I don't know what to think anymore. On one hand, I understand that the best surfers at Pipe are JOB, Benji Brand, Mason Ho, and all the other guys in this "opening round" they invented at the WSL, but I also know that everyone who managed to get in there left sweat and tears, not to mention thousands of dollars, to get there, and their goal is to get into the CT.

It turns out that now with this invention of the opening round full of the best Hawaiians in Pipe, the event is becoming an uphill battle for those who were fighting hard in the challengers.

By doing this, the WSL is not supporting those who invested in its tour, but rather those who do not and take advantage of a single event.

It's true that the tournament became more attractive immediately with these beasts, but certainly not for those who are giving their all in CS.

I'm looking at the matchups and, for example, the talented Lucas Cassity will face, in his first round (round of 80), two players who come from the invented local round.

I'm not saying that the very talented Mexican is in trouble, but they suddenly put him in a closed league with two competitors who were randomly given the opportunity.

It's not done at any other event, but it turns out it is at this one.

In the Ryan Crosby era, when Logan's show was supposed to be sidelined and the athletes were supposed to come first, a decision was made that prioritized the show over the sport.

From a sporting perspective, what's happening is an absolute lack of respect for the athlete, a lack of judgment, a lack of equality between events… It's a spectacle designed to create a show, and it sets an important precedent: In the next stage in Newcastle, the Australians can go and say they want a round for themselves, and so on all over the world.

And they won't be able to say anything to him.

Or should we admit that the WSL is afraid of Hawaiians and that's why they give them a round just for themselves?

A serious situation is being ignored and attempts are being made to normalize it. No one among the competitors wants to turn all Hawaiians against them while they're in Hawaii, but it's madness.

Surfline wrote: “There couldn’t be a Pipe event without the local wildcards. Joey Jonston is in the first round of a tight opening round made up exclusively of local Pipe specialists.”

Completely normalizing the situation, without any critical spirit, and normalizing something that is not normal.

CS has existed for five years and nothing like this has ever been done before.

And nobody says anything in the comments, and the WSL doesn't explain anything about this... If it were a serious sports league, this wouldn't happen.