Surfline Press and News
PRESS RELEASE
Long Island Herald on Quiksilver Pro New York
September 15, 2011
(Huntington Beach, CA) With Quiksilver Pro N.Y., Long Beach finds its identity - Cancellation of Quiksilver fest hurt merchants, but contest illustrated city's character by Roy Lester.
Excerpt below from originally posted article at the the Long Island Herald. Read Full Article at NYT: With Quiksilver Pro N.Y., Long Beach finds its identity.
Congratulations Long Beach, it looks like you finally have found your identity. For many years, it appeared that Long Beach could not decide if it wanted to be a Coney Island or a Point Lookout.
On one hand, a portion of the town wanted to welcome the tourists and the business that they bring, and on the other, there were those residents who had no use for outsiders, the parking spaces that they take up and the noise that they bring. Given that divide, the concept of an international surfing contest such as the Quiksilver Pro New York and the ensuing hoopla seemed like a bold concept. Ultimately, a decision by the city to host the event was made, albeit one that appears to have been made in secret and with virtually no public input or even a contract.
The reason given for Quiksilver's Sept. 1-15 time period and location was that it was meant to coincide with hurricane season that could generate ideal waves necessary for such a contest -- and Mother Nature did not disappoint. After all, Surfline forecasters, using a 15-year wave study for western Long Island, summarized that September is one of the most consistent time periods for sizable surf in the region.
Perhaps the prediction was ominous, and why it was such a shock and surprise to many people that a hurricane actually came is still a mystery to me. Nevertheless, most Long Beach residents decided to weather the storm when Hurricane Irene hit. And though Irene rolled into Long Beach at peak high tide -- with a new moon that created a storm surge -- by noon on Aug. 28, hundreds of locals were milling about on the boardwalk, checking out the waves, observing the uprooted Lifeguard Headquarters and talking about the storm's impact.
While it's true that numerous homes were flooded and damaged, and there were people without electricity for days, I have yet to hear of a single person expressing a desire to move out of Long Beach because of the storm. Residents, in typical fashion, took the hurricane in stride. After all, we had invited the world into our town for an event that began a week later, and we aren't the type to let some saltwater get in the way of our hospitality.
Yet what happened after the storm surprised many people: city officials decided that, after months of preparation for such an anticipated international event, it should be canceled because some people were cleaning flooded basements, while others were still without power. The fact that numerous merchants had spent thousands of dollars preparing for this didn't seem to matter. Fortunately, after a strong public outcry, the surf contest, if not the attendant music and action sports festival, went on.
And the end result was nothing short of amazing -- thousands of people lined the beach to watch the world's best surfers compete for the largest prize money ever awarded in a surfing contest. Mother Nature gave Long Beach epic waves that had not been seen in years. The wind was perfect and the sun was out. By my estimation, of the thousands of people who lined the beach, more than half were locals. And the word around town is that most people loved the contest. The international surfers raved about the hospitality of the locals, and it appears the contest went off without a single negative incident.
Unfortunately, the contest was not as kind to our local merchants. From most reports, the merchants gained nothing from the crowds, who were mostly concentrated around Quiksilver's surf site and merchandise tent on the beach and the boardwalk. The reason given by city officials to cancel the festival -- people cleaning out flooded basements and those still without power -- made no sense whatsoever. Bands still ended up playing, but they were local bands. And although they were good, they were nowhere near the caliber of performers -- the Flaming Lips, Taking Back Sunday, Interpol, etc. -- that people were expecting. Often, the crowds that the local bands attracted could be counted on two hands. Was the water in the basement any less annoying because a local band was playing, rather than one with a national following? For some reason, city officials seemed to think so.
Still, what did come out of this event was an identity for Long Beach that I think many people are comfortable with. While we may not want guests at our homes everyday, once in a while we like to throw a party and show the world our hospitality. The fact that the party comes along with front row seats to an Olympic-type event like the Quiksilver Pro N.Y. makes it all the more appealing. For many of us, this was a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity, and we missed work or school to come down and watch it. To date, I have not heard a single regret about time spent at the contest. It is a shame that some city officials did not think we were resilient enough to handle the full event. They still have a lot to learn about Long Beach residents.
