Typically, the winter holiday season is the busiest鈥攁nd priciest鈥攁cross Hawaii. And for good reason: the surf turns epic and the state鈥檚 balmy, palm-swept beaches look extra dreamy as temperatures start to fall precipitously on the mainland. But after unprecedented wildfires swept across Maui this summer, tourists have been wary to visit not just Maui, but other islands as well.

What this has meant for America鈥檚 paradise is hard times鈥攖ourism generates nearly a quarter of its economy. The economic loss for Maui alone, both in business sales and visitor spending, is estimated to be $11 million a day, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, and the fires鈥� impact has had a ripple effect across the state. Visitor arrivals decreased significantly this summer and are predicted to remain flat this fall but possibly grow again in December.

Jonathan Wilt, a spokesperson for Hawaii Forest and Trail, a tour operator on Hawaii Island, says the company was rocked by cancellations in recent months, something he attributes to the fires. Travelers were most likely on an interisland itinerary, he reasoned, and with the news of the fires, they canceled their entire trip. 鈥淎ll of the islands could use additional guests visiting their places of business in the near future, us included,鈥� says Wilt. Many small businesses on Maui, such as Hali鈥檌maile General Store鈥攍ocated upcountry, more than 30 miles from the shoreline blazes鈥攈ave had to reduce their hours, if not temporarily close.

More than a few Hawaiians have called the scenario reminiscent of the pandemic.

Brett Sheerin, owner of Maui True North, which offers surf and kitesurf lessons, says it鈥檚 been surviving only because locals have booked its services of late. He put it succinctly: 鈥淔ew tourists have been coming. It鈥檚 a huge crisis on top of a tragedy.鈥�

I also understand that there are mixed opinions after a disaster of what is best for the people on the ground who have lost the most. I reported a story right after the Maui fires that addressed this and also a more widely reported story on how to decide when it’s okay to return to a destination after a disaster. While some businesses in West Maui, the area hardest hit by the fires, are eager to get back to work, many locals feel it is too soon after such devastating losses for tourist to return and have have petitioned the state government to postpone the October 8th reopen date.

Other parts of Maui are open and ready for tourists, as are the rest of the islands. As with any place, visit mindfully and respectfully and consider using your tourism dollars, on any island, in ways that will help rebuilding efforts, support locals who heavily rely on tourism for their livelihoods, and give local economies on the islands a boost.

In an effort to woo back visitors, a number of hotels, restaurants, and tour operators are offering deals now and through the end of year. There will also likely be fewer crowds. But the main reason to book a vacation to Hawaii this season is because you鈥檙e giving back during a time when residents need it most and you can organize a thoughtful itinerary by using properties donating portions of their profits to helping other locals. Here鈥檚 where to look.

Score Deals on Flights

Beginning November 1, Hawaiian Airlines will launch several holiday offers, including HawaiianMiles partner promotions, gift-card deals, and special Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales on select routes, including those to and from mainland U.S. and between the Hawaiian Islands.

Save on Hotels

Hotels are often the biggest expense of a Hawaii getaway. New fall deals, many of which extend through year鈥檚 end, can save you up to 30 percent off nightly rates.

On Oahu, hip newcomer Wayfinder Waikiki is extending a through December 31, which includes up to 20 percent off rates, plus a waived amenity fee and a $25 daily food-and-beverage credit. If you鈥檙e willing to become a (free of charge), you can save up to 25 percent off ocean-view rooms and 50 percent off resort charges at the Prince Waikiki.

On the Island of Hawaii, Hilton Waikoloa Village recently launched a fall promotion offering up to 30 percent off nightly stays, and if you take advantage of Mauna Lani鈥檚 , you can enjoy up to 25 percent off nightly rates.

Kauai鈥檚 newest property, the eco-minded 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, is offering discounts of up to 30 percent, plus up to $800 in resort credits through the property鈥檚 . The package at Ko鈥檃 Kea Resort on Poipu Beach includes a fourth night free, a $5 donation to a local ocean-education nonprofit, and an opportunity to participate in a beach clean-up.

And on Maui, condo-rental property Kaanapali Alii has packages of up to 15 percent off through December 15, and is donating $50 for each reservation to the People鈥檚 Fund of Maui through the end of the year. The 70-acre, oceanfront Hana-Maui Resort is offering 15 percent off (use code 15OFF) to encourage travelers to use Hana as a base for exploration.

Castle Resorts, which has 20 properties throughout Hawaii, including Ala Moana Hotel on Oahu and Hilo Hawaiian Hotel on Hawaii Island, recently launched its , with up to 30 percent off bookings through December 15. You can save up to 25 percent off nightly stays at any of Outrigger Resorts and Hotels鈥� nine properties across the islands, including the Outrigger Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel on Oahu and the Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa on Hawaii Island; check out the brand鈥檚 . And if you鈥檙e game to volunteer, you can earn a free night at any Marriott Bonvoy property in the islands, such as Marriott鈥檚 Kauai Beach Club and the Laylow on Oahu, through the brand鈥檚 .

Restaurant Reservations Are Easier than Ever (and Will Do Good)

Reservations at Mama鈥檚 Fish House, a 42-table institution on Maui鈥檚 North Shore, usually book out a year in advance. Locals have been taking advantage of canceled dinner bookings, says owner Karen Christenson, but you can walk in for lunch (which serves the same menu)鈥攕omething unheard of. Christenson notes that dining at Mama鈥檚 doesn鈥檛 just help the Maui economy. 鈥淲e buy from farmers on the Big Island and Kauai, and fishermen on Molokai,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen we don鈥檛 have guests, they feel it.鈥�

Matteo鈥檚 Osteria, a beloved Italian restaurant and wine bar in Wailea, Maui, is donating 20 percent of all sales to local disaster relief.

Through the end of December, the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea will host Love for Lahaina, a series of pop-up dinners to support the hospitality industry and farmers directly impacted by the fires. The first event was hosted by James Beard Award nominee Lee Anne Wong, who lost her Lahaina restaurant, Papa鈥檃ina, to the blazes.

The Marriott Waikiki Collection of hotels (, , , and , all on Oahu) is offering a Mai Tais and Burgers for Maui special: one dollar from every cocktail and burger sold will go toward the Aloha for Sheraton Maui Ohana Relief Fund through the end of the year.

The Places You Visit on Your Trip Can Help Maui Recovery Efforts

Still other hotels and tour operators across the islands are donating portions of profits to relief causes, which you can help bolster during your trip. The Kaimana Beach Hotel, on Oahu, has pledged to donate $20 for every booking through the end of 2023 to partners that include the Hawaii Community Foundation鈥檚 Maui Strong Fund and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement鈥檚 Kako鈥檕 Maui Fund.

On Hawaii Island, Volcano Village Lodge and Volcano Village Estates are donating 20 percent of every new booking for stays happening now through November 15 to support Maui wildfire victims. And the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea鈥檚 donates up to $200 to the Maui Strong Fund for every night that you stay through December 15.

Tour operators are also funneling funds to Maui charities. Redline Rafting, which offers snorkeling tours of Molokini (off Maui), whale-watching trips, and guided hikes in Haleakala National Park, is donating proceeds from every tour booked to the Community Recovery Fund. Or book its special charity tours, which donate 100 percent of the proceeds to wildfire-recovery efforts.

And if you鈥檝e always wanted to see the coastline from above, Maverick Helicopters on Maui has launched a give-back promotion through the end of 2023 that contributes $10 for every purchased seat on any tours.

Whale season starts in October and is especially good off the coast of Maui. The will be offering 20 percent off its through the rest of the year.

Paradise Helicopters, based in Kona on Hawaii Island, has introduced a handful of for October, which the company says will likely run through the end of the year. You can save $50 off all tours from Waimea on Hawaii Island and the Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu (use code PP50) and $75 off all tours from Kona and Hilo on Hawaii Island (code PP75). When you book six seats on its Kohala Coast and Waterfalls tour on Hawaii Island, you can get them at $299 per seat versus $420, and if you book four seats on the Lava Rainforest 国产吃瓜黑料 Tour on Hawaii Island, you can purchase them for听 $349 per person instead of $469.

You can also save big on exclusive heli charters when you donate to the . Donate $750 and you get a free landing (which typically costs $1,825). With a donation of $1,200, you鈥檒l receive a bottle of champagne to go along with that landing (a $2,787.50 value).

Finally, it鈥檚 worth keeping in mind that fewer visitors mean fewer crowds at some of the islands鈥� key attractions, like the Road to Hana in Maui. 鈥淭his is a wonderful time to take the bucket list-worthy drive,鈥� says Jon Benson, general manager of Hana-Maui Resort. 鈥淲e are surrounded by unmatched hikes, waterfalls, lava tubes, and a bamboo forest.鈥�

*This story has been updated to reflect a petition from many locals asking the Hawaii state government to postpone the opening date for West Maui.*

国产吃瓜黑料 correspondent Jen Murphy lives part time in Maui and has been encouraging her friends to visit this holiday season to help bolster the local economy after the fires.听

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Diamond Head and Pearl Harbor are must-see attractions for most visitors to Oahu. Iolani Palace and sunset luaus are also popular. But John John Florence has other ideas of how to spend your time on Hawaii鈥檚 most touristed island.

The 30-year-old North Shore native, two-time world surfing champion, and member of the inaugural U.S. Olympic surf team was born and raised here. When he鈥檚 not dropping into a set wave or sailing, he enjoys meditative land-based pursuits: gardening, beekeeping, and mountain biking are three favorites.

