A divulgação de que o Pipeline Women’s Pro 2010 será disputado em apenas um dia gerou críticas de atletas do mundo inteiro.
Realizada desde 1990, a competição é exclusiva para mulheres e reúne grandes nomes do surf e do bodyboard mundial em Pipeline, North Shore de Oahu, Hawaii.
Sancionada pela ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) e pela IBA (International Bodyboarding Association), a janela de espera vai do dia 5 até o dia 19 de abril. O evento também conta com as categorias Longboard e Stand up.
Segundo uma comissão formada por atletas, da qual faz parte a bodyboarder brasileira Claudia Ferrari, há um número excessivo de mulheres querendo participar do evento e seriam necessários, no mínimo, dois dias de competição.
“O problema é que com um dia só de evento muitas atletas vão ficar de fora. Estamos tentando convencer o prefeito de Honolulu, Mufi Hannemann, de nos dar um dia a mais para deixar todas estas atletas entrarem, não só no bodyboard mais também do surf”, relata Claudia.
Betty Depolito, diretora de prova, concorda que um dia é pouco. “Nós normalmente temos três dias de competição. Eu não estou muito feliz com a quantidade de dias que nos foi dado, mas vamos trabalhar com o que temos”, afirma Depolito.
Portanto, a bodyboarder Claudia Ferrari sugere que cada atleta escreva uma carta solicitando a ampliação da data. “Para não deixar de fora mais de cem atletas de bodyboard, surf e longboard, precisamos de cartas pedindo um segundo dia. O texto tem que ser em inglês e destinado ao prefeito de Honolulu”, finaliza Claudia.
Leia abaixo cartas enviadas pela inglesa Clare McGowan e pelas brasileiras Roberta Bitzer e Claudia Ferrari. Cartas com este modelo podem ser enviadas para o endereço do gabinete do prefeito, localizado em Honolulu Hale, 530, South King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96813. O email de Mufi Hannemann é [email protected].
Para entrar em contato com Claudia Ferrari, envie mensagem para [email protected].
Clare McGowan
Dear Mayor Mufi Hannemann
I am writing to you in the attempt to persuade you to grant two days of competition for the annual World Women’s bodyboard contest at Pipeline, Oahu.
I am a bodyboarder from England and I would love the opportunity to compete in this prestigious event that has been happenig on a yearly basis for about the last 20 years.
This may be the first time I will be denied a chance to enter this competition because there is only one day to hold all the divisions.
This is not fair. Usually each division is granted 2-3 days at Pipeline, Betty’s competition will feature three divisions.
We really need this opportunity to excel at our sport and include as many nations as possible.
The competition is also happening in the low season, even more reason to grant us the two days.
I therefore urge you to reconsider the allocation of one day and am kindly asking you to grant us two days.
I look forward to visiting your beautiful island and sharing memorable experiences with athletes who share the same passions.
Yours faithfully
Clare McGowan
Roberta Bitzer
Dear Mayor Mufi Hannemann,
My name is Roberta Bitzer, two times US National Bodyboarding Champion and Oahu Resident. I am contacting you regarding the 2010 Pipeline Women’s Competition. We have received a notice that the permit for the Women’s Pipeline event of 2010 is carrying a permit of only one day of competition which will only allow less than 50% of the competitors to participate in the event. The Pipeline event is the most prestigious event in the world and many of us will not be allowed to be part of it, so I ask you kindly that you reconsider this decision. Please let us know what you can do for us!
Thank you so much for your time and consideration.
We look forward to hearing from you,
Best regards,
Roberta Bitzer
Claudia Ferrari
To Whom it may concern.
Please, allow to introduce myself,
my name is Claudia Ferrari, professional bodyboarder originally from Brazil,
now an american citizen competing for Hawaii for the past 8 years.
For 21 years I have been competing at the Pipeline contest (since the very first one in 1990) and
I have achieved many titles in these events:
I was:
Vice World Champ in 1990,
World Champ in 1995,
4th place Pipeline event 2000,
Pipeline Champ 2007
3rd place Pipeline event 2008,
USA National Champ 2008,
5th place Pipeline event 2009.
I will be 45 years old in March and I know I will not be able to do it for that much long, consider Pipeline wave is really challenging.
I am really upset this year because I have been training extra harder to do good in the 2010 Pipeline contest and
to be inspirational to the new young up-to-come women athletes out there but
I may not be able to enter in this year contest because there is not enough time with ONLY ONE DAY EVENT.
The Women Bodyboarding have been doing a great job for so long and now for the past 5 years the addition of the surfing division
It has became the uppermost event for all women surfing in the World.
It is really sad to see so many men surfing events on the North Shore and not even one event with 2 days for the women surfing and bodyboarding divisions.
I urge you to reconsider this and give us A SECOND DAY so we can let all the best women surfers to come and along with us ” locals”
to compete in the most prestigious contest in the all world: “THE WOMEN PIPELINE CONTEST”.
I appreciate your time, understanding and consideration on this matter.
I am looking forward to hearing back from you.
Mahalo and Happy New Year !!
Claudia Ferrari
P.O.BOX 643 Haleiwa Hawaii 96712
ph/fax# USA(808) 638 0605