Long Beach preps for delayed surfing event

Long Beach merchants and the local chamber of commerce prepared months in advance for the international surfing event that begins Sunday, but with the festival and concert portion of the event canceled because of storm damage they now are wondering how much of their efforts will translate into added revenue.

Event sponsors and the city manager say that while the number of people attending the event will be less than previously expected, the Quiksilver Pro New York has already added to the local economy and still will bring in additional money, drawing international media and surfing fans who will help extend the summer season.

"We probably had several hundred people in town doing various things, doing construction for weeks that were patronizing hotels and our restaurants," said Charles T. Theofan, Long Beach city manager.

Quiksilver was hoping to contain the number of daily spectators at the festival and concert site to about 14,000, said Jodi Wilmott, Quiksilver Pro New York spokeswoman. Because this is the first time an Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour event has been held on the East Coast, it is difficult to project how many will now attend the surfing competition, she said.

A six-week surfing series in Hawaii also without concerts could be used in comparison to this 11-day event, she said, especially given the many Quiksilver staff and resources that have been coming to Long Beach since March.

The Hawaiian competition generates about $9 million to $10 million in direct spending for local businesses and about $20 million in indirect spending from added jobs and other infrastructure expenses, she said.

Losing extra events may hurt

But many merchants are disappointed at the festival and concert cancellation and worried they will not be able to recoup their preparation efforts over the past several months, said Mark Tannenbaum, executive vice president of the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce. The chamber coordinated with Quiksilver to produce 30,000 coupon books and maps for what was to be a 15-day event.

He and others said the city could have rallied in time to host the festival and concerts, critical factors that would have drawn larger crowds. Within the 11-day period the surf competition will take place over either four full days or eight half days, weather and waves permitting.

"A lot of merchants went out and placed orders based on what they thought was coming into town," Tannenbaum said. "This was an extra hit for merchants in a rough economy, and if you could pick up something extra, it makes a difference."

A disappointed Cassandra Norris-Bolivar, whose family-owned Long Beach Craft & Variety ordered an additional 20 percent in merchandise for the event, said she was disappointed.

"We will have people coming in for surfing, but the problem is if there is no surfing, people won't come," she said.

Charles Christensen, owner of Duke Falcon's Global Grill, wrote a special takeout menu for the event and stocked up on items he normally wouldn't need for his white-linen restaurant, such as bottled water, canned soda and tons of beer. He usually is already booked solid for this Labor Day weekend, but because his regular customers were leery of crowds and difficult parking, he has nothing on the books, he said.

'We could have done this'

"Yes, there was a hurricane, but we could have done this," Christensen said.

The Allegria Hotel, the host hotel for the event with views directly overlooking the surf site, is still expecting heavy traffic to its restaurant and lounge and is adding musical events, said Laura Vivonetto, the hotel's marketing manager.