A CT there would be great, but not for the locals. 

Locals in Gnarloo and Kalbarri have threatened to sabotage a planned CT event in their area, Stab reported.

It all started in 2017 when the Margaret River Pro was cancelled after two shark attacks occurred at a site near the event on the same day, which is why WSL executives decided to cancel the rest of the event and move it to Indonesia.

The WSL already has a three-year contract with the Western Australian Tourism Board, and both parties are keen to see this through.

For this reason, proposals have been initiated to move the event to two remote locations: Kalbarri (500 kilometres north of Perth, the capital of Western Australia) and Gnaraloo (1000 kilometres north of Perth).

The news has caused a stir among locals, who have already issued threats. Ry Craike, a well-known Kalbarri local, told Stab: "Yeah, all the surfers in the town are definitely against it. It would be absolute chaos if it were to happen."

Kit Rayner, a representative of the local Kalbarri club, said the reasons the town is opposed to the event are not only because of the amount of people it could attract and ruin the town's only wave for locals, but also for environmental reasons. According to Rayner, the proposed beach for the event, Jake's Point, is home to a sand dune that protects from the southerly winds and keeps the beach intact. This dune would be seriously threatened by the event's infrastructure and the hundreds of visitors.

On the other hand, Rayner points out that there is a great acceptance from the non-surfing community, who see a great business opportunity. “Surfers unanimously want to block the event, while non-surfers, especially shop owners and rental owners, are enthusiastic about the boost in tourism.”

The surfers' representative admits that in the end the decision of whether the event will take place is not in his hands, but given the situation, the locals, the WSL and the Tourism Board will have some very intense days.