PERTH, WA / AUS (Tuesday, December 22, 2020) - The World Surf League (WSL) is excited to announce that the future of the Margaret River Pro has been secured through to at least 2024 after a new agreement was signed between WSL and the Western Australian Government through Tourism Western Australia.
The agreement will see the Championship Tour event continue to play a pivotal role in crowning the world title for a further three years with the 2021 Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro already secured as part of the current deal.
The announcement came as a delight to the current event reigning winners Lakey Peterson (USA) and John John Florence (HAW).
"I love having Margaret River as part of the title race," Florence said. "Just Western Australia, in general, is such an amazing place to travel to, regardless of the event. I love surfing there so to get an event there and be able to compete is just extra special. There are some of the best waves in the world to choose from for the event and then there is all the other waves and things we get to do in the area -- it's definitely one of my favourite places in the world."
"It's awesome to hear that the Western Australian Government has extended the event through to 2024," Peterson said. "I feel like Margaret River is a really important event for the tour as it's such a unique wave and location. Winning the Margaret River Pro last year was a massive moment for me in my surfing career. It did so much for my confidence as it's a wave that takes a long time to conquer so knowing I'll get to go back there for the next four years means a lot. It's such an untouched, beautiful place that feels removed from the rest of the world -- you really experience Australia in all its dimensions in one area. Not to mention the bush walks, golf courses, wineries and site seeing, it's such an incredible place."
World Surf League Asia Pacific General Manager Andrew Stark was thrilled to continue this strong relationship and keep one of the world's most wave-rich regions on the Championship Tour schedule for another four years.
"We are absolutely thrilled to extend our partnership with Tourism Western Australia for a further 3 years to secure the Margaret River Pro as a WSL Championship Tour event to 2024. The Western Australia WSL CT event has become iconic on our Championship Tour for not only the spectacular surf on offer but for the incredible location and beauty of the Margaret River region. The surfers and fans love this event. We thank the Western Australia Government for their valued support"
Western Australian Tourism Minister Paul Papalia said the State Government, through Tourism WA, was pleased to have secured the Margaret River Pro as a Championship Tour event until 2024. The event provides welcome support for tourism and local businesses and is estimated to inject $6 million a year into the local economy.
"Over the years, the Margaret River Pro has become a favourite event for locals and visiting fans and competitors, so I'm delighted we've locked it in for another three years," Papalia said. "The Margaret River region has the highest level of tourism accommodation and infrastructure outside the metropolitan area and events like this are crucial to filling those rooms and keeping people in our regions in work."
The Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro, Stop No. 5 on the 2021 Championship Tour, gets underway on April 16 and runs until the 26th. Head to www.worldsurfleague.com or the free WSL App for more information.