Surfing fiasco is a lose-lose for WSL, Hawaii

After months of wrangling between City Hall and the World Surf League, let’s see if we have this straight:

There will be no Billabong Pipe Masters surf meet on Oahu in 2019 and there might be other events missing from the eventual lineup as well. But there will be a new committee formed to study the surf meet permitting process.

So, is everybody stoked about that ridiculous trade?

In place of the Billabong Pipe Masters maybe they can live stream the committee meeting. Instead of showcasing Hawaii’s world class surfers in the waves with a backdrop of North Shore scenery, do they really want to uproot the contest from its home?

Progress this isn’t.

At issue for months was the league’s request to change from the originally sought dates for two of its bigger tournaments — the Billabong, which has traditionally been held in December, and the Volcom Pipe Pro, which has been run in January.

Meanwhile, not getting the hoped-for traction at City Hall, the WSL dangled the threat of pulling one — or more — events off these shores for 2019. (The 2018 Billabong Pipe Masters will still go on, the WSL has said.)

When the chances of a switch appeared slim, the WSL took its appeal to Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s office door, where hizzoner took umbrage at what he termed the group’s attempt to “usurp” the process.

Both sides dug in their feet, held their breaths waiting for the other to turn blue first and lost sight of the best interests of all involved.

Never mind that it was a process that Caldwell pretty much later acknowledged was flawed enough that there was suddenly a need to convene a new committee to revise it. Or that how can you really have a championship surf season without the North Shore playing a full part?

What we have been left with was a lose/lose proposition.

And that’s too bad, because we know solutions can be found when there is a genuine willingness to work collaboratively on reaching one. Even a stopgap remedy until something more palatable to all concerned can be hammered out would have been preferable. Or dumping the histrionics for a round of nitty-gritty talks.

“I would encourage the mayor to invite the WSL to reconsider its decision so that our local surfers will have the opportunity to qualify for the larger world tour and, hopefully, for the 2020 Olympics,” said councilman Ernie Martin, whose district includes the North Shore.

After all, recent history tells us that when City Hall is motivated to work something out, it can. And, pronto too, apparently, if the right people are doing the asking.

That was evidenced two years ago when the NFL sought help in securing approval to serve alcohol at a private Queens Beach-side event surrounding its Pro Bowl. Before you knew, the “one-time” exception was granted and the boxes of bottles were being stacked in the exclusive tents.

Then, last year, the city worked in concert with the Honolulu Police Department and the Department of Transportation Services to open a five-day grace period for Biki, which already had its bikes on the road, to get lagging registrations in order.

Both accommodations came sans the need to form committees.

Meanwhile, the home of surfing is staring at the prospect of at least one fewer marquee surfing event in 2019, and who knows for how much longer while the WSL faces leaving a place where the contest belongs.

So, this is squarely on the two parties that couldn’t — or wouldn’t — find common ground.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.