Florence doesn鈥檛 often spend time in town, as locals call Honolulu, but he does have a set of places he frequents that don鈥檛 necessarily make it into his posts. (You have to keep some secrets from 1.5 million followers.) From the nicest beaches to the healthiest caf茅s to surfing, sailing, and hiking, here are his suggestions on the best ways to round out a trip to Oahu.

OUTSIDE: Oahu welcomed more than three million visitors in 2021. That鈥檚 a lot of people! Where would you send friends who want to see stunning beaches as well as get a sense of the wild side of the island but avoid the crowds?
FLORENCE: Oahu as a whole is a really beautiful place, and I enjoy every side of the island, but I鈥檒l share a few stops from some different areas. Starting with the North Shore, pretty much anywhere you decide to pull over the car is going to be a really nice beach. Waimea Bay is a special place and perfect for a beach day. On the south shore, I like spending time in the Ala Moana area of Honolulu鈥攖he waves are fun, there are plenty of great restaurants, and the sailing scene and Friday-night races are rad. Lastly, I鈥檇 recommend checking out some of the nature reserves: the bird sanctuary at Kaena Point [the island鈥檚 westernmost tip], Sharks Cove on the North Shore, and Hanauma Bay [in the southeast], to name a few.

What are your recommendations for visiting the North Shore: What鈥檚 the best month, and where do you go if you’re up there to see pro surfers on big waves? And do you have any tips for amateurs surfing that stretch of coast?
I might be biased, but I think visiting the North Shore is fun any time of the year. Summer and winter have different faces, but both offer great things. I could give a big list, but instead I鈥檒l shoot you an ideal day: During a contest day, head down to Pipeline and watch a few heats. It鈥檚 a fun environment and really cool seeing waves that big up close. Head over to Pupukea Grill for some food before heading into Haleiwa town to check out the local shops. If you鈥檙e looking to learn to surf, head over to at Puaena Point for an afternoon lesson and sunset. That鈥檚 a pretty good day on the North Shore.

After surfing and sailing, what are your favorite outdoor activities on the island?
Recently I鈥檝e gotten into biking, both road biking and mountain biking. They鈥檝e been a lot of fun to learn about and use as another method of training. Also, I鈥檓 part of a solid crew of people who go downwind foiling. Foil boards are essentially surfboards on top of a large foil. We move with the wind鈥攄ownwind鈥攁nd basically see how far we can go without dropping back into the water. It鈥檚 a lot like snowboarding in powder, but in the ocean. I do that a lot.

If you only had time for one hike on Oahu, what should it be and why?
That鈥檚 a tough one, but I鈥檇 say Koko Head. It鈥檚 fairly well-known but not too long and offers great views on the southeastern side of the island.

I know you grow a lot of produce yourself, but when you鈥檙e out and about, where do you go to eat healthy, and what kind of local farmers鈥� markets or local farms would you encourage folks to seek out while they鈥檙e visiting?
There are definitely great farmers鈥� markets around the island. I also use an awesome resource called Farm Link; it groups together offerings from all the organic farms into one marketplace for purchase. They鈥檙e great. Kokua Hawaii Foundation鈥檚 Learning Farm鈥擪im and Jack Johnson鈥檚 nonprofit鈥攊s a fairly new farm and retail space in Haleiwa. It鈥檚 a really cool place to visit, learn about farming, and volunteer. As for healthy caf茅s, I like the Country Eatery and Raised by the Waves, both in Kahuku.

What do you do on a rainy day in Oahu?
I guess it depends how rainy it is. If it鈥檚 a flooding type of rain, there isn鈥檛 much you can do but we get a lot of light rain, too. That usually doesn鈥檛 stop my normal activities鈥攕urfing, mountain biking, or foiling. I suggest doing the same things you鈥檇 do on a sunny day. Rain passes quick!

Most mainlanders know that Hawaii is famous for poke and shave ice. Where do you go to get these? What other places with traditional food do you frequent, and do you have any favorite orders there?
Ha, we are kind of famous for those. I don鈥檛 have a shave ice place, but if I鈥檓 getting poke, I鈥檒l stop by Kahuku Superette. The best, though, is when a friend catches fish and makes fresh poke at a BBQ or something. Some other food places I really like are Kahuku Farms and, in Haleiwa, Haleiwa Joe鈥檚, Haleiwa Bowls for acai, and Pupukea Grill鈥攅verything at the grill is amazing!

As a sailor, do you have any recommendations for seeing the island that way, either with a company or with your own boat? Any off-the-radar听 coves or areas with notably more sea life or a fantastic swim or snorkel?
Yeah, definitely. There are a ton of great tours you can take. On the North Shore, Island View Hawaii has a really cool pelagic tour where you get to swim with the sharks outside of Haleiwa. That鈥檚 a great experience. In town, there鈥檚 a tour called Hawaii Glass Bottom Boats that will take you out around the Waikiki area to see all of the sights. Both are great ways to see different parts of the island.

What local shops have a good selection of unique homemade items from Oahu?
There are a lot of great local shops on the North Shore. The Cove Collection sells household gifts, jewelry, and art. That鈥檚 right at Sharks Cove. In Haleiwa, there are a bunch of cool art galleries and surf shops. I like Surf N Sea and North Shore Surf Shop. You don鈥檛 need to go far to find what you鈥檙e looking for in the way of gifts.

Do you follow any local musicians?
If you have the opportunity to see Hawaiian artists like Paula Fuga, Kimie Miner, Jack Johnson, or Ron Artis, I鈥檇 highly recommend it. My friend Martin Saito is another amazing musician on the rise.

Have you ever considered moving to another Hawaiian Island?
I enjoy visiting all the islands鈥攖hey鈥檙e all amazing in their own way鈥攂ut I haven鈥檛 thought much about moving to another. Oahu is home!

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Taking an island vacation doesn鈥檛 have to mean splurging on some ritzy all-inclusive resort. You can grab your tent and get away from it all for a fraction of the cost year-round. Even better, the winter season on these U.S. islands has a different feel, marked by diminished crowds, an abundance of waterfront space, and a quiet beauty.

I love camping on islands, especially those with empty beaches. In honor of National Camp Day, on November 19, I鈥檝e compiled a list of nine U.S. island destinations that beckon with warm weather and plenty of outdoor adventure.

1. Santa Rosa Campground
Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California

($15) is nestled in a beautiful valley on the northeast side of Santa Rosa Island, the second-largest island in this national park, just 50 miles off the Southern California coast. Book your passage over with (from $55 one-way), which leaves from Ventura Harbor. The ferry will drop you off at the pier, and from there it鈥檚 an easy 1.5-mile hike to the campground, which offers potable water and modern bathrooms.

Each of the 15 sites has a wind shelter, which is key this time of year, as gusts can whip through the valley. I鈥檓 speaking from experience鈥攜ou want to pitch your tent behind that shelter. But even a windy night is worth waking up to the sound of the Pacific crashing on the beach below the nearby cliffs, and the sunrises are spectacular鈥攂ook sites one through four for the best views.

I recommend fishing or diving for your supper from the bay by the pier; although 20 percent of the park鈥檚 waters are marine-protected areas, fishing is allowed everywhere else in accordance with state (permits from $9). During my trip here, it was easy to collect overpopulated urchin and spear rockfish.

Hikers can enjoy the island鈥檚 many trails, which range from a mile to 28 miles, and keep an eye out for the adorable foxes鈥擨 counted 14 when I was there!鈥攐ne of the park鈥檚 281 endemic species.

2.听Cinnamon Bay Beach and Campground
Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands National Park

Kick it in the Caribbean when you bunk at the only in U.S. Virgin Islands National Park. Visitors can choose from a variety of tent sites ($50) or cottages ($285) December through April and pop in to the on-site Rain Tree Caf茅 for options like smoothies or food to go. This is a paradise that begs exploration by land and by sea; take to the more than 20 trails in the park, some leading to petroglyphs and an old sugar mill, or rent snorkeling gear at the campground and spend hours swimming the island鈥檚 turquoise waters and coral reefs home to some 400 species.

3. Cannabis Farm and Greenhouse Garden
Mountain View, Big Island, Hawaii

Campers on the eastern side of the Big Island can choose between two unique sites at this forest 鈥攏ext to the cannabis grove or within the greenhouse deck ($45 for two people per night). Enjoy hot outdoor showers, but expect to pay for electricity.

The host offers one-hour cannabis tours ($50 for two people), surf lessons ($75), and customizable island tours. Or head off on your own to explore the nearby Wao Kele o Puna rainforest, sacred home of the goddess Pele as well as native habitat to the endangered apapane and akohekohe birds. The hot spot of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is also just ten miles away.

4. A Gulf Coast Island Retreat
Gibsonton, Florida

Now鈥檚 your chance to cosplay Robinson Crusoe: an with four campsites is available to rent in the middle of the Alafia River, about a 20-minute drive south of Tampa (from $65). Designed with elevated wooden platforms for your tent, an outhouse, a fire pit, and a picnic table, you pack in the essentials (including water) and pack out all your trash.

Although the island host offers shuttle service for a fee, renting one of his kayaks or canoes for the quarter-mile crossing is your best bet: you can paddle to area mangroves, catching sight of dolphins and stingrays; request a river tour; or, for a night out, tie your boat up at the across the water.

