The Moviestar Peru Classic, the fifth stop of the ASP Women’s World Tour, was postponed for a day when Head Judge Dave Shipley decided last week not that the waves were too small, but rather that the waves were too big. Shipley’s decision further eroded the professional credibility of the ASP Women’s World Tour.

“We have a solid swell on tap today and it’s washing through the lineup rendering it uncontestable,” said Shipley, Head Judge of the ASP Women’s World Tour. “Projections are saying today is the biggest today so we’ll be back tomorrow to assess conditions for a possible start. The good thing is that we project to have plenty of surf throughout the waiting period.”

The contest eventually resumed, with Silvana Lima defeating Sally Fitzgibbons in two-to-three foot surf to claim the Moviestar Peru Classic. Three-time defending ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore was eliminated by Lima in the semis, but maintains a healthy lead in the overall standings in her quest for a fourth-consecutive ASP Women’s World Title.

This wasn’t the first time a women’s surf contest was postponed due to larger waves. Last November, the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach was called off due to a massive swell, and a few months prior the Mr Price Pro in South Africa failed to crown a champion because of what contest organizers called “adverse surf and weather conditions”, meaning the waves were too big.

If the ASP Women’s World Tour wants the respect, prestige and credibility given to the ASP World Tour, Contest Directors and Judges need to stop postponing and canceling contests when swells become unusually large. Spectators, viewers and fans tune in to see professional surfers tackle challenging waves, not smaller swells that anyone can ride. Surfers on the ASP Women’s World Tour are labeled as “professionals” for a reason. To postpone contests because waves are too big only damages the credibility of the women surfers, and the tour as a whole.