The proposed changes came after conflicts erupted on the North Shore between recreational and competitive surfers over the number of surfing competitions in the world-famous big wave mecca.

After the Let's Surf Coalition threatened to sue the city for violating its own rules limiting the number of surf contests, the city said it would would move the permitting process from the Parks and Recreation Department to the Office of Economic Development.

"Apparently, new rules are being proposed that will impact the neighborhood property owners, beach users, tourists, area businesses and contest promoters," said Charles Shipman Jr., president of the Sunset Beach Community Association, which hosted the meeting.

Shipman said he was concerned that city officials might have underestimated the intensity of the community's interest in how the rules might be changed.

By the end of the meeting, city representative Barry Fukunaga, director of the Department of Enterprise Services, was well aware of how intense the subject can be for folks here.

While the meeting remained civil for the most part, there were notable exceptions ­ particularly when professional surfer Sunny Garcia insulted revered surfing figure Peter Cole.

Cole had made the point that the rules established in 1991 governing contests are fine and that it was only when the city began issuing too many contest permits that matters got out of hand. Cole said when the city has obeyed its own guidelines there have been no problems.

At that point Garcia said the rules had been the problem because they weren't fair and placed too many restrictions on professional surfers.

"I was involved in making those 1991 rules," said Cole. "So I'll take responsibility for them."

Garcia called Cole a derogatory name. Many in the audience flinched and groaned their disapproval.

"Let's show a little more aloha, Sunny," Shipman said.

Fukunaga said the city wanted to gather input from the community and would hold a similar meeting withing two weeks after Thanksgiving.

Suggestions for rules criteria were offered, but the only thing people seemed to agree on was that the city had not done a good job enforcing the rules it already has in place. Suggestions included more advance notice of contest schedules, better enforcement of rules and higher priority given to local surfers in contests.

Randy Rarick, executive producer of the Van's Triple Crown of Surfing, which began last week, characterized last night's meeting as the beginning of a long and necessary process. But he said he doubted that much if anything would be decided last night.

"The city and county has got to make the rules better and clean up the process," Rarick said. "I hope that both the recreational and pro surfers appreciate the uniqueness of the North Shore, which is unlike anything else in the world."

Gil Riviere, who heads the Let's Surf Coalition, has said in the past that competitive surf meets have increasingly squeezed out recreational surfers. But last night he said he and Rarick aren't far apart on what they want.

"We're working toward the same end: to find a balance," said Riviere. "The coalition is not trying to end contests. We realize that some contests are probably a good thing. But there comes a point when people should be able to use their beaches.