5. Stafford Beach Campground
Cumberland Island National Lakeshore, Georgia

Only 300 visitors a day are allowed on Cumberland Island, a barrier island more than twice the size of Manhattan. ($12) has ten sites and offers necessities like flush toilets, fire rings, potable water, and (cold) showers. A 45-minute from the town of St. Marys will drop you off at the pier. From there, you鈥檒l take a 3.5-mile trail to the campground, part of a 50-plus-mile island-wide network.

Or bring your bike and cruise around with your binocs鈥攖here鈥檚 plenty of wildlife to see, including wild horses, loggerhead turtles, and alligators. Saltwater fishermen can look to hook species like catfish and crocker. Historical relics also remain an attraction; tour Dungeness Ruins, a former mansion occupied by the British in the War of 1812, and Plum Orchard, once the winter home of the Carnegie family, built at the turn of the 20th century.

6. A Private Horse Farm
Saint Helena Island, South Carolina

This 70-acre , set on the property of Camelot Farms Equestrian Center, is a working farm once part of the Coffin Point Plantation. Its five sites ($15) rest between two ponds below a grove of oak trees, potable water is available from a spigot, and campfires and pets are permitted. (There are no bathrooms.)

with the farm ($100), or head three miles down the road to (from $5), the filming location for Forrest Gump鈥�s Vietnam War scenes, where birders can check oystercatchers and yellow-rumped warblers off their list this time of year, hikers can enjoy more than nine miles of trails, and anglers can rent a rod and reel and try their luck at the end of a renovated pier or along the shore.

7. Bird Island Basin Campground
Padre Island National Seashore, Texas

Bird Island Basin鈥檚 steady wind and warm shallows qualify it as one of the best windsurfing spots in the country. You can pitch your tent at one of the first-come, first-served sites ($8, plus a $25 vehicle entrance fee) along Laguna Madre and then make the easy two-minute walk to for a windsurfing class (from $70) or to rent kayaking or paddleboarding gear.

If you鈥檙e there for the birds鈥攑lenty are, as it鈥檚 located on the Central Flyway鈥攚inter sees thousands migrating through the area, and the double-crested cormorant and snowy egret. Aficionados might tack on 鈥� six-to-eight-hour birding tour ($600 for up to four people). Come prepared with food and firewood, as the nearest stores are 12 miles away.

8. Rainforest Camping
Utuado, Puerto Rico

Leave the mainland behind for this ($30) in the mountains 90 minutes southwest of San Juan. Ask the host for a map of the property when you arrive and hit the trails in search of waterfalls. Amenities include an outdoor shower, a bathroom with hot water, fire pits, and potable water. There鈥檚 also a on the property ($59), and breakfast and dinner can be ordered for an additional fee.

Up for an eco-adventure? Host-led tours include hiking, exploring subterranean rivers, caving and more. Or venture into the town of Utuado for rappelling, river caving, and horseback riding on a coffee farm,听or to visit the pictographs and stone monoliths of Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Park,听an ancestral site of the native Ta铆nos.

9. Kahua Lehua (Hoomaluhia)
Oahu, Hawaii

A campsite within Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden? And just nine miles from the island鈥檚 beloved Lanikai Beach and 12 miles from central Honolulu? Yes, please! At Kahua Lehua ($32), you鈥檒l have access to the sprawling 400-acre property, which features plants from major tropical regions around the globe as well as those indigenous to Hawaii.

Birders can request its garden-specific checklist, which includes local species like the Pacific golden plover and black-crowned night heron. Five campsites are available (each can accommodate groups of up to ten) and offer picnic tables and fire circles. The required permit is available for purchase two weeks ahead of time, so be ready to book鈥攖his place is popular.

Alexandra Gillespie is a travel writer whose work has appeared in National Geographic,听Scuba Diving, and NPR. She lives in Southern California, where she spends much of her free time shore diving.

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During the second week of July on the island of Oahu,听no one could stop talking about the huge incoming south swell. News of it was a hot topic among lifeguards, residents, and visitors alike, and as John Titchen, chief of Honolulu鈥檚 Ocean Safety Division, traded texts and emails with other local emergency-response-system staffs in preparation, he noted the anticipation and considered the consequences. Tourist numbers were up, kids were out of school, locals were stoked. He鈥檇 watched , where the听swell typically听rolls听through before moving thousands of miles north to Hawaii. They鈥檇 treat the event as they would an incoming hurricane or tsunami. It looked to be impressive and rare but not unprecedented.

On Oahu, hype over wave size is largely limited to the North Shore, famous for its monster surf and the pros willing to take it on. But the south shore by comparison, especially the tourist beach hub of Waikiki, tends to fall at the other end of the spectrum, where occasional swells might hit five to ten feet, and swimmers and surfers in the water aren鈥檛 always proficient. Titchen made arrangements accordingly鈥擮cean Safety more than doubled the number of lifeguards on duty on the south shore, from 25 to 65, signed off on longer shifts, and sent four extra jet-ski teams to patrol the waters. It ended up being enough. No one drowned. But it was still a massive effort.

Between Friday, July 15, and Monday, July 18, Oahu lifeguards made 2,105 rescues on the southern, windward (east), and leeward (west) coasts, including 800 on Sunday alone. For perspective, the entire island has tallied an average of 2,400 rescues annually for the past two years. Thrill seekers came out en masse; the two main towers of Waikiki reported 20,000 beach-goers that Saturday鈥攖wice its normal daily average. Everyone wanted to see the swell鈥攚hich a official estimated to be 25 feet off on Sunday, a height not seen on the south shore since 1995鈥攁nd most wanted to surf it. In fact, according to Titchen, the bulk of rescues made were surfers needing an assist. Here鈥檚 how he and a handful of the island鈥檚 272 lifeguards handled the chaos that long weekend, as told to 国产吃瓜黑料.

Titchen, 47, chief of Honolulu Ocean Safety for almost four years:

We watch weather here the way people watch traffic in Los Angeles. About a week prior to the swell, the island鈥檚 various maritime emergency-response units began coordinating. We really started paying attention on Tuesday of that week鈥攖hat鈥檚 not unusual鈥攍istening to surfcasters and the National Weather Service. Thursday we started to see forerunners of the waves and knew we were going to have sizable sets. Excitement was building, especially for those who hadn鈥檛 seen waves like this before鈥擧awaiian residents only here a few years, visitors here for vacation, younger, aggressive surfers, teenagers who鈥檝e never seen a 25-foot day on the south shore, and just anyone curious. People like to hear the roar of the crashes, smell the salt, feel the spray in person.

Friday morning, things started to look different; the waves looked particularly epic. Waikiki breaks on an outer reef, but there were eight-to-ten-foot faces on the inside. And because there was a lot of wind鈥攇usts up to 30 knots鈥攖here weren鈥檛 that many rideable spots. It started to become a handful for guards. It wasn鈥檛 just the size of the waves, it was the raw energy, there was a relentlessness to it.

It鈥檚 infrequent for us to get the kind of strong other places see, like the West Coast, where there鈥檚 more of a difference between tides. But when we have a lot of water and wind, it pulls people where they don鈥檛 want to be, against hazards. These conditions were unique and unusual for people who have surfed here before. Friday was definitely busy. [A reported 305 rescues were made that day.]

On Saturday, we had 15-to-20-foot faces. Other surf spots began to look rideable. But the interval between sets was close, and the channels鈥攚hich you鈥檙e using to get out if you鈥檙e on a board or a foil or a kayak鈥攚ere more or less whitewater. You鈥檙e constantly duck-diving. There wasn鈥檛 much opportunity to sit out there peacefully and wait for a wave. [Ocean Safety reported 455 rescues that day.]

The swell started to peak midafternoon Sunday. Waves on the leeward coast were unusually large, and spots started to turn on there for surfers. I鈥檇 describe it as giant windy surf, and frequently sloppy, but with pockets that were really rideable. On Monday, there were still 20-foot faces, but many people were surfed out and headed back to work. Hardcore surfers were still out, though鈥攖he best time to surf is the back side of a swell, after it鈥檚 peaked, when you鈥檒l get amazing sessions because nobody is in water and there are world-class conditions.

We communicated dangers鈥攚e posted 鈥淗igh Surf鈥� warnings and 鈥淪trong Current鈥� hazard signs, made announcements from mobile units and from bullhorns. We gave people information, especially people drinking. But at the end of day, what鈥檚 to stop people from going to the beach?

We鈥檙e proud that no one was killed. We had two near drownings but no major injuries. We did hand off 20 rescued people to EMS transport. I鈥檇 say it鈥檚 a testament to our collaboration, we do this collectively. Physical presence is important, overstaffing towers, having people ready on the beach when someone comes in, having jet-ski service. What these men and women do at Ocean Safety, they鈥檙e the best in the world at it, working a once-in-a-lifetime swell. We assess someone visually as they walk to the beach. Having grown up in Oahu, a lifeguard may know you need fins in that water, so your brain goes off, and you watch that person enter a water where locals don鈥檛 normally, because there鈥檚 a hazard, coral, whatever, and then you look past that person, at the sets starting to arrive. Before that person even realizes they鈥檙e in distress鈥攂oom!鈥攖he lifeguard is there. That happened every day. We鈥檒l prepare for future swells the same way again. The goal is to have people know we鈥檙e close.

Tristan Fabro, 24, a mobile responder on the windward side who coordinated rescues and patrolled an outlook called China Walls:

I live in Waimanolo, on the east side, and to get to work, I pass every beach in my district. So I see the conditions every day, and in those four days it went from normal to very large surf. Saturday morning, we were like, OK this is manageable. We were prepared and had two nearby jet-ski units ready to respond. Our district is known for dangerous shorebreak鈥攚e see a lot of broken necks and backs鈥攁nd currents.

