Surfing WA officials are concerned local government intervention over the use of North Point could result in a mid-event cancellation and that the WSL could just pull the plug. Photo: Dunbar/WSL
The Margaret River Pro has been no stranger to controversy in recent years, and a local government roadblock is calling the future viability of the contest into question again despite an announcement earlier this year the event would remain on the World Surf League Championship Tour schedule through 2021.
According to PerthNow, the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River granted the World Surf League permissions to run the event at Surfers Point, The Box, and North Point for the next three years with the possibility for an extension.
The rub is the League sought a condition that would allow it to run the event for four consecutive days at North Point for the semi-finals and finals if the surf was uncooperative at the other two breaks. But, the local council said it would allow for a maximum of two consecutive days and no finals, citing environmental concerns.
“The council feared damage could be done to the vegetation around North Point because of the potential number of spectators who would be crammed into the area for a final, given Surfers Point was usually the main event space and could cater to bigger crowds,” explains PerthNow.
Officials at Surfing West Australia fear that given the tenuous nature of the event in recent years – including rumors it’d be axed in 2017, and a mid-event cancellation last year after two separate nearby shark attacks – having one back-up location permitted instead of two could lead to a mid-event cancellation. If that happens, the concern is the WSL will just cut their losses on the event entirely.
“I believe if we had to cancel (the event) again … it wouldn’t be back for a long time,” Surfing WA chief executive Mark Lane told PerthNow.
Following last year’s shark scare that saw the Margaret River Pro moved to Uluwatu, the event window has been moved from April to the end of May – after the annual salmon run that’s thought to attract sharks to the West Australian coast. It will now be the fourth event on tour after Snapper, Bells, and Bali.
