Williams and Pioli win big at Malfunction Surf Fest 2007
Harrison Roach : photo Snapperrocks.com.au
In pumping 1 to 2 metre waves at Rainbow Bay,
Coolangatta, Wollongong's Dane Pioli, 22 years old, and now Gold Coast based
at Snapper Rocks, took out the highly competitive 2007 Malfunction Surf
Festival Surftech Open Mens Professional Title Pioli found the two best
waves in the final using tube rides and huge air drop floaters on his 9 ft
longboard to hold back the Sunshine Coasts Harrison Roach who scored a
perfect 10 on his opening wave. However, Harrison was unable to find a high
scoring second ride needing an 8 to overtake Pioli, while Coffs Harbour's
Jared Neal was playing catch up surfing on his backhand scoring an 8 point
ride in the dying minutes. Fellow Coffs Harbour pro Paul Scholten scored an
8 point ride, but like Roach the Coffs Harbour boys could not back up for a
high scoring second ride. This is Pioli's first Malfunction win in the 1
Star WLT/5 Star ALC Surftech Open Mens Professional. Pioli collected a
$2500 cheque for first prize.
In the Surftech Open Womens Professional Title, Chelsea Williams, 21 years
old, from Tweed Heads has had an unbeaten run in 2007 and this continued
with a sensational display of outstanding backhand tube rides and big
backhand re-entries to win her fourth professional title in a row for 2007
and her second final in the 2007 Malfunction Surf Festival, having won the
Bic One Board Challenge (Wednesday). Defending champion, Kirsty Webster
(Tweed Heads), surfed a great final but was unable to score as highly as
Chelsea. Crystal Gersback (Gold Coast) finished third, and Byron Bay's
Tessa Davidson finished fourth.
Other winners at the 2007 Malfunction Surf Festival included:
a.. Jackson Close (Currumbin, Gold Coast), Golden Breed Retro Open Mens
plus Bic One Board Challenge Mens
b.. Chelsea Williams, Bic One Board Challenge Womens
c.. Jeremy Prouten (Tweed Coast), Golden Breed Under 18 Retro
d.. Alex Bullpitt (Sunshine Coast), Golden Breed Old Mal
e.. Monique Keane (Moffat Beach, Sunshine Coast) in the Seamaster Fishing
Charters Under 18 Girls.
f.. Bryce Young (Yamba, NSW) in Aboods Crane Trucks Under 18 Boys
g.. Josh Constable (Noosa, Sunshine Coast), Empire Trade Stand Up Paddle
Surf
h.. Josh Cooper (QLD), Streets Open Mens Amateur
i.. Sally Paxton (Rainbow Bay, Gold Coast), Lipton Ice Tea Womens Amateur
j.. Jay Carter (Tugun, Gold Coast), Bruce McCullough Dental Surgery Over
40's
k.. Tony Abood (Ballina, NSW),Dukes Longboards Over 50's
l.. Danny Bond (NSW), Robert August Surfboards Over 60's
Final Places (Left to Right: 1st to 4th in the Pro's, 1st to 6th in all
other finals)
Surftech Professional Open Mens Finals: Dane Pioli (NSW), Harrison Roach
(QLD), Jared Neal (NSW),
Paul Scholten (NSW)
Surftech Professional Open Womens Finals: Chelsea Williams (NSW), Kirsty
Webster (NSW), Crystal Gersback (QLD), Tessa Davidson (NSW)
Streets Open Mens Amateur: Josh Cooper (QLD), Nick Farago (NSW), Paul Jones
(QLD), Lee Crabe (QLD), Jerome Keane (QLD), Josh Munro (NSW)
Lipton Ice Tea Womens Amateur: Sally Paxton (QLD), Taylor Miller (NSW),
Monique Keane (QLD), Bianca Anstiss (QLD), Hayley Doyle (NSW), Quail (QLD)
Robert August Surfboards Over 60's: Danny Bond (NSW), Neville Smith (NSW),
Rusty Miller (NSW), Pat Morgan (QLD), Dennis Lowe (QLD), Barry McGuigan
(NSW)
Dukes Longboards Over 50's: Tony Abood (NSW), Robye Deane (QLD), Nat Young
(NSW), Storm Carter (QLD), Martin Doyle (QLD), Kym Presgrove (QLD)
Bruce McCullough Dental Surgery Over 40's: Jay Carter (QLD), Robin Yates
(QLD), Ian Pearson (NSW), Glenn Cunningham (QLD), Mick Riddle (QLD), Brett
Keast (QLD
Aboods Crane Trucks Under 18 Boys: Byce Young (NSW), Josh Cooper (QLD),
Dylan Barnfield (New Zealand), Mitch Surman (QLD), Adam Barley (SA), Nick
Farago (NSW)
Seamaster Fishing Charters Under 18 Girls: Monique Keane (QLD), Bianca
Anstiss (QLD), Winship Launa (France), Amiya Doyle (QLD), Jess Roberts
(QLD), Brodie Doyle (QLD)
Empire Trade Stand Up Paddle Surf: Josh Constable (QLD), James Watson
(QLD), Tommy Taylor (Hawaii), Erin Nicholls (NSW), Kieren Taylor (Hawaii),
Guy Walker (QLD)
Golden Breed Under 18 Retro: Jeremy Prouten (NSW), Haig Riddle (QLD), Bryce
Young (NSW), Adam Lynch (VIC), Dylan Barnfield (New Zealand), Eli Steele
(QLD)
Golden Breed Old Mal: Alex Bullpitt (QLD), Justin Healy (QLD), Grant Davies
(QLD), Ronny Silcock (QLD), Tony Abood (NSW), Mike Pimm (NSW)
Golden Breed Retro Open Mens: Jackson Close (QLD), John Cummings (QLD),
Dave Babovic (QLD)
Bic One Board Challenge Mens: Jackson Close (QLD), Kevin Holt (NSW), Harley
Ingleby (NSW), Dane Wilson (NSW)
Bic One Board Challenge Womens: Chelsea Williams (NSW), Jodie Barsby (NSW),
Lisa Nicholson (NSW), Selby Riddle (QLD)
The final day scored yet again on the "Superbank" at Rainbow Bay for the
fifth day in a row some of the best surf seen yet for 24th Annual
Malfunction Surf Festival.
The 2007 Malfunction Surf Festival had 260 entries in the 17 different
divisions from all over Australia and international competitors from 5
different countries making this the biggest Malfunction for several years.