People in Hawaii live for big-wave surfing, and, especially because the south side doesn鈥檛 see swells bigger than ten feet, Sunday everyone showed up ready to surf. We probably did ten rescues as we started to see the increase in swell, because conditions weren鈥檛 the best for this area. It wasn鈥檛 breaking in a way you could surf it. I鈥檇 say we rescued about 75 percent locals, 25 percent visitors. The waves were so big that surfers were losing their boards.

is a ten-foot-high cliff. People go there to watch the waves鈥攁nd we had a crowd there鈥攂ut with giant swell, the wave washes up to where people are standing. People don鈥檛 realize that and get swept in. Also, it鈥檚 a novelty wave鈥攊t breaks off a deep ocean channel onto a rock ledge a quarter-mile into a bay. You鈥檝e got people who will jump in during a break, thinking, Oh yeah! But then, all of a sudden, a huge set rolls in and they don鈥檛 know what to do. There鈥檚 current pulling out to sea here, or you get blasted into these rocks along the ledge.

On Sunday I walked down there to scope out the scene. Four military dudes were swimming, and I told them it鈥檚 not the best place. They said, 鈥淲e鈥檝e been doing this for an hour, we鈥檙e OK.鈥� But I looked at them鈥攏o fins, no experience with an area that鈥檚 challenging enough when it鈥檚 calm, because it鈥檚 slippery, with sharp rocks, and the only way to get out is climb back up, and in ten-to-fifteen-foot surf鈥攁nd thought, You shouldn鈥檛 be in the water. I went down the coast. Ten minutes later, we got a notification from dispatch that there was a swimmer in distress. The individual I spoke to, by the time I got there, was 300 yards away from China Walls. Fortunately, we launched a craft into the water and were able to get him before anything bad happened.

In my lifetime, that was the biggest swell I鈥檝e ever seen on the south shore. The North Shore is where we go to surf in winter, but when you get that swell size on the south side, that鈥檚 a treat. I paddled out at , even though it was unsurfable, just to feel what was going on in the water. You could feel how much power there was.

Blake Caporoz, 39, a longtime tower lifeguard on the leeward coast:听

Saturday we had a one spinal incident鈥攕omeone cracked his head on the reef and went unconscious in the water. We pulled him out, and he regained consciousness on the sand. He said he didn鈥檛 know what happened, that he was used to surfing 30-to-40-foot waves on the North Shore but that it was his first time surfing this part of the island.

One day a beach recorded eight rescues in 20 minutes. Three lifeguards called and said they were gonna go jump in and get a rescue, but then their radio went silent. We didn鈥檛 know the severity and wondered, What鈥檚 going on? Finally, they said, 鈥淲e鈥檙e back!鈥� They ended up rescuing one person, then there were seven more rescues鈥攌ids getting sucked out on the rip current. At , where I was, we rescued four people during that same time. The tide was rising and the swell was so high that people lost their towels and slippers and wanted to retrieve them, but they weren鈥檛 watching their kid, and their kid ended up getting swept out.

Saturday evening I saw an enormous set on the southwest tip of the island, at . I radioed dispatch that we shouldn鈥檛 open Kaena Point State Park until the next day. Those waves looked about 20 feet.

I surfed 鈥攖o have it going off all day long was rare. There are places that lay dormant the whole summer, smaller places with no crowds that never break鈥攁nd maybe it wasn鈥檛 the biggest, baddest wave, but you think, I may not see that wave in another five or ten years. That鈥檚 meaningful as a local, you want to take advantage of those spots.

Simeon Ke-Paloma, 33, a rescue jet-ski operator who worked the outer reefs:

With social media, we noticed how big the waves were in Tahiti鈥擨鈥檝e never seen Teahupoo that big, it looked so angry and violent鈥攕o we were like, It鈥檚 coming, this is going to be serious and exciting on the south shore! And the waves coming in were nonstop, when usually they鈥檙e spaced out every 15 to 20 minutes.

We launched the jet ski at seven on Friday morning. We put so many hours in on the ski鈥攕even to seven. I was patrolling lineups on the outside, the outer reefs, almost a mile offshore. There were a lot of people out there, and I probably grabbed 12 with broken boards over three days. People would end up half a mile down from where they paddled out, because of the sweeping currents. Everyone out there is experienced, but those guys still needed our help, they were all locals. It鈥檚 a no-brainer to ask for a grab, we鈥檙e saving them a 45-minute swim. Over those three days, we probably did 60 to 75 total rescues off Waikiki.

One day four expert canoe steersmen in an outrigger went out to catch waves. There was a moment when the canoe took off on a wave, but they weren鈥檛 able to make the drop, and the outrigger separated from the hull, from the sheer explosion of whitewater. While they were flipped over, they were in the impact zone, getting hit by waves. Me and two or three other jet skis responded, but it was tricky. We were trying to tie up the canoe as it was getting bashed. One of the jet skis sucked up a towline. So imagine a canoe full of water, now weighing 600 to 800 pounds, and a jet ski, also heavy, getting tossed in the waves, with four people in the water鈥攁nd surfers on the inside and the outside. We had to decide the appropriate moves. Eventually, we were able to tow the canoe and had one jet ski take care of the people in the water.

Brieanna Cantalupo, 25, who worked Waikiki:

I made ten or fifteen rescues myself in a day鈥攁nd normally I wouldn鈥檛 have more than five rescues in a weekend. Most visitors get off the plane and head straight here. A lot assume that if their feet are touching the ground, they鈥檙e safe. And it is generally calm water鈥攜ear-round it鈥檚 consistently small swell. But 98 percent of the rescues I made were tourists. Waikiki is a special beach because you could be in the tower yourself, watching up to a thousand people. The salt spray makes it hard to see farther away. You have to be on your A-game. It was mentally exhausting.

Ian Forester, 52, a lieutenant and lead trainer of rescue jet skiers:

I was on the jet ski that weekend, and there was very little downtime: a 911 call would come in, then a tower call, then 911 again. Waikiki was crazy all over the place. On the west corner, there鈥檚 a new breakwall to hold the sand, but since they put it in, the current has been bad and tourists end up there, getting shot around. Teams in that area were just picking up the line of people getting sucked out, hundreds of people. It kept us so busy, you couldn鈥檛 go anywhere else. That happened later in the afternoons on both days.

People with a wide variety of skill levels were out there testing their limits, even saying, 鈥淟et鈥檚 learn to surf鈥� in this. When COVID hit, and everyone here was locked down, the locals went to the beach. There鈥檚 a vast number of people who learned how to surf during the pandemic鈥攊t seemed like the number of new surfers jumped exponentially. So when this swell hit, all kinds of novice and intermediate surfers were out there, getting stuck in the impact zones. Emotions were high. I rolled up on two girls on longboards who were stuck way out on the outside reefs. When I reached them, they were in tears. They鈥檇 paddled so far out, they couldn鈥檛 get back. Sometimes you have to swear at people. They鈥檙e scared, and you鈥檙e yelling, 鈥淗ey! Grab on to the sled!鈥� Panic has jolted their brain. They鈥檝e got those big eyes. You just never know what you鈥檙e gonna get. This weekend was like that. But we train all year for events like this, and you show up, knowing you鈥檒l be busy. But it鈥檚 game day. And we get to help a bunch of people.

The post Inside One of the Craziest Long Weekends of Lifeguard Rescues in Oahu History appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Hawaii is known for its miles of powdery white, otherworldly black, and even red- and green-sand beaches. Kamilo Beach, on the Island of Hawaii鈥檚 southeast coast,听boasts blue, green, purple, and pink hues. But the colors here are not natural鈥攖hey come from plastic fragments mixed into the grains of sand. This stretch of shoreline is a magnet for marine debris, thanks to ocean currents, strong winds, and its proximity to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a trash vortex between the West Coast and Japan. Each year, volunteers from the nonprofit remove 15 to 20 tons of fishing nets and lines, straws, utensils, cups, plastic bottles, toys, and disposable lighters from the remote beach. But the garbage keeps on coming.

Kamilo Beach is not alone鈥攙isitors to even the most famed beaches in听the state, like Oahu鈥檚 Waikiki, Maui鈥檚 Kaanapali, Kauai鈥檚 Hanalei Bay, and the Island of Hawaii鈥檚 Hapuna, will encounter marine debris that鈥檚 floated ashore, along with trash left behind by day-trippers. 鈥淧eople think beaches in Hawaii are clean until they participate in a beach cleanup and start to notice all of the straws, cigarette butts, plastic wrappers, hair bands, flip-flops, and microplastic,鈥� says Shelby Serra, a conservation advocate at the (PWF).

The PWF and Hawaii Wildlife Fund are just two of a number of environmental nonprofits attempting to address the state鈥檚 seemingly never-ending trash problem, which only worsened during the pandemic with an uptick in take-out-related waste and masks showing up on beaches. To counter Hawaii鈥檚 plastic crisis, state and local lawmakers have passed legislation in recent years banning听single-use plastic, including ordinances enacted this year in Honolulu and on Maui prohibiting the sale and use of disposable plastic and polystyrene foam food ware. But just because laws are passed doesn鈥檛 mean people will abide by them. On-the-ground efforts are needed to raise awareness, too. 鈥淎ctual policy advocacy is merely one facet, passing the law is just one step,鈥� says Serra.

