Women and Surfing

I feel that Ocean Pacific is making a big mistake in dropping women from this year’s OP surfing event in Huntington Beach. Therefore, I was pleased that The Times published an article (May 5) reporting on this decision and the disappointment expressed by the women competitors and by Graham Cassidy, executive director of the Assn. of Surfing Professionals, the sanctioning body.

I am a woman competitor on the ASP World Tour, have competed in this event annually since 1984 and have seen surfing emerge as a major worldwide sport, both for men and women, providing profits to sportswear clothing companies such as OP. Therefore, it is sad to see this negative direction take place.

In The Times’ article, OP says that it wants to make this year’s event a great thing and that the women’s contest isn’t even “an issue” as far as OP is concerned. It also says that it wants to have a “hallmark” event, showcasing the sport. If it really wants to do that, why drop women’s professional surfing, when that is a very important part of the ASP World Tour? One of the bad things about this situation is that OP apparently has not been completely honest about its motives and has not shown support this year for the entire sport of surfing, despite its claim to the contrary.

I hope that the surfing industry, all of the competitors, men and women alike, and the public realize the important role that women surfing has played in the development of the sport, and will encourage American events, such as the OP competition, to continue to include women surfing as an integral part of professional competition.

ALISA SCHWARZSTEIN

Laguna Beach