As the future of the WSL’s events on the North Shore hangs in the balance, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell pleaded with the League on Wednesday not to, “yank [its] contests.” Photo: WSL/Masurel
By now you’re likely aware of the ongoing back-and-forth between the World Surf League and Hawaiian officials (specifically Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell) over permitting issues for the League’s North Shore contests. In short, the League hoped to swap the dates of the Volcom Pipe Pro (with a January wait period) with that of the Pipe Masters (with a December wait period). A missed filing deadline and additional red tape caused officials to deny the League’s request. WSL CEO Sophie Goldschmidt made a last-ditch effort to meet with Mayor Caldwell, but he refused. And the WSL has since said if officials don’t cooperate they’ll be forced to “explore all options,” which can only be interpreted as a thinly veiled threat to pull Hawaiian contests in retribution. Mind you, we’re talking events in 2019 here.
Anyway, in a Wednesday press conference, Caldwell addressed contest scheduling saying he won’t bend the rules, but also made a public plea that the WSL not pull out of Hawaii.
“They’re two very different events,” he said of the WSL’s argument that the schedule change would be a simple swap in name only. “The Pipeline Masters is 8000 people, the Volcom Pipe [Pro] is 1500 folks, so the impacts are dramatic. Now everyone else for that slot was addressing major impacts. So it’s not fair to the other applicants who were preparing for dramatic impacts.”
The WSL has yet to announce its formal decision for the 2019 schedule.
“My request to the World Surf League, which I recognize is an incredibly important organization, please don’t yank your contests – that really hurts the people competing including the local kids who get a chance. We’ve heard your concerns and we’d like to see what we can do to make it better in the future.”
By that, Mayor Caldwell means evaluating the 30 to 40 pages of rules in the application process for event permitting with a brand new committee.
Says Mayor Caldwell, that means, “basically taking the rules, rip ’em up, throw ’em away and start again.”
Of yet, there’s been no official response from the WSL.