Case in point: Hawaii banned cigarettes in state parks and on beaches in 2015, yet three years later, when the PWF requested to see the Maui Police Department鈥檚 records, they found that zero citations had been issued. Serra believes that if people knew how harmful their butts were for the environment, they might think twice before flicking them into the sand. 鈥淢any people don鈥檛 even know that a cigarette filter is actually made of tightly packed plastic fibers,鈥� she says. 鈥淐ouple that with the toxins that are being filtered out of the cigarette itself, it can be a very harmful piece of debris if ingested by birds or marine life.鈥�

Perhaps no group needs this education more than the legions of tourists descending on the islands in even greater numbers since the state lifted its COVID restrictions in March. During the lockdown-induced lull in visitors early on in the pandemic, the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) started working with local organizations to address the impact of vacationers through an initiative called the Malama Hawaii Program. One of the goals听is to enlist visitors in the fight against the island鈥檚 trash by connecting them with area nonprofits working on the issue.

The HTA recruited hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers in Oahu, Kauai, Maui, the Island of Hawaii, and Lanai to start offering discounts and free nights of lodging to tourists who participate in beach cleanups or who volunteer to plant native trees, clear non-native plants, and fish for invasive tilapia to restore ancient fishponds.听Some hotels require proof of the trash collected or hours volunteered, while others just trust their patrons to follow through. At the听听on Maui听and the听 on the Island of Hawaii, for example, it鈥檚 all on the honor system: guests just need to pick up a cleanup kit during their stay and visit a beach to comb for plastic before they leave. Meanwhile, on Oahu,听 guests can get a night comped by signing up to plant native trees with the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative.

When the program was introduced in 2020, it was a huge help to community groups who didn鈥檛 have the resources to recruit and take on volunteers on their own. 鈥淧articipating Malama Hawaii organizations, like the Pacific Whale Foundation, have made beach cleanups easy and accessible for visitors by providing the necessary materials,鈥� says John De Fries, HTA鈥檚 president and CEO. The kits for the self-directed beach cleanups, comprised of recycled grain bags and data sheets to document the debris, are stocked by local nonprofits and left at the resorts鈥� front desks or tourist-friendly locations nearby. In Maui, PacWhale Eco-国产吃瓜黑料s, an ecotourism outfit run by the PWF, started placing them at the Ocean Store at Maalaea and Lahaina, as well as at the听, , and farm-to-table restaurant . The Hawaii Wildlife Fund has been carrying out similar efforts on the Island of Hawaii and inviting visitors to organized beach cleanups like the one on Kamilo Beach.

So far it鈥檚 been a big success. In the past couple of years, tourists have contributed thousands of pounds of trash pickup from dozens of beaches around the state. 鈥淲e have found that many visitors to Maui want to learn and give back while on the island,鈥� says Serra. 鈥淚f only a small percentage of them participated in a program like this one, we could easily have enough people to clean every beach on Maui every day of the year.鈥�

The increase in manpower is particularly helpful for smaller islands like Kauai, whose population of 70,000 is dwarfed by its tourists鈥攎ore than 1.3 million people visited in 2019. Many of the island鈥檚 hotels, like the Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay and the Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort, are offering free nights for participating in self-directed beach cleanups as well as for signing up for organized volunteer outings, like hikes to remote bays to pick up marine debris led by the the local chapter of the nonprofit . 鈥淚t鈥檚 an adventure for people who come clean with us, because we typically take them to places that most visitors never see,鈥� says Barbara Wiedner, education and outreach chair of the Surfrider Foundation鈥檚 Kauai chapter.

These cleanups are also enabling visitors to have a more meaningful connection to the Hawaiian community and the environment. 鈥淲hen people physically see, remove, and record the debris they find, there are connections made that carry into their behavior moving forward,鈥� says Serra. While beach cleanups help solve the immediate problem, the bigger impact might be in the lifestyle changes visitors make afterward to reduce the amount of plastic trash they produce, like packing a Hydro Flask, using a bar of soap instead of a bottled version, and saying no to plastic utensils when getting takeout. 鈥淲e need to stop opting for convenience and selecting the cheapest option,鈥� says Megan Lamson, president and program director of the Hawaii Wildlife Fund. 鈥淲e must combat the ever-increasing problem of plastic pollution across our planet, not just for the health of our oceans but for the health and wellness of humanity and our chance at maintaining a livable planet into the future.鈥�

The post Hawaii Is Cleaning Its Beaches with a Renewable Resource: Tourists appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

鈥淭he pandemic was really the second disaster. The first one was the flood on Kauai,鈥� says Alan Carpenter, assistant administrator of Hawaii鈥檚 . In April 2018, a record-breaking storm dumped more than four feet of rain in 24 hours on the north shore of Kauai, destroying hundreds of homes and the one road leading to the Na Pali Coast鈥檚 and its popular Kalalau Trail. Suddenly, one of Hawaii鈥檚 most visited attractions听went from seeing over 2,000 tourists a day to none.

Incidentally, just prior to the flood, DLNR and community members had finished drafting a听master plan听for Haena State Park, an effort 20 years in the making. It aimed to听control the crowds overwhelming the park and surrounding听towns, while also restoring the area鈥檚听natural and cultural environment. The proposal included stream and loi (wetland taro field) restoration, stormwater and erosion mitigation, an overhaul of park facilities, a shuttle service, and a reservation system that would charge nonresidents and limit visitors to no more than 900 a day.

The original听timeline proposed introducing the changes in听five to ten听years (although, because of听permitting and funding challenges, 20 years was more likely). 鈥淎t that moment, we had exactly $100,000 allotted to implement a multimillion-dollar plan,鈥� says Carpenter. 鈥淎nd boom, here comes the flood, and with it $100 million of state emergency funding and several million tapped for park funding. The combination of that, along with the temporary lifting of all of the typical regulations and government red tape, made it an amazing opportunity. Without the flood, it wouldn鈥檛 have happened.鈥�

A little more than a year after the flood, in June of 2019, Haena State Park reopened with all of its new regulations in place. 鈥淚t changed the whole tenor of that area,鈥� Carpenter says. 鈥淓verybody saw the success of Haena and wanted to apply it to other places.鈥�

Visitors to the Hawaiian听Islands, which have a resident population of 1.4 million, have been steadily increasing over听the past decade, hitting听a record high of 10.4 million in 2019. As the number of tourists grew, so did concerns about traffic, overcrowding, and damage to the environment. In a 2019 Hawaii Tourism Authority , two-thirds of the residents polled believed that the state government was running the islands for tourists at the expense of locals. Tourism was leading to diminishing returns鈥攁djusting for inflation, total visitor spending had fallen since 1989, despite an听increase of four million annual tourists since. Hawaii residents听were听getting fed up. New laws on Maui and Oahu cracked down on vacation rentals, for short-term units that hadn鈥檛 gone through the extensive permitting process. An existing 听at Oahu鈥檚 Kailua Beach, instituted in 2012, extended to Waimanalo beaches on the island鈥檚 east coast听as a way to curb tour buses and tourism-focused interests. The DLNR instituted at other parks to help pay for eroding infrastructure.

And then the pandemic hit. A mandatory 14-day quarantine for incoming travelers effectively closed Hawaii to tourism for seven months. 鈥淭he pandemic did for the whole state what the flood did to the north shore of Kauai,鈥� Carpenter says. 鈥淚t shut it down and reset tourism to zero.鈥�

Will the pandemic be a turning point for the state,听like the flood听was for Haena?

At听the beginning of COVID-19, as in听many other places, a stillness descended on Hawaii as residents sheltered at home. Pictures of empty beaches abounded on Instagram and in the media, but if you shifted your camera to the water, you鈥檇 see crowds of surfers in the ocean. For a time, shelter-in-place orders closed the beaches, but state law required public shoreline access, so residents were never forbidden from听the water, and from the unemployed to children unmoored from school, they took to the waves. Waikiki surf breaks were as packed听as they were during pre-pandemic times, but with locals.

According to Chana Makale鈥榓 Dudoit Ane, resilience officer at the Maui County听, there used to be 鈥渢ourists crowding the beaches鈥� at multiple surf spots,听including Honolua Bay and near Kihei, 鈥渨hich made it uncomfortable being there. Now听there are tons of local people, you鈥檙e sharing waves, and it鈥檚 a different kind of vibe of culture and respect.鈥� Wade Tokoro, shaper and owner of , says his sales have increased compared with听the previous year, something he attributes to locals surfing听more and beginners picking听up the sport.

Without the pressure of tourism, fish seemed to . Stores couldn鈥檛 keep fishing supplies in stock, and area听anglers听. For months, schools of halalu, an indigenous shad, swarmed Oahu鈥檚 usually tourist-dense Ala Moana and Kaimana Beaches like dark underwater clouds, and fishers听followed. Ane describes how one day she and her family were walking the shoreline in Kaehu, near a surf break called Churches, and 鈥渨atched an old-timer throwing a net to catch his dinner.鈥� He was tracking schools of nehu. The man told Ane that the ancestral听name for both this听place and the surf break were听called Nehu, and that it was a site听frequented by alii (traditional Hawaiian royalty) and chiefs back in the day.