Roy Lester is a longtime Long Beach resident, lifeguard, attorney and a member of the Board of Education.
Excerpt below from originally posted article at the the Long Island Herald. Read Full Article at NYT: With Quiksilver Pro N.Y., Long Beach finds its identity.
Congratulations Long Beach, it looks like you finally have found your identity. For many years, it appeared that Long Beach could not decide if it wanted to be a Coney Island or a Point Lookout.
On one hand, a portion of the town wanted to welcome the tourists and the business that they bring, and on the other, there were those residents who had no use for outsiders, the parking spaces that they take up and the noise that they bring. Given that divide, the concept of an international surfing contest such as the Quiksilver Pro New York and the ensuing hoopla seemed like a bold concept. Ultimately, a decision by the city to host the event was made, albeit one that appears to have been made in secret and with virtually no public input or even a contract.
The reason given for Quiksilver's Sept. 1-15 time period and location was that it was meant to coincide with hurricane season that could generate ideal waves necessary for such a contest -- and Mother Nature did not disappoint. After all, Surfline forecasters, using a 15-year wave study for western Long Island, summarized that September is one of the most consistent time periods for sizable surf in the region.
Perhaps the prediction was ominous, and why it was such a shock and surprise to many people that a hurricane actually came is still a mystery to me. Nevertheless, most Long Beach residents decided to weather the storm when Hurricane Irene hit. And though Irene rolled into Long Beach at peak high tide -- with a new moon that created a storm surge -- by noon on Aug. 28, hundreds of locals were milling about on the boardwalk, checking out the waves, observing the uprooted Lifeguard Headquarters and talking about the storm's impact.
While it's true that numerous homes were flooded and damaged, and there were people without electricity for days, I have yet to hear of a single person expressing a desire to move out of Long Beach because of the storm. Residents, in typical fashion, took the hurricane in stride. After all, we had invited the world into our town for an event that began a week later, and we aren't the type to let some saltwater get in the way of our hospitality.
Yet what happened after the storm surprised many people: city officials decided that, after months of preparation for such an anticipated international event, it should be canceled because some people were cleaning flooded basements, while others were still without power. The fact that numerous merchants had spent thousands of dollars preparing for this didn't seem to matter. Fortunately, after a strong public outcry, the surf contest, if not the attendant music and action sports festival, went on.
And the end result was nothing short of amazing -- thousands of people lined the beach to watch the world's best surfers compete for the largest prize money ever awarded in a surfing contest. Mother Nature gave Long Beach epic waves that had not been seen in years. The wind was perfect and the sun was out. By my estimation, of the thousands of people who lined the beach, more than half were locals. And the word around town is that most people loved the contest. The international surfers raved about the hospitality of the locals, and it appears the contest went off without a single negative incident.
Unfortunately, the contest was not as kind to our local merchants. From most reports, the merchants gained nothing from the crowds, who were mostly concentrated around Quiksilver's surf site and merchandise tent on the beach and the boardwalk. The reason given by city officials to cancel the festival -- people cleaning out flooded basements and those still without power -- made no sense whatsoever. Bands still ended up playing, but they were local bands. And although they were good, they were nowhere near the caliber of performers -- the Flaming Lips, Taking Back Sunday, Interpol, etc. -- that people were expecting. Often, the crowds that the local bands attracted could be counted on two hands. Was the water in the basement any less annoying because a local band was playing, rather than one with a national following? For some reason, city officials seemed to think so.
Still, what did come out of this event was an identity for Long Beach that I think many people are comfortable with. While we may not want guests at our homes everyday, once in a while we like to throw a party and show the world our hospitality. The fact that the party comes along with front row seats to an Olympic-type event like the Quiksilver Pro N.Y. makes it all the more appealing. For many of us, this was a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity, and we missed work or school to come down and watch it. To date, I have not heard a single regret about time spent at the contest. It is a shame that some city officials did not think we were resilient enough to handle the full event. They still have a lot to learn about Long Beach residents.
Roy Lester is a longtime Long Beach resident, lifeguard, attorney and a member of the Board of Education.
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