Longboard action will be on the smorgasbord in Port Macquarie this coming weekend with the Australian Longboard Titles kick-starting the 2011 edition of the Australian Surf Festival.
The longboard component, which will run from August 14-20, will be followed by the Australian Surfmasters Titles and Australian Stand Up Paddleboard Titles, along with the all-new Australian Single Fin Titles and Australian Alaia Titles during the two-week festival.
Reigning Australian Open Men’s Longboard Champion, Tweed Heads’ Dane Pioli, will be looking for back-to-back titles when competition starts on Sunday, August 14.
Tweed Heads ace Pioli clinched his maiden Australian Open Men’s title in a tie-break situation from former ASP Men’s World Champion Harley Ingleby (Emerald Beach) in last year’s event.
“I’ve been going to the Australian Titles since I was 13, so to win an Aussie title last year was awesome,” he said.
“Last year’s final was such a spectacular way to finish the event. Hopefully, I can produce some similar form and make the finals,” said Pioli, who recently returned with a team gold medal with TravelSIM Team Australia at the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games in Panama.
Pioli will be joined in the open men’s division by another Tweed Heads surfer Beau Nixon, who is part of a very strong NSW team.
The Australian Longboard Titles comprise 11 divisions including the open men and women, under 18 boys and girls, O/35 men and women, plus the O/40, O/45, O/50, O/55 and O/60 men