Even the food banks have become a resource for cultural knowledge in these tough pandemic times.听When听the听, on Hawaii Island, faced a rice shortage, it听distributed ulu, or breadfruit, which was brought to the islands by the听first Polynesian inhabitants. Rice, despite being a staple in local cuisine, is imported, and as food insecurity skyrocketed and supply chains were disrupted, it became hard to come by.听The , formed in 2016 to promote production of ulu and develop a market for it,听stepped in and supplied the Food Basket with the healthier alternative, introducing many locals to the product for听the first time, says Dana Shapiro, the cooperative鈥檚 manager.听鈥淯lu could save the day in the starch category, which is how we鈥檝e always thought about it,鈥� Shapiro says.

At the start of the pandemic, many hoped that the state would take the听pause in tourism to address overtourism, as with Haena State Park. But COVID-19听has wreaked economic devastation on Hawaii. Tourism鈥檚 shutdown led to increasing homelessness, and the unemployment rate jumped to 23 percent. So unlike the aftermath of Haena鈥檚 floods, Hawaii鈥檚 state parks have not seen a swift infusion of federal emergency money; instead, most funding has gone听toward听helping households and small businesses directly affected by the pandemic. Between the drop in nonresident visitors and a loss of vendor contracts, the DLNR has estimated its losses at $500,000 a month.

Because of this, minimal state-level action has taken place听since the start of the pandemic to听proactively address听future overtourism. Many of the protocols that have been instituted since March 2020 were in听the pipeline before the pandemic hit; namely, a fee increase across eight state parks was finalized in October听(though parking and entrance for residents remains free), and a new reservation system will be introduced at on Maui鈥檚 Hana Highway in March. The only direct change as a result of the pandemic was outside of DLNR鈥檚 jurisdiction,听at Honolulu County鈥檚 Hanauma Bay: a first-ever daily visitor cap of 720 was set in January, reducing the number of permitted visitors from听3,000, the听average daily figure seen听in 2019.

There is some evidence that the Hawaii Tourism Authority听is shifting its focus from marketing for more tourists to managing visitors鈥�听impact on the islands. In September, the HTA hired John De Fries as its president and CEO, the first Native Hawaiian to serve in those听roles, and last听fall听it began drafting Destination Management Action Plans for each of the islands, with community input. In February, it released , and the other islands are slated to follow with theirs shortly. Among the recommendations for Kauai tourism: better management of natural resources (to be funded by increased听user fees), a limitation on听visitors, and enforced听rest days. However, the HTA does not currently have any kind of enforcement authority, so it remains to be seen if anything becomes of this wish list.

In place of larger measures, some of the state鈥檚 conservation nonprofits have experimented with small-scale models during this forced pause.

Calling to mind the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps, a portion of Hawaii鈥檚 CARES money went to hiring and training听unemployed residents to work in conservation. Among the programs that qualified were , which teaches听local youth about听land preservation; the Aloha Aina Workforce Program on Kauai, which gave agricultural roles to听two dozen workers who lost their jobs due to COVID-19; and a partnership with the . The last initiative sought to retrain a workforce previously employed by tourism for positions听in the natural-resources sector, bringing on听70 people across seven land and sea nonprofits; workers restored听loi fields,听which help retain water and reduce sediment runoff into the ocean,听recovered ancient fish ponds听that help curb coastal erosion,听removed invasive plants,听and learned about watershed management and stream maintenance.

鈥淚 would say that every one of them would like to continue doing what they were doing, if they could,鈥� says Ekolu Lindsey, a board member of the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council and , another nonprofit that has听been rebuilding loi fields. After the CARES money ran out at the end of last year, 6听of the 17 people听hired by Kipuka Olowalu were able to continue employment in the environmental or farming sectors.

鈥淓veryone鈥檚 seen the adverse effects that tourism really brings to our natural environment, but also understands it鈥檚 a necessary part of our beating hearts. So how do we manage it effectively?鈥� asks Lindsey.听Rather than replacing tourism with another industry, he sees tourism as a way to fund investment and provide labor to restore cultural practices. Tourists on vacation in Hawaii might be interested in, say, repairing a native fishpond and learning about the ancient ahupuaa system of land division, he hopes.

His vision is also a way of sharing Indigenous knowledge.听Hawaii鈥檚 people, language, culture, flora, and fauna have听long been negatively affected by outside forces.听In the听1970s, a modern Hawaiian renaissance began with a revival听of听the language and cultural practices that were nearly lost, like hula. The next step is to share this听culture outside Hawaii; one such effort was听Malama Honua, a worldwide voyage of the Polynesian canoe听, which sailed to 23 countries from 2013 to听2019听using traditional听way-finding techniques.

On Hawaii Island, Kuhao Zane, creative director of clothing retailer Sig Zane Designs,听is active in听the听, named after Zane鈥檚 grandmother, a revered hula and Hawaiian-culture practitioner. The foundation听focuses on sharing Indigenous knowledge听and the role it can serve in this modern time, whether in school curriculums or proper resource management in culturally significant areas. A few months ago, Zane and his cousin were enjoying a relatively empty beach when they overheard a tour guide telling stories about the place. 鈥淚t didn鈥檛 have the right depth of Hawaiian culture that we felt we could share,鈥� he says. They are now working with the HTA and the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau on developing a knowledge-certification program for those employed in tourism.

Right now, Zane is looking to his own heritage for some answers. 鈥淐oming from a hula background, we call these kinds of times hulihia, or 鈥榖ig upheavals,鈥欌�� he says. 鈥淎 lot of the chants talk about big lava flows, earthquakes, whole forests going down. These are times of constant change.鈥� He鈥檚 in the process of translating the texts of chants听to 鈥渢ake a look at the chants that happen after hulihia,鈥� he says.听鈥淢aybe that could give you some inkling of what鈥檚 to come.鈥�

The post Will the Pandemic Fix Hawaii? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

On November 25, 2019, Chris Carney and his two-man听crew,听Pete Brown听and Jun 鈥淪umi鈥� Sumiyama, set off from Japan on their way to Hawaii in a 42-foot sailboat, the Coco-Haz III.听They had four weeks to cross the world鈥檚 largest ocean. The boat鈥檚 owner, a retired Japanese dentist, needed the trip done in a hurry鈥攈e鈥檇 lose a boat slip he鈥檇 rented if it听didn鈥檛 arrive in time. Carney didn鈥檛 think they听would make it on schedule, even if everything went right. But things went far worse than he imagined when two catastrophes left them stranded in the middle of the sea.

Here is Carney鈥檚 story, as told to 国产吃瓜黑料.

It was morning when it happened. I got听my raingear on and went听up on the deck to听make some changes to our course. I stuck my head up, and I couldn鈥檛 believe it鈥攖he mast was gone.

One of the shrouds that connected it to the ship just broke, I guess from metal fatigue. I鈥檝e been sailing most of my life, and not only has this never happened on any boat I鈥檝e been on, but I don鈥檛 know anybody else who鈥檚 had this happen to them, the mast just snapping like that.

It was December 19, and we were about a thousand miles from Oahu, Hawaii. We had lots of fuel, so we thought we could just motor in. The next day, a storm hit us. The seas were at 10 to 13 feet, nothing too dangerous. But as soon as night fell, there was one wave that went by, and we all looked at each other thinking, Whoa, that was a big one.

The next wave听didn鈥檛 just roll us, it picked us up and threw us. We landed upside down in the sea.

It was incredibly violent. What they show on TV, when the camera goes up and down and things are falling? It doesn鈥檛 do it justice. Stuff was flying everywhere. The battery came blasting out of the engine compartment and shot through the cabin like a rocket. We got thrown around pretty good, and we were all bruised and cut. Sumi hit his head. We didn鈥檛 know how bad it was until later.

The three of us were standing on the ceiling, and the water was coming in fast. At first it was听shin-deep, and then it came up to our knees. In no time听it was at听our thighs. The hatch was up in the front, underwater. I kept picturing what that would be like, opening that hatch and coming out on the surface during a storm. We would be in the middle of the ocean with nothing.

I was sure that this was听where we were going to die, right here in this storm, in this water. I was thinking, God, this boat鈥檚 got to right itself. Sailboats are designed to flip back over if they roll, but you never know what鈥檚 going to happen听at sea.

Finally, it did roll. But even though the boat was upright, we were waist-deep in water, with the storm sending in more every time a wave broke over us. The engine was flooded. Most of our fuel went into the ocean. We lost our navigation, all our electronics, nearly all of our fresh water鈥攅verything. We were dead in the water and adrift.

We did our best to bail. The waves were slamming into us, and听the hull started to crack. If we had a breach, the boat was going to sink in about 30 seconds.

The storm didn鈥檛 break, and it was miserable. We were cold, and everything was wet. No dry clothes, no dry beds. We went on starvation rations, like five almonds per day. By rationing what little water and food we had left, we thought we could make it maybe 40 or 50 days. I had never seriously faced my mortality before. Everyone knows they鈥檙e听going to die. But they don鈥檛 think that they are going die in 50 days.

The storm finally broke after 36 hours. We estimated that we had about 700 miles to go, so we rigged up a makeshift sail from the boat鈥檚 Bimini top, kind of like a convertible top for a car. With that, we could make one or two knots, but if the current is one or two knots against you, you鈥檙e not going anywhere.

At that point, our biggest issue was morale. Each of us was entertaining our worst fears. Sumi kind of withdrew. He had a severe concussion, and he was sleeping 18 hours a day. He became very silent.听Pete, who鈥檚听from Tennessee, kept coming up with these songs on the banjo. They were pretty morose. He was singing about how he鈥檇 never see his family again听and how the sea was going to get him.

