Official gets earful of discord on surfing

By Will Hoover
Advertiser North Shore Writer

What began as a community meeting last night to discuss surf contest rules quickly turned into a rambunctious free-for-all of opposing viewpoints and evoked everything from loud arguments to applause at the Sunset Beach Elementary School cafeteria.

No sooner had Manuel Menendez, executive director of the city's Office of Economic Development, introduced himself and made a call for civility, than he was besieged by finger-pointing and complaints that the city had already had similar meetings this year and last.

"I wasn't involved in this last year," said Menendez, who was recently appointed by Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris to set new rules for issuing surf contest permits. "I wasn't involved two weeks ago. I'm involved now."

"Why is your office being called in to do what the Parks and Recreation people did before?" asked resident Chip Hartman.

"Because I tend to get things done," said Menendez.

Menendez spent the evening trying to maintain control of the crowd of about 75 people. For the most part he succeeded, but there were times when it was touch and go.

Menendez repeatedly said that his primary mission last night was to listen and that, as yet, he had given no thought to rule changes.

He said of the rules: "I'm just trying to refine them and take out the hiccups — because there are definitely hiccups there."

The one thing he knew for sure, he said, was that the rules already in place were not being followed. He added that it was essential for him to listen "to all the constituencies."

He got an earful from area residents, local businesses and contest promoters, as well as recreational, amateur and professional surfers — all of whom see the problems differently.

Pro surfers complained that Australians control international surfing and elbow out local surfers in Hawai'i. Recreational surfers voiced fears that more contests would be added and further erode their time in the water.

After one resident offered a laundry list of surf contest gripes, including competition noise levels, Back Door Shootout promoter Eddie Rothman said the contests had been around longer than many of the "crybabies" who complain about noise.

"If you don't like it, go back where you came from," he said.

Longtime resident Don Muraco evoked loud applause when he said folks on the North Shore had been robbed of their sanctity by all the surf hoopla.

"You go from a movie to a surf contest and back to a movie again." he said. " There's no peace out here. ... How many contests can you have at Pipeline?"

But Leslie Kanaiaupuni, who owns the North Shore Board Riders shop, said surf contests are the lifeblood of the North Shore's business community.

Menendez said big surfing events do have an economic impact, "not only on the North Shore, but Hawai'i, because these events get publicized" where the climate is colder.

Gil Riviere is president of the Let's Surf Coalition, which prompted much of the ongoing debate after the group threatened to sue the city unless it started following it own rules limiting North Shore surf contests.

"Our whole deal is to keep some beach left to the public," he said.

Rules stipulate that there can't be more than 16 days of contests annually at any one of the major North Shore beach locations.

Menendez said that figure doesn't seem excessive. "I can't call 16 days a year at one location overcommercialization of our beaches," said Menendez.

But to folks like Riviere, it's just how you count the days. The surf season only lasts six months, he said, but there are hardly 16 days of good waves a season at any one surf spot.

Riviere said his coalition wasn't trying to wipe out any contests but simply didn't want more to be added.

Menendez said that for now, at least, he has no intention of adding any. He said he hopes to establish "more comprehensive criteria." After the meeting, he concluded: "There's room for improvement."

Reach Will Hoover at 525-8038 or at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.