International surfing champion, Linda Benson, has decided not to proceed with plans to organize the 2010 Women’s Long Board Championships at Swami’s in Encinitas.
Benson was encouraged by the Encinitas City Council to apply for a permit for the event.
But after talking with members of the nearby Self Realization Fellowship, Benson said she felt she could not risk jeopardizing the future serenity of the community.
"The contest can be somewhere else in North County," Benson said,"and, no, it’s not Swami’s. It’s not that world class break that I wanted so much for the women, but we’ll be okay, and most importantly, the Self Realization Fellowship will be okay.”
Benson said she is committed to finding another location in North County for the Women’s World Long Board Championship this summer, possibly in Oceanside.
The last time Benson organized the event in San Diego was in 2005 in Ocean Beach.