I gave us about a 10 percent chance. Pete was giving us much less. We had a compass听but no maps and only a moderate indication of where we might be.听Dead reckoning is a sketchy way to navigate;听it鈥檚 just guessing the direction you鈥檙e going and how fast you鈥檙e traveling, but that鈥檚 what we did. The wind rarely shifts in that part of the ocean, so we used little ribbons tied around the boat to see where it was coming from. At night听we relied on the feel of the wind on our cheeks. We thought we were at about 24 degrees north latitude when the rogue wave hit, so I figured that if we got down to 21 degrees, we might end up in the shipping lanes.

During the days, our time was occupied by tinkering with things. One guy would be driving, one guy who had been on watch the night before would be napping, and the other would be tinkering. Nothing we did could get that engine working. The satellite phone was wet, so we put it in rice at first and then dried it听in the sun. To no avail. It never did get working.

Out of the 15 or so flashlights we had on board, only one was fully waterproof, so it was the only one that survived. At night听you could use the moon and the stars to navigate. But occasionally听you鈥檇 have to look at the compass. So that flashlight was key.

One night听Pete fumbled for the flashlight and knocked it into听the ocean. It was floating in the water, and we were heading away from it. Pete jumped in and swam. He was getting pretty far away from the boat. When he found it, he put it in his mouth, but the light was facing him, blinding him. He couldn鈥檛 see to swim back. I tried to wake up Sumi so I could go in and help, but he was in a trance, still concussed. I was screaming to Pete:听鈥淪wim to my voice!鈥� I was thinking I鈥檇 have to turn the boat around and go back for him. But he swam hard and made it. His tooth was chipped from biting down on that flashlight.

Two days later, we finally had some luck. The wind magically started coming from behind us, and we made headway. Each day听I would wake up and think, This a beautiful day to get rescued.

By day nine, we were feeling pretty good, and we were all inside trying to figure out how much drinking water was left. I started thinking we had spent too much time inside, and I popped my head up, and there was a freaking ship鈥攔ight there, just a half-mile away.听We sent up rockets and smoke bombs听and stood on the deck screaming and waving. But it didn鈥檛 see us听and just passed by.

Pete was supposed to have been听up on deck at that moment. He felt pretty bad after that. He鈥檚 normally not a potty mouth, but he started swearing, saying, 鈥淭his is a fucking shitshow.鈥� It was the first ship we鈥檇 seen in three weeks, and it just went right by us.

But at least we knew that we were in a shipping lane. That gave us some hope.

Sumi started to feel better. His hand and head were both numb, and he was still concussed. But he was sleeping less and more upbeat. He was driving the next day when we saw a second ship.

It was a container ship called Nobility. It was a long way off. So听we ripped the mirrors from the bathroom and used them to reflect the sun to signal the ship. For the longest time, it didn鈥檛 see us. We thought it might just pass us by, like the last one. Luckily, it eventually changed course, slowed way down, and blew its horn.

This was December听29. The Coast Guard had been searching since听the 24th and was听going to cancel the search on the 30th. The Nobility was headed to Korea. It took the Coast Guard about four hours to find the Kalamazoo, a Good Samaritan vessel that could bring us to Hawaii instead. It came up alongside us. They threw ropes down and tied us up.

I was reluctant to leave. I had never abandoned a boat in the middle of the ocean. You know how they say captains should go down with the ship? There鈥檚 an element of shame attached to not completing your voyage.

If I thought there was a 10 percent chance that we could find Hawaii, I probably would have said, 鈥淟et鈥檚 just take some water and we鈥檒l be on our way.鈥� Pete felt the same. He said, 鈥淥ur mission is a failure.鈥� But if we died out there, then our mission would have definitely been听a failure.

We climbed on the Kalamazoo at sunset. The first thing they gave us was some steak and potatoes, which was their Sunday meal. As we ate, we laughed about our twist of fate. Just a day before, we were pretty sure we were not going to make it.

If someone finds themselves in the same spot I was in, I would say to use your noggin. Make your best guess. Say, 鈥淭his is our plan, and let鈥檚 stick to it.鈥� That鈥檚听what we did. After ten days, we were only eight miles off our guess of where we were.

While we were lost, I thought about how much I love my family. I鈥檝e got a two-year-old son and a girlfriend in the Philippines. Thankfully, he will never have to say, 鈥淚 never knew my father. He died when I was two, lost at sea.鈥� Now I鈥檝e got a chance to watch him grow up. I cherish the time that I have to spend with them. Maybe I took them for granted before? I don鈥檛 know.

My girlfriend has said she wasn鈥檛 worried. She said, 鈥淵ou promised me you鈥檇 come back.鈥� Isn鈥檛 that what everybody says?

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Yes, paddling the Grand Canyon, skiing the Haute Route, and climbing Half Dome are all legendary missions. You should totally do those things and other notable听bucket-list adventures. But they鈥檙e outings that most people already know听about and may be crowded when you get there.听What are the less known epic trips that few听people ever do? We found a few.

Scuba Dive with a Navy SEAL in Oahu

Stephen Kaplan and James Beck are retired U.S. Navy SEALs听who were deployed overseas for years as top combat divers. Now听they鈥檙e teaching others skills, like jumping out of a helicopter into the ocean听and scuba diving among听deep-sea wrecks, through their outfitting business,听, based in the town of Kapolei on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Sign up for the听three-hour Navy SEAL dive (from $589), and you鈥檒l get a crash course in underwater travel from literal veterans in the field. No scuba experience is necessary, and all gear comes included.

E-Mountain Bike听Across the Swiss Alps

You can certainly ride a standard mountain bike in the Alps. But if you鈥檙e looking to really cover some ground, an e-mountain bike听could be just the ticket.听 is offering a new eight-day guided e-mountain-bike trip (from $3,988) across the mountains of听Switzerland starting this summer. You鈥檒l travel on听trains, gondolas, and trams to reach the trails and stop at classic mountain huts for midday meals and overnight stays. A highlight is riding the 25-mile听, designated Epic by the International Mountain Bicycling Association. If you鈥檙e not into e-bikes, you can听 of the Swiss Alps on a regular mountain bike, too.

Snowkite听the New Hampshire Backcountry

The听听in North Conway, New Hampshire, can teach you traditional skills听like avalanche education or听mountaineering as well as how to听. Its courses (from $150 an hour) are geared toward newbie snowkiters听and held on frozen lakes and fields in the White Mountains. Lessons include kite听and harness rentals; you鈥檒l need your own ski or snowboard gear. Once you鈥檝e got the skills, you can head out on your own when the wind is up. The school provides information for experienced snowkiters who want to plan a DIY expedition into the backcountry.

Camp in the Country鈥�s Least-Visited听National Park

Let everyone else swarm the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, and head to听, one of the most remote national narks in the nation, located in听the middle of Lake Superior. This park gets fewer visitors per year than Yellowstone sees in a single day. Isle Royale is closed from November to mid-April, but come spring, you can access it via ferry or a chartered seaplane from nearby Houghton or Copper Harbor, Michigan. The backcountry camping here is desolate and beautiful鈥攊t鈥檒l just be you and some moose.

Cycle Idaho鈥檚 Route of the Hiawatha

Do this in a day: ride, hike, or run the , a 15-mile rail-to-trail route near the historic town of Wallace, Idaho, along the crest of the Bitterroot Mountains. You鈥檒l start near Lookout Pass Ski Area and pedal听over train trestles and through ten听tunnels, including the 1.6-mile-long Taft Tunnel, making for a dark and spooky passage (you鈥檒l need bike lights to illuminate the way). Kids will love it, especially because you can do the whole thing in one direction鈥攁nd all downhill鈥攖hen听hop the听shuttle back to your car. Camp in a nearby听 (from $45).

Heli-Paddleboard听in Whistler, B.C.

This summer,听 will begin offering a new backcountry stand-up-paddleboard half-day adventure (from $1,171). Here鈥檚 how it works: You and your inflatable Red Paddle Co. loaner board will be loaded onto a helicopter in Whistler听and whisked to an alpine lake unreachable听by hiking. There听you鈥檒l be treated to a catered picnic lunch and set free to paddle around a body of water that鈥檚 entirely your own (for a couple of hours anyway).

Climb a Sea Stack in Ireland

Off the coast of Donegal, you鈥檒l find over 100 craggy sea stacks, or rock towers, that rise hundreds of feet above the ocean. These are among the tallest sea cliffs in Europe. Book a day of guided climbing with local outfitter听, and it鈥檒l take you to the top of several听(from $250). You鈥檒l climb, then do a Tyrolean traverse on a rope over the open water, connecting you to neighboring sea stacks. No previous rock climbing experience is necessary. Stay in the 19th-century听 (from $215), now a five-star hotel, and staff will arrange the adventure for you.

Paddle听the Barrier Islands of听Virginia

You don鈥檛 need to be a seasoned sea kayaker to handle this scenic 70-mile stretch of the Virginia Seaside Water Trail, which connects the state鈥檚 barrier islands. You鈥檒l spend several days paddling from Chincoteague to Kiptopeke, the longest undeveloped shoreline on the eastern seaboard, stopping to collect oysters and crabs and staying at quaint, waterfront听bed-and-breakfasts.听 offers four-day trips (from $995), where you can stay a couple of nights in an updated 1920s-era fishing lodge called听, which opens for the season in March.

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Imagine tree pose in an aspen forest or pigeon on a white-sand beach, and you鈥檒l immediately understand how being outside in a stunning setting can elevate your yoga practice. That鈥檚 why we鈥檝e rounded up some of the best locales around the world for an open-air听yogi听vacation, whether you鈥檙e a lifelong practitioner or someone just getting into the game. And they happen to be near some awesome adventure terrain, too.

