Surfers’ Vision Is Looking Clouded

When pro surfers took control of their sport’s business decisions last month, it was questioned whether they had a vision for the future or even a long-term plan. This week, their lack of foresight became even more apparent.

The World Professional Surfers, a management group representing the World Championship Tour competitors, wrested control of the Assn. of Surfing Professionals executive board during their annual meetings in Huntington Beach and then nearly doubled their prize money while reshuffling the schedule for 2001.

In an effort to create a four-month off-season, they flip-flopped the schedule, which now is supposed to begin at Banzai Pipeline in February and end at Trestles in September. The surfers brushed off criticism that Pipeline had been the final stop on the pro tour for the better part of 30 years, saying Lower Trestles, just south of the San Clemente city limits, is a decent performance wave on even mediocre days.

But the most compelling argument against the switch was one the pros apparently failed to ponder.

Tuesday, a lottery for surf contest permits was held in San Clemente. Three people put their names in the hat, hoping to gain the rights to a pro contest at Lower Trestles next year. Among them was Graham Stapelberg, CEO of Billabong, the Australia-based apparel firm with a large North American operation headquartered in Irvine that was supposed to sponsor the 2001 season-ending Trestles event and is promoting a WCT event there that begins Sept. 24.

The winner was Scott Daley, vice president of marketing for Body Glove who was representing Surfing America, a nonprofit organization supported by the Surf Industry Manufacturers Assn. that is working to unify amateur and pro factions in this country.

“That permit, in everyone’s mind, is designated as a WCT permit,” Daley said. “We’re just going to act as a sanctioning body to make sure the right thing is done. This has now become a premier event, a year-end final. The world championship could be decided here.”

In reality, the biggest winners were the pros. What if Ian Cairns, who was forced to resign as director of ASP North America by the WPS last month and also was entered in the lottery, had won and decided to hold a specialty event instead of the WCT finale?

Just imagine how exciting it would have been if Nos. 1 and 2 in the world ended up fighting it out for the 2001 title . . . in 18-inch mush on the south side of Huntington Beach Pier, where the second-to-last stop on the proposed schedule is to be held. It was the pros themselves who decided the waves are so “substandard” at Huntington that sponsor Bluetorch must add another $100,000 to its prize money to get them to show up again.

The WPS appears to have dodged a public-relations wipeout with the unexpected lottery, but there are more bumps on the horizon. Potential sponsors have until Sept. 17 to secure events for 2001 . . . or decide to drop them.

AND THE WINNER IS . . .

The state allows three contests a year at Trestles, an amateur event, a pro-am and a pro. Cairns, vice president of events for Bluetorch, won the rights to next year’s pro-am at Tuesday’s drawing. He was promoter of this year’s pro-am at Trestles, the MCD Defcon 4 World Qualifying Series event.

Daley and Surf America came up winners again in the lottery for the amateur contest and probably will work in conjunction with the National Scholastic Surfing Assn. and the United States Surfing Federation, the other two bidders, to host the annual event next summer.

In the past, if two or more groups sought a contest permit, sealed bids decided the winners. This year, because the state parks system has been beneficiary of a tax windfall, the decision was made to hold a lottery for the first time. Contest permit fees are $8,000 for the amateur event and $15,000 for the pro-am and pro.

“In April, we started a three-month process of reviewing our policies on surfing contests,” San Clemente state lifeguard Steve Long said. “And now that we’re no longer in a financial crunch or in the same revenue-driven mode, we decided it would be more appropriate to allow equal access and level the playing field.”

Somebody forgot to tell the WPS.

VACATION OF A LIFETIME?

Trestles is arguably the best break in Southern California and when it’s good, the takeoff spot at Lowers is as jammed as the 405 at 5 p.m.

And, no, you can’t get together with a dozen buddies, enter the next lottery and rent Lowers for a week.

“You’d have the same chance of getting Pebble Beach for your company golf outing,” Long said. “We scrutinize all the candidates closely and you have to have a credible track record.”

So you’ll have to continue surfing alone at Trestles only in your dreams.

MOUNTAIN BIKING

Brian Lopes of Laguna Beach won the dual at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup event in Austria last week. Lopes, who has won six world cup dual events this year, defeated Cedric Gracia of France in the final.

Tara Llanes of Newport Beach, ranked No. 2 in the women’s dual series, lost in the final to top-ranked Anne-Caroline Chausson of France. Capistrano Beach’s Leigh Donovan finished fourth.

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

BICYCLING

Aug. 24

* Cycling for the Adventurous clinic at REI’s Santa Ana store. Bicycle touring enthusiast Jan Vincent will discuss various aspects of touring. Clinic starts at 7 p.m. Details: (714) 543-4142.

SURFING

Friday-Sunday

* O’Neill Lost Summer Surfing Festival at San Clemente Peir features Assn. of Surfing Professionals longboarding event. World champion Colin McPhillips and former world champions Joel Tudor and Bonga Perkins are expected to compete. Surfing starts at 7 a.m. daily.

ROLLER HOCKEY

Sunday

* Roller hockey exhibition game at the Arrowhead Pond at 3 p.m. will feature goaltender Manon Rheaume, the first woman drafted by an NHL team, and former Roller Hockey International players. Tickets $20 and $10 at Ticketmaster and Pond box office.

VOLLEYBALL

* AAU Junior Beach Volleyball National Tour event will be played south of Belmont Plaza in Long Beach. Open to two-person teams of boys and girls ages 10-18. Registration is $30 per team. Details: (310) 973-1955 or register online at https://signmeupsports.com.