City sticks with surf rules

By Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writer

HALE'IWA — The city is sticking with current rules that set a maximum of 16 surfing contest days a season, a city official told surfers and residents here yesterday.

"The 1991 rules are in force," said Manuel Menendez, executive director of the Honolulu Office of Economic Development. "That's not going to change. I'm sticking with the 1991 rules. There are not going to be more contests or extensions. That's not going to happen. That's been off the table since the first day."

Menendez said the intention of the process of recommending changes is to clarify and removed ambiguities from the existing 1991 rules. This seemed to satisfy noted area surfer Peter Cole, who help draft those rules.

Cole said the 1991 rules were followed this past season, and there had been very little problem.

"If we obey the 1991 rules, we're going to have a happy community," he said.

Menendez said the role of his office is to serve as a facilitator to help the community resolve concerns over ongoing conflicts between recreational and competitive surfers, and the concerns of some residents about the number of scheduled events each year.

"I'm a professional surfer, but I'm also a recreational surfer," said Tamayo Perry. "I've noticed these meetings are way smaller, and I'm afraid that nothing is getting done and the community is losing interest."

Perry said he is worried that the taxpaying citizens of the community would be elbowed out by promoters who want more surf events on the North Shore.

"I don't want any more contests to be added to the rules," Perry said.

A meeting earlier yesterday between Menendez and about 20 surf contest promoters was cut short after, according to Menendez, promoter Eddie Rothman threatened to sue him and the city.

Rothman could not be reached for comment.

Menendez said Rothman had a video camera and was upset that Menendez had not responded promptly to his request for information about a grant the city had given a women's bodyboarding organization.

Menendez said he told Rothman that since his request for information had come in the form of a letter from Rothman's attorney, Menendez had followed standard procedure and turned the request over to city attorneys.

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