Aspen, Colorado

Five days a week during summer, you can partake in $5 outdoor yoga sessions听, where you鈥檒l be treated to views of the Elk Mountain Range and blooming wildflowers. Get there by riding the Silver Queen Gondola (lift-ticket prices apply) or hiking a 3.1-mile trail that climbs 3,200 feet to the top. The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies also offers summertime听 for a $10 suggested donation on its 40-acre nature preserve downtown. Or book a suite at听 (from $199), which has yoga classes at the confluence of the Roaring Fork River and Castile Creek.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

听leads guided treks into the Santa Fe National Forest, where you鈥檒l climb to a mountaintop, then set up a temporary, open-air yoga听studio atop a peak for an hourlong guided class. The听 also has regular听yoga classes on its grounds all summer. Stay in a casita at the听 (from $399), set on a 57-acre property just ten听minutes from downtown Santa Fe鈥檚 historic plaza. Guests can practice yoga and meditation at an on-site yoga tepee and deck built on a spiritual vortex once identified by a shaman. During winter, the hotel offers yoga outside in the snow.

Beech Mountain, North Carolina

In the winter, Beech Mountain Resort has skiing and snowboarding. But the fun doesn鈥檛 stop when the snow melts. One of the main summer draws?听 atop the mountain鈥檚 5,506-foot summit, which takes place every weekend June through September for $12 a person. Stay at the听 (from $300), located 22 miles away near the town of Blowing Rock, and you can take outdoor yoga classes at its听wellness center, with panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

East Serengeti, Tanzania

has access to a private, 10,000-acre swath听of Tanzania called the听. Most people come for wildlife-spotting expeditions听and guided nature hikes through the savannah. But the camp鈥檚 new, specially-built yoga platforms might be worth a visit of their own. Do downward dog and warrior鈥檚 pose in the middle of the grasslands听while giraffes and zebras wander in the distance. Teachers lead classes, or you can stretch on your own. From $5,490 for eight days

Homer, Alaska 听

From May through September, guests get delivered to听 via a water taxi or chartered flight. Located at the mouth of a fjord nine miles from the seaside town of Homer, the family-owned, 11-acre property has six guest cabins, a sauna, hot tub, and, you guessed it, a spectacular yoga deck where instructors lead morning sessions overlooking Kachemak Bay as bald eagles soar in the distance. Whip up three-course meals at the lodge鈥檚 cooking school in your downtime, or head out to sea kayak or听hike the trails in听. From $5,695 for three nights

Bavarian Alps, Germany

The resort of , nestled in a stunning region of the Bavarian Alps just听60 miles south of Munich, is known for its spa and wellness offerings, including yoga retreats. You can enjoy听daily classes with mountain views in its spacious studio,听or take your child鈥檚 pose outside, overlooking a neighboring lake and the sky-scraping peaks. The resort is also home to a听renowned听bookstore and has a concert hall with regular classical-music and jazz performances.听From $566

Austin, Texas

You鈥檒l find outdoor yoga all over the Texas capital.听 is a studio with rooftop yoga and free听hourlong vinyasa classes in听Republic Square Park. Even Whole Foods has rooftop sessions听in partnership with听.听 caps off treks into the surrounding state parks and nature preserves with gentle classes and trailside mindfulness exercises. And the听 (from $205) hosts a free听 outside in an amphitheater on its grassy lawn.

Oahu, Hawaii

(from $269) sits on a North Shore peninsula and has five miles of coastline, 12 miles of beachfront hiking trails,听several outdoor yoga classes each day, and hosts听,听a four-day retreat each spring with top yoga instructors, DJs, and workshops. Or stay at the (from $645), on the island鈥檚 west coast, for white-sand beaches and rolling mountain ranges听plus yoga outside at scenic Pohaku Point.

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Since 1971, Pipeline, on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, has hosted men鈥檚 professional surfing鈥檚 most prestigious鈥攁nd ultimate鈥攃ontest of the year, the Pipe Masters.听For athletes coming into the event low in the world tour ratings, Pipe is a last chance to secure a spot on the following season鈥檚 tour. For world title contenders, the event offers the chance for a career-defining performance in some of the most difficult and dangerous waves on the planet. 鈥淧ipe is our Madison Square Garden,鈥� former world champion C.J. Hobgood says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 what our sport is built around.鈥�

But beginning in 2019, the Pipe Masters鈥� place as the Decider will be no more. Last summer, the , the governing body of pro surfing, began planning a major scheduling overhaul for the men鈥檚 2019 world tour鈥攖he most significant being the decision to switch the Pipe Masters from the season closer to its opener. To make that change, the WSL had to amend its annual permit application to the City and County of Honolulu鈥檚 Department of Parks and Recreation by November 9, 2017. Although the WSL filed applications for its six traditional North Shore events by that deadline, the league didn鈥檛 inform the department that it intended to move the event to February 2019 until December 13. The department rejected the WSL鈥檚 request, leading to a row between Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell and .

According to a source familiar with the WSL鈥檚 negotiations, in the last several months of 2017, phone calls, emails, and other attempts at communication with Caldwell鈥檚 office went unanswered. Caldwell鈥檚 spokesperson, Andrew Pereira, disputes that. 鈥淚 did respond to several text messages, I think some phone calls, emails to Jodi Wilmott [WSL Hawaii/Tahiti general manager] regarding this matter,鈥� he told me.

Whether Goldschmidt directly communicated with any city and county official is unclear. On February 2, Goldschmidt traveled to Honolulu in an attempt to persuade officials to grant the WSL the permitting change for a February 2019 Pipe Masters. Goldschmidt arrived at the mayor鈥檚 office that same day, along with Wilmott and former world champion and Hawaiian Sunny Garcia. Pereira says that even though the city wasn鈥檛 aware the WSL representatives were coming, he and a Parks and Recreation official met with the group for 鈥渁 good half-hour, maybe a little bit more, listening to their concerns.鈥� Goldschmidt wanted to speak with Caldwell in person, but, Pereira says, the mayor was away at the time of her visit, testifying at the state capital.

Frustrated, Goldschmidt went to the press, threatening to pull all of the WSL鈥檚 Hawaiian events. 鈥淚f we can鈥檛 get these minor administrative changes made,鈥� she told the , 鈥渨e won鈥檛 be able to come back in 2019, and if that happens, the likelihood is that we won鈥檛 be able to return for years.鈥� Goldschmidt noted that while the WSL spends around $7 million annually on its Hawaiian events, generating about $20 million in economic impact, the state offers no funding in return. In response, Caldwell says he felt strong-armed by the WSL. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not how we do business in Hawaii,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat isn鈥檛 pono [right].鈥�

In the past, the WSL might have been more delicate when faced with an issue as serious as the potential loss of the Pipe Masters. But Goldschmidt, pro surfing鈥檚 first-ever female CEO, represents a new, bolder chapter in the league鈥檚 long鈥攁nd yet to be fulfilled鈥攋ourney to financial stability. The WSL has struggled to acquire and maintain lucrative sponsorships, mostly for the simple reason that broadcasting surfing events on live television is next to impossible. (Mother Nature brings the waves when she鈥檚 ready.) Goldschmidt, who came to the WSL last July after a career in the Rugby Football Union, Women鈥檚 Tennis Association, and the NBA, is now tasked with fixing this problem.

While a major overhaul of both the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 world tours has been Goldschmidt鈥檚 most public accomplishment, there have also been changes internally, including to staffing, which one insider suggested to me may have contributed to the confusion over the North Shore鈥檚 surfing events permitting rules. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think [the WSL] has all the answers,鈥� says Hobgood, who spent 17 years on the world tour and served in an advisory role as a surfers鈥� representative. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 not financially sustainable to keep doing what they were doing.鈥�

Almost two weeks after Goldschmidt鈥檚 visit, during a February 14 press conference to address the dispute, Caldwell, who has been the Honolulu mayor since 2013, seemed to be backing down. 鈥淢y request to the World Surf League鈥s please don鈥檛 yank your contests,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檝e heard your concerns, and we鈥檇 like to see what we can do to make it better in the future, but let鈥檚 not hurt folks in the short term.鈥� To allay future conflicts, Caldwell called for the creation of an advisory committee to oversee the surfing events permitting process, which would include key players from Hawaii鈥檚 surf community and鈥攑otentially鈥攁mend the rules so that legacy surf competitions, like the Pipe Masters, would require a permit only every three years or so. Pereira also stressed to me that there is nothing stopping the WSL from holding the Pipe Masters during its traditional, end-of-season timeframe in December 2019. 鈥淲e鈥檙e willing to fully work with them,鈥� he says.

But Goldschmidt is holding her ground. The WSL declined to comment for this article, but in a press release on February 15, the WSL said it 鈥渨ill pursue alternative options to open the season next year.鈥� As of now, there will be no Pipe Masters鈥斺�渙ne of the best shows on Earth,鈥� as Hobgood puts it鈥攊n 2019. Hobgood remains mixed about the WSL鈥檚 search for a new Madison Square Garden. 鈥淚t is a letdown if the season doesn鈥檛 finish at Pipe,鈥� he says. But 鈥淪ophie needs to just seize the opportunity,鈥� he continues. 鈥淭he old way鈥檚 not working, so change it up. What鈥檚 the worst thing that could happen鈥攖hat this new strategy doesn鈥檛 work either?鈥�

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