As he competes in the World Longboard Titles alongside top surfers from around the world, no one is feeling the distance more than his mother, Jan Pioli, of Eschol Park.

Pioli is Australia's No.1 professional longboarder a position he has held for two years and was among a few Australians selected to compete in the prestigious world titles.

He lives next to the surf at Tweed Heads but was was born and raised locally, attending Eschol Park Public School and Robert Townson High School at Raby.

He grew up playing rugby league for Eagle Vale and baseball for the Cardinals and Caspers teams.

Family holidays at Huskisson and weekend trips down to Wollongong with his father Ben and brother Jayce were the start of a lifelong passion for longboarding.

``The most frequented beach was definitely Bellambi Beach, and still is for Ben and Jayce,'' Mrs Pioli said.

``His favourite surf spot growing up was Crescent Head.''

Seeing his love for the water grow, his parents decided to enrol him in a Wollongong-based surfing club the Layback Longboarders, at the age of 13.

The family is still affiliated with the club today.

``He always wanted to be a professional surfer growing up.''

``After he finished school, he started a plumbing course then did some earthmoving. After working for 12months in the mines of Wollombi in the Northern Territory, he headed down to Queensland to work and continue surfing.''

Following his passion and picking up work where he could, he began to surf professionally and has slowly gained sponsorship through product promotion but Mrs Pioli admits it's been a tough road to get sponsors.

``He's come really far,'' Mrs Pioli told the Advertiser.

``It's difficult to get sponsorship with longboarding, it's not like shortboarding where there are plenty of sponsors available.''

Now living just down the road from the Gold Coast, Pioli can hit the surf as much as he pleases.