By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
VENTNOR – A protest planned for Sunday by a group of surfers whose “break” is at the Ventnor Pier has been postponed to allow city officials time to “work it out,” 68-year-old surfer and real estate professional Lou Solomon said.
He claims surfing is a “mental cleansing” and solitary sport, which should be allowed.
“I don’t believe that as of now, there has been any direct correlation with surfing and contracting this disease,” he wrote in an email to Ventnor Commissioner of Public Safety Tim Kriebel.
Solomon said surfers naturally physically distance, are always moving and try to avoid each other while they are in the ocean because “we don’t want anyone ‘dropping in’ on our wave.”
Kriebel and Administrator Maria Mento met with three surfers in a Zoom meeting Thursday to hear the surfers’ concerns.
“We listened to what they had to say,” Kriebel said. “However, we are not planning to open up surfing, rowing, tennis until we see how it goes with walking, jogging and running on the beach this weekend.”
Kriebel, who took a walk on the beach Friday morning shortly after the city re-opened the beach for limited physical activity, such as walking, jogging and running with CDC social distancing requirements, said the city is discussing phasing-in activities to keep everyone safe from COVID-19.
“We’re just asking them to wait a little longer,” Kriebel said. “We are trying to discourage people from traveling to Ventnor from other locations.”
Kriebel has welcomed local sporting communities to provide the city with safety protocols they would institute to make the sport safe for everyone.
Kriebel, an avid rower, said he has heard from the Viking Rowing Club, the pickleball group and catamaran owners who provided their plans to “phase activities back-in in a social distance way.” Nevertheless, the city has yet to restore any of those sports at this time.
Ventnor Police Chief Douglas Biagi said each of the Downbeach communities have unique dynamics that should be considered as they try to reopen by Memorial Day.
“We’re trying to do what’s right for the masses,” he said. “Everything will be phased-in, but first we are starting with static activities on the beach. If we have no problems with people gathering or not doing what’s right, we may go ahead with the next phase.”
Other surfers turned to posting on social media their plans to conduct a protest at noon, Sunday, May 10 at Jackson Avenue, but according to Solomon, it’s been postponed.
The “Protest Paddle” was being organized by the Ocean Access Warriors who recommended the protest include social distancing and mask-wearing to prevent them from being portrayed in a bad light. Longboard, stand-up and prone paddleboarders were invited to participate in the 1.5 mile paddle, the Facebook event page stated.
“It is imperative that we follow these rules so that we do not give anyone a reason to negatively engage us,” surfer AJ Jewitt posted.
Biagi said police would be monitoring activity on the beach this weekend before he reports to the commissioners on Monday morning.
“If we have no problems, I will give the go-ahead sometime during the week to allow surfing,” he said. “However, we do not want to have to redirect our limited resources to a protest. People just need to be patient.”
Biagi said the city is not trying to “ruin anyone’s fun,” and that the city needs to direct its resources to those who are most at risk of contracting the novel coronavirus – the elderly, infirm, and those who already have the virus.
“Our numbers are relatively low because of the stance we took, and we’d like to keep them that way,” he said.
As of May 4, the city had 23 confirmed coronavirus cases and no deaths as reported by the Atlantic County Division of Health.
Surfers are not the only ones clamoring to return activities to normal, Biagi said.
The ball fields are also closed, and ball playing is not allowed.
“There’s no reason why a parent can’t have a catch with their kid in front of their house,” he said. “We’re waiting on rowing, pickleball and tennis too.”
Biagi said it is likely that by Memorial Day weekend, all three Downbeach communities will be on the same page regarding beach activities, and could allow sunbathing with social distancing in groups smaller than 10 people, or allowing people to “get their feet wet” at the water’s edge.
“Hopefully, by July 4, it will be business as usual as it can be,” he said. “But until then, the needs of the many, have to outweigh the needs of the few.”
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