A conflict with scheduling and an inability to come up with a solution for a permit may lead the World Surf League to pull the Billabong Pipe Masters event in 2019.

The Hawaii event is the final stop of the year in the pro surf series. It’s often where a world champion is crowned.

The World Surf League and city and county officials in Hawaii have been battling in recent weeks with scheduling conflicts — the WSL hoping to move its marquee event into January, rather than hold it in December. Officials argue that move would be unfair to other events scheduled during that time.

John John Florence (HAW) placed 1st in Heat 2 of Round Four at Billabong Pipe Masters 2017 in Pipe Oahu, Hawaii , USA. PHOTO: WSL

John John Florence (HAW) placed 2nd in the Final of the Billabong Pipe Masters 2017 in Pipe, Oahu, Hawaii, USA. PHOTO: WSL

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Kanoa Igarashi, of Huntington Beach, made it to the semi-finals during the Billabong Pipe Masters. He’s one of four surfers on next year’s World Tour. PHOTO: WSL

Griffin Colapinto, of San Clemente, became the first Calfornian to ever clinch the Triple Crown of Surfing. PHOTO: WSL



“We are disappointed we will not be able to run the 2019 Billabong Pipe Masters,” WSL CEO Sophie Goldschmidt, who took the reigns of the Los Angeles-based operation last year, said in a statement.

“We will assist however we can during this process and once we understand the changes, we will be able to determine which events we can invest in bringing to Hawaii in winter 2019 and beyond,” she said. “As previously stated, we would love to continue to bring our full array of events to Hawaii, but we need to be able to plan long term and receive the appropriate local support in order to help grow Hawaiian surfing in a sustainable way.”

According to the announcement, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell met with the WSL, which governs professional surfing, and “positive discussions were held on the future of the permit process, as well as medium- and long-term objectives for surfing in Hawaii.”

The WSL will still hold the Pipe Masters in December 2018.

Caldwell called on the World Surf League to reconsider its threat of removing its events from Hawaii after the city denied its permit request, according to a story in Pacific Business Journal.

“My request to the World Surf League, which I recognize is an incredibly important organization, is please don’t yank your contests,” Caldwell said during a press conference on Wednesday, the article states. “We’ve heard your concerns, and we’d like to see what we can do to make it better in the future, but let’s not hurt folks in the short term.”