“Truly disappointed.”

Problem is, according to the mayor’s office, the WSL missed a November 9th permit submission deadline. The WSL pointed out, “the permit requests would require an equal amount of days and the same dates to those originally applied for, meeting permit deadlines, and that the WSL has operated in for decades, simply changing minor details on the filing form.” But a permit application was required due to the scope of the change. (The Pipe Masters brings a lot more traffic, etc. than the Volcom Pipe Pro. Plus, it would mean no Volcom Pipe Pro for 21 months.)WSL CEO Sophie Goldschmidt flew to Hawaii last week to speak in person with Caldwell, who was unable to find time to meet. Former world champ Sunny Garcia also stopped by the mayor’s office, but was also denied a meeting.“The Mayor of Honolulu who won’t talk to us but told the news we were strong-arming him when we stopped by his office to ask for a meeting to try to come up with a solution to red tape affecting event permits,” Sunny wrote on Instagram yesterday. “And for the record no deadlines were missed.”Caldwell maintained that fairness to other applicants who submitted applications on time was the main reason for his decision. (Said applicants remain unnamed.) “Please know the city fully appreciates the economic spending the WSL brings to the islands, but as I’ve stated, this is an issue about fairness, not about money,” he wrote in a letter to the WSL. “You have stated that the changes are minor, and if this is truly the case, we are perplexed that you would jeopardize your relationship to Hawaii on a minor change. I sincerely hope the WSL will continue to hold events in Hawaii, the birthplace of the sport of surfing.”

"We're hopeful that we can find a solution and that we can continue to bring the best events to Hawaii where they deserve to be." --WSL CEO Sophie Goldschmidt

On Monday (before Caldwell’s final decision), Goldschmidt said if they weren’t able to come to an agreement within two weeks, the WSL would have no choice but to “announce the 2019 World Tour with no Hawaii inclusion.” As of press time, the WSL has no comment, but people familiar with the situation indicate the WSL is continuing to work with the mayor’s office and that it has yet to be confirmed that there will be no Pipe Masters in 2019. (There’s also talk of a Parks Department Rules hearing this summer, which could loosen restrictions, but that would happen too late for the WSL to announce changes to the 2019 WCT tour.)“Hawaii is very important to surfing. These changes are going to allow more opportunities for Hawaiian surfers and so it's really just very hard to understand. We're hopeful that we can find a solution and that we can continue to bring the best events to Hawaii where they deserve to be,” Goldschmidt told Hawaii News Now According to the Star Advertiser , “Councilman Ernie Martin, who represents the North Shore, said he met with two top Caldwell lieutenants Monday and came away understanding why the mayor is refusing the league’s request to intervene with an established process.'I understand that the mayor is constrained and not able to make an exception,' Martin said. Council staff attorneys concurred. He [the mayor] also noted that the administration refused to change the rules to accommodate the family of the late Eddie Aikau after it parted ways with sponsor Quiksilver for 'The Eddie' big-wave event last year. While the Aikaus eventually got a permit, they did not have time and resources to organize the event.”If it happens, it is worth noting that this isn’t the first time pro surfing has pulled out of Hawaii. In 1983, the then-ASP nixed all world tour events from the Islands because they couldn’t come to an agreement with contest promoter Fred Hemmings. Hemmings went ahead and held three events — the Pipe Masters, the Duke Kahanumoku Classic and the World Cup — and, ironically, the Triple Crown was born. The ASP returned the following year.Also, if it happens, 2019 will be the first year without a Pipe Masters since it started in 1971.