Caldwell stands firm against World Surf League date swap

Mayor Kirk Caldwell reiterated his commitment Monday not to intervene on behalf of the World Surf League in its efforts to alter its 2019 surf event schedule in Hawaii, despite threats that the promotion might drop Hawaii from its schedule altogether if it isn’t granted permission.

The Santa Monica, Calif.- based WSL is seeking to move the Billabong Pipe Masters from its traditional December staging dates to a January period the organization was already seeking to reserve for its Volcom Pipe Pro event. The switch would take effect during the 2019 season, thus allowing for the 2018 Billabong event approved for Dec. 8-20 to go on as scheduled.

The WSL submitted initial applications for the original dates by the August 2017 deadline but did not meet the Nov. 9 deadline for amending those applications.

In a statement released Monday, Caldwell said that permitting rules for surf contests were developed to balance the interests of surf promoters and the host communities and that such rules are well known to the WSL and other promoters.

“The mayor and the director of Parks and Recreation do not have the authority to circumvent the rules, and arbitrarily changing them would be unfair to all parties involved, especially those applicants who are applying for the same location and time period as the WSL,” Caldwell said.

Caldwell said swapping the dates of the two events “would constitute a major change in scope and type of the event that would be held, even before the 2018-19 permits have been awarded.”

WSL Chief Executive Officer Sophie Goldschmidt arrived in Honolulu last week to lobby city officials to approve the change, which she described as “an administrative technicality.”

In an interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Goldschmidt said the WSL could cancel its Hawaii events in 2019 if the dispute cannot be resolved. She said such a move would make it unlikely that WSL contests could return for years.

However, Caldwell said the WSL is attempting to leverage its position as a large promotion to secure special treatment and to assume control of dates that it has not yet been granted.

“The city’s decision regarding this matter is about fairness, not money,” Caldwell said. “If the changes WSL is requesting are indeed minor as the company claims, than the drastic action that is being threatened should not be taken.”

Caldwell’s stand was met with support by some local surf promoters.

“The WSL is a corporation with deep pockets,” said Da Hui’s Mahina Chillingworth. “They had a lot of influence on the current (permitting) rules, which include having to apply two years out. Now they woke up, and those rules are biting them in the butt. I think it’s crazy that they thought (the city) would break the rules just for them. We support the mayor in this decision not to let them manage the system and get special treatment.”

Chillingworth also took issue with Goldschmidt’s aggressive stance in threatening to leave Hawaii off the WSL meet schedule.

“They need Hawaii,” she said. “There’s no other place like Pipeline.”

Earl Dahlin, longtime organizer for the Haleiwa International Open, said the WSL needs to abide by the same set of rules that apply to all surf promoters.

“What they said about pulling out sounds like a threat, and you don’t want to go flexing your muscles when you shouldn’t,” he said. “You have to stick to the same rules and regulations as everyone else.”