If you’re wondering why a Pulitzer Prize winner from the New York Times wrote about surfing, the Olympics and the Hawaiian flag, here you go:

John Branch works out of California, and will be covering his eighth Olympics this summer (assuming they aren’t canceled). He’s quite familiar with Hawaii, and not just because he spent his honeymoon here 30 years ago. During some of the most intense years of the Fresno State-Hawaii college football rivalry, Branch was a sports columnist for the Fresno Bee. I got to know him and like him because he’s a really nice guy, and respect him because he’s a very thorough reporter.

“A colleague of mine mentioned the idea to me …,” Branch said. “He thought it was my kind of story. I did much of it while covering the Triple Crown and writing about John John (Florence) and Kelly Slater both trying to get an Olympic spot.”

With the help of Jodi Wilmott — a reporter’s best friend when it comes to surfing info and contacts — Branch interviewed about 30 people and researched at Bishop Museum.

If you didn’t get to read it on our website yet, Branch’s story is on page B1 today. When it first appeared in The New York Times, the headline was, “I’m Not Anti-Anything. I’m Pro-Hawaii.”

That’s a quote from Florence, keiki o ka aina from the North Shore who normally competes under the flag of Hawaii and not that of the United States. That’s just how it is in surfing. Hawaii and the U.S. are separate entities, partly because of the awesome amount of talent from here and partly in deference to the islands being the birthplace of the sport.

But, in the Olympics, there is no Hawaii team, so Florence and another world champion from Hawaii, Carissa Moore, are members of the United States team.

This made me think about many things.

One is that International Olympic Committee and international law start with the same word; so by logic might the IOC follow international law — which many scholars say recognizes Hawaii as a sovereign nation — and let Hawaii have its own Olympic team? The answer is no for the same reason that whatever international law says in theory has little or no teeth; laws are only meaningful if there are consequences for breaking them.

In practical and real terms other than geography, Hawaii is not separate from the rest of the United States. The IOC is like the NCAA; despite any lofty ideals it may espouse, it does what its members want, especially the most powerful ones.

Then there is this idea that everything is black and white and people — especially prominent people — must always pick a side. If you don’t, you are warned, you risk “being on the wrong side of history,” or betraying your country, race or gender. Be careful, or you’ll get canceled! (Truth be told, I’ve never heard of half of the people who get canceled before social media orders me to forget about them.)

I think the comments in Branch’s article from Florence and Moore are sincere and diplomatic … often a tough combo to come by. Generally, though, for folks raised in Hawaii, consideration and thoughtfulness come naturally and don’t have to be manufactured or scripted.

Of course, they feel conflicted, and for reasons beyond surfing. With each passing generation, more young Hawaiians and others who grow up here know the significance of the year 1893; many have deep emotions about it as their parents and grandparents might have for 1941 or 1959. And how can anyone who spends any amount of time here remain ignorant of the ongoing pleas for justice from native Hawaiians?

The year 1968 pops into my head even before this because it’s one of the most eventful in American history. One of its most memorable images is that of U.S. sprinters John Carlos and Tommy Smith raising their gloved fists in a black-power salute on the victory stand at the Olympics.

There are some parallels, but this situation is much different. Can a similar gesture be expected from Hawaii’s Olympic surfers?

Maybe you are among those who want surfers to just ride waves, not make them.

But it should be up to them if they want to bring more awareness to social justice issues. No outside pressure either way.

Many prominent athletes decide to consistently go the apolitical route like Michael Jordan, or the opposite, like LeBron James.

“I get it,” Branch said. “Athletes have a lot to gain and lose. … I’m not sure if they would be the ones to pull out the Hawaii flag. One thing is there may be no fans there (at the Olympics in Japan, due to COVID-19). People who support it might not be there.”

My hope is that there will be an Olympics this summer, and John John Florence and Carissa Moore get to perform on the stage they’ve earned.