences for guests who demand only the best,” the
website states.
Reached by phone, Jim Jones, owner of Noelani Yacht Charters,
said, “The boat’s in great shape,” although some “stabilizer fins”
broke off.
Asked whether fuel was leaking from it as some Instagram users
noted, he said, “There’s no leak at all.”
Jones was on a family outing when the mooring line snapped
around 5:30 a.m., and the boat drifted onto the reef around 6 a.m.,
he said.
“The wind came up strong this morning,” said Jones. He had hoped
the rising tide would lift it off the reef by 4 p.m. Monday, he
said.
By 4:25 p.m. the boat could not be removed, according to
Department of Land and Natural Resources spokesperson Dan
Dennison.
The Coast Guard was still on the scene Monday afternoon. There
was no leak of fuel or hazardous materials, he said.
Community members expressed their concern over the boat’s damage
to the marine environment.
“The community is super concerned if another swell comes if the
boat breaks apart in the lineup,” said Tamara Paltin, a Maui County
Council member representing West Maui and volunteer president of
the Save Honolua Coalition. “The Save Honolua Coalition has been
trying for years to get the state to better manage the bay. The
community is demanding full accountability from this company.”
“What happened at Honolua Bay is an environmental disaster,”
Tiare Lawrence, a board member of the community group Ka Malu o
Kahalawai, wrote in a text. “In these situations, commercial and
mooring permits should automatically be rescinded.”
Day-use moorings have a limit of two hours, Dennison added.
Buoys of this kind are intended to prevent boats from damaging
the reef with their anchors, according to the Malama Kai
Foundation.
Jones, who owns the Nakoa, says he spent the night in the boat
moored to the day-use buoy. “We were unaware that that was not
allowed,” Jones said. “I get the locals are upset,” Jones said.
“This is not intentional, and we apologize for being in this prime
surf spot. We’re just trying to get off the rocks.”
(This story first ran in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and is
Jackie Truesdale’s first story for BeachGrit. It ain’t the style
he’d usually submit for BeachGrit and he did offer carte blanche to
gussy it up a little. But who needs colour when you got someone who
picks up a phone, am I right?)
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Illicit lovers TJ Holmes and Amy Robach
thumb cheating noses at World Surf League as they opt for
PDA-filled Mexican beachfront bar session fueled by Pacifico!
By Chas Smith
Takes a cheater to know a cheater.
Things were going great for the World Surf
League. Successes from last year’s “most ever watched”
Final’s Day, which so far counts 8 million live viewers with that
number still climbing, bled into this year with the just-announced
multi-year partnership with an Australian ladder company.
The sky the limit, or at very least, ceiling?
It was looking that way until, that is, Good Morning America’s
third hour hosts TJ Holmes and Amy Robach became entangled in a
sultry affair, blowing up their marriages to other people,
including but not limited to, Andrew Shue.
Do you remember him?
Playing the role of Billy Campbell on the 1990s hit Melrose
Place, Shue… sorta also got screwed then too if memory
recalls. Partners cheating on him left and right.
In any case, Holmes and Robach flitted
off to Mexico’s deadly “Pipeline” after they agreed
not to go back to work, though it was later revealed Puerto
Vallarta was the location, as opposed to Escondido, and spent time
walking hand in hand, gazing into the paparazzis’ eyes and
canoodling at the bar while nursing cold Pacificos.
The World Surf League’s longtime partner Corona left on ice.
The aforementioned, though, has cheated on Corona much with
Michelob Ultra, 805, Barefoot Chardonnay but to name a few.
What goes around etc.
More as the story develops.
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Legendary surfboard artist steps away from
industry to care for ailing dad, looks to grumpy locals for
help!
By Chas Smith
Donate here.
Now VALs and/or post-Covid converts may not
understand what actually goes into building a surfboard, as many
and/or most are hard for softops, but we, you and me, know that the
business is closer to art than commerce. Shapers, finishers,
glassers, laminators etc. each toil at razor thin margins in order
to allow us to dance upon the waves and those razor thin margins
are no joke.
Surfers are generally, let’s be honest, cheap and do not like to
pay anymore than absolutely necessary for our lollipops. All fine
and good, capitalism gonna capitalize, but most of the
aforementioned work without a safety net. No robust savings
accounts. No trust funds.
Mike Delaney, anyhow, is a fixture of the art class, laminating
boards for Matt Biolos, Panda, Doc, Cordell, Patterson, etc. and so
many others for years upon years but his fortunes have changed, his
family in need and I’ll let him pick up the story.
With a sad heart, I’m sharing with you that my dad, Richard,
has been diagnosed with advanced Parkinson’s Disease. Being an only
child, I need to make the move back to South Carolina to help my
mom with the day-to-day care of my dad.
My decision was not easy, but I need to leave the surf
industry I love to care for my family. It’s been an emotional
decision, but it’s the right one to make.
This GoFundMe account is primarily to cover the expenses of
my cross-country move. It will also give me some time to find a new
profession outside of the surfboard industry.
Please pray for all of us as we adjust to this new reality.
My family & I thank you for your help and appreciate your generous
donation.
So?
Dip in and feel good when you lay your head on that pillow
tonight.
World Surf League CEO Erik Logan (left) informs surf
legend Tom Carroll of the latest exciting partnership
deal.
Pro Darts Corp., Pro Bowlers Assoc. look on
in bitter jealously as World Surf League inks multi-year deal with
ladder company!
By Chas Smith
"I LOVE LADDERS!"
Here we are, two events into the 2023 World Surf League
Championship Tour season and it is difficult not to stand
in awe. Oh, the waves were not perfect for either the Billabong Pro
Pipeline or the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach but there were days that
simply exceeded. Moments that drew our breath and made us feel.
Well, that momentum is certain to carry into the upcoming
Australian leg which kicks off April 4th after a lonely stop in
Europe for there, on Bells iconic shore, the World Surf League will
unveil its newest partner.
Bailey Ladders.
Per the scintillating press release:
The partnership expansion is across the ‘23 and ‘24 seasons,
with the ‘Official Ladder’ of the WSL seeing the continuation of
the successful onsite activation, the “Bailey Ladders Leaderboard”,
which will also continue on the live broadcast and across WSL’s
social media channels.
“The WSL is happy to have Bailey Ladders increase their
involvement to include the CT events in Australia for the next two
years,” said WSL APAC President Andrew Stark. “We had incredible
feedback from fans onsite and watching from home on the Bailey
Ladders Leaderboard. We look forward to continuing this activation
across four events in 2023 and 24, both onsite and online. We’d
like to thank them for their ongoing support and for seeing the
value in professional surfing.”
“Bailey Ladders is excited to expand our partnership with
the WSL to include the two major Championship Tour events in
Australia. We see this as a great opportunity for our brand,
stakeholders and the WSL fans,” said Bailey Ladders Managing
Director Asia Pacific, Scott Douglas. “Many surfing fans use our
products every day, so I’m glad we can be part of the growth and
excitement of the Australian WSL events.”
I have zero doubt as to the veracity of the “incredible feedback
from fans onsite and watching from home on the Bailey Ladders
Leaderboard” but am so curious as to how it presented.
Placards in the crowd reading “I LOVE LADDERS!” possibly?
Phone calls directly to the office of Mr. Stark sobbing over the
beauty of ladders?
