Burleigh Boardriders surfer Pipi Bunker is a rising star on the Coast surf scene

Pipi Bunker started surfing at the age of nine when Miami State School offered a morning sports program and surfing was on the list.

PIPI Bunker started surfing at the age of nine when Miami State School offered a morning sports program and surfing was on the list.

Last year, aged 14, Pipi paired with fellow Miami High student Charlotte Mulley to place runner-up in the U/19 national titles MR Shield at Margaret River, Western Australia.

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“Margaret River was a whole new experience as I had never been to WA before, let alone competed at the national titles level, “she said.

“It was very intriguing. I think the biggest difference between the Goldy and Margarets was the break and wave size. Margarets had waves that at 3-5ft were considered small, whereas that would be seen as big or good size waves at home.”

Catching the last wave at URBNSURF Melbourne before the COVID shutdown. Photo Surf Chimp

Pipi joined the Burleigh Boardriders when she was 10 and this year was selected to represent her club at the Australian Boardriders national titles at Newcastle.

“It was honestly a great experience and I wasn’t really sure what to expect since this was my first time going to a club event like this.

“The club was very supportive and although I didn’t surf as well as I hoped it was really cool surfing against amazing female surfers like Bronte Macaulay, Alyssa Cooper and Kirra Belle-Olson.”

The training at Miami High has helped improve her surfing over the past year. The surfing excellence program provides professional coaching on Tuesday mornings with Mark Richardson, strength and conditioning on Wednesday and a Friday morning surf session.

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Outside of school, Pipi is coached by former World Tour competitor and Miami High School student Jay ‘Bottle’ Thompson, one of the Burleigh Boardriders coaches.

Her favourite break is Burleigh Point. “There’s usually at least one person I know out there when it’s pumping and have the opportunity to catch the sickest waves,” she said.

Stephanie Gilmore is one of her favourite surfers – “She surfs unbelievably good and has such a great style” – along with fellow Burleigh boardrider Felicity Palmateer. “Flick is the biggest charger and shredder I know and she’s so nice as well.”

Burleigh’s Pipi Bunker is an up and coming Gold Coast wave champion on the rise seen at Dbah. Photo by Adrian Bort/Adrenaline shots.

Pipi has surfed in New Zealand’s Raglan and Piha and at Lombok and Bingin in Bali, but her most unusual surfing experience was at Melbourne’s URBNSURF wave pool just before the COVID-19 shutdown.

“It was so much fun, and the waves were consistently good despite the cold southerly wind. It felt kind of different and was a bit scary because of the concrete bottom instead of sand. I did four sessions. You can get anywhere between 12 and 15 waves per session.”