Paradise

No pics yet..in a week or so.
Hikkaduwa is perfection. Mid-winter, swell solid (3-4'), tropical water and air temp. Huge fish and turtles swim below us on the reef in crystal clear waters. Wind offshore till at least 11 every day, the "A frame" is hollow fast and breaking left and right in mechanical consistency. Stalling into little barrels or long fast rides all possible. Sri Lanka is goin' off!
Might not come back..............

Pointy of the Month: Lewy

Name or nickname: Lewey,Punky
Favorite surfing beach: Clifton (Tasmania)
Best surfing moment (describe): Body surfing huge ten foot monsters as a 16 year old at Clifton beach.
Surfing hero (and why): Occy(Mark Occhilupo)…..shows you that you can achieve greatness when people thought you were past it.
Favored board type: Totalisator Agency Board
Surfing maneuver you’d love to do: Stand Up
Dream surf spot: Shipsterns Bluff
Other sport (play) and (watch): Horse racing, Aussie Rules, Cricket,Golf,Rugby
Ultimate pin up: Angelina Jolie, Salma Hyek and Alison White.
Food: Thai and Indian
Drink (variety): Beer
Thing you miss most about home: The racetracks and TAB.
Thing you like best about Taiwan: The lack of ‘aggro’ in the pubs and streets.
Music: Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Johnny Cash ,Neil Young, Hoodu gurus and Powder Finger.
Best advice you’ve ever had: Do not let the euphoria of a new experience colour your judgement.
Movie: Fargo,
Collections: Rocks, Cds,books, discarded betting slips, race horses
Who would play you in a movie? Jack Black
Current car: A silvery blue thing
Dream car: A red one…Alison would love to drive me around in that!
Near death experience: Fell down a cliff when I was 9. Driving over the mountains to the surf with Braggett and Tucker.
Your idea of a great night out: Head off in the warm summer evening to the Moonee valley night gallops with a bunch of keen punting mates ….then after backing many winners and watching Drizzle win …head out on the town to have many more beers and share stories with friends…..or a nice family dinner at a thai restaurant…preferably in Thailand.
Philosophy on life: Try not to make too many plans…….live for now….the glass is always half full…so just keep topping it up.

Who's on fire?

fireskin
As the temperatures dip and the wind chills, there is one pointy who will laugh at the cold. The one who wears the mighty fireskin, marvel of modern technology. As his fellow club members shake uncontrollably in the frigid air, as they lose control of their bladders in the icy depths to try to stave off hypothermia, he with the foreskin will be warm and snug.

Re-discovered and Rocket destruction

Checked out years ago...dismissed and now re-visited. Jinshan crowd is crazy, even in the colder weather, even sadder is the destruction of the Rocket. Carl reports, trucks dumping dirt, the river course changed etc. The only good news is the Pointy Hat temple being built in honour of our great club overlooking the spot we popularised!

Carl, Ross and Dave re-discovered this spot and got a few interesting lefts. Ask and we'll tell you!

Surgin' Sunday

Top coast blown, pilly beckoned. Stormy, surgin' stuff for a Sunday!
Dave and Ross got a few of these powerful rights (above and below)...had to get out and walk back each time...killer rip today. A few boomers hit them on the head..all good fun!

Shark Biscuits

Eat it shark biscuit!

I'm pretty tolerant, but I hate those shark biscuits. Bodyboards, boogieboards, esky lids, speed humps, shark biscuits, whatever you like to call them, I don't like them and the only lower form of surfcraft is a jet ski. So, wasn't I happy to witness the artistry of Jason Sedor on the bluebirdboarding site. I even like Boy George now! To see what I'm talking about, check out Jason's masterpiece here.

Wind dies, swell dies

otters


Carl and dave did a late dash over the mount yesterday arvo: howling onshore, lots of wind-slapped rubbish everywhere. No chance for a wave, came back without going in.
This is a late morning piccy of Jinshan: the swell has died with the wind. Ross, Dave and Carl have decided to have another look tomorrow. Dan and Tobes might be heading out now.
Get those Pointy T shirt orders in on Monday!

Official Logo

Well, here it is. Brian has designed a cool, island inspired logo for the club which will be on the front and back of a T shirt soon. Get your cash to Brian before December 5, so you can get your gear before Christmas. Be the coolest cat in town with your new Pointy Hat shirt: the best cover up you'll get all year!

Golden Shower

GP and Brian had a very nice surf this weekend at a small beach just before you get to the tip of the north coast. They have named it “Goldies” after the coffee shop that is located at the beach. They also had a nice little surf at Fulong and found a new “surf coffee” shop where the guys speak English and said we can call anytime for a report. Southerly wind will be off-shore and the place hardly seems to get a crowd. One or two guys in the water this weekend. This photo has nothing to do with this at all!

Recovery

have another drink.........


Ross and Dave didn't head to the beach on Thursday, this shot from Wed night might explain why.......Friday morning: Jinshan, Rocket blown out, messy, small. Went out on a little bank at Jinshan 2 and practisedf some takeoffs onhard kicking little muck waves. Water temp still fine, quality poor. As the swell continues to drop, probably nothing more this weekend.

Shalun beach

hmmm


The Pillbox was flat last evening(see above) but the offshore tempted Ross and Dave to Shalun where they got a few small, smooth rights on the bank in the middle of the beach. A few cleansing ales later on mightn't have been the best idea.............

Brian "The Pointdexter" Tobey reports:

The Monday Surf Report: No fun found anywhere.
Rocket: Lots of surf, mush, and white water everywhere, big and messy. Small left working inside the little military bay just to the left of the Rocket.
Green Bay: Three guys out, I watched for about 10 minutes, no rides.Jin Shan: Surf very big and everywhere, lots of white water.. Road blocked off again going into the parking lot. No people.

Last of the great beetle nut pictures

singing a song for ross and tobes
Dave and Dan were locked in a classroom, Carl, Aaron and Aquaboy were sending kiddies up and down the pool, so Tobes and Ross hit the Pillbox. Off shore but pretty small, the boys had a fair session. Ross dusted off the flamer to help with his twisted ankle and Tobes had the white Knight under him. Bit more swell and it would have been really good. Skateboard riding down the hill was pretty good too!!

give me more of that nut!

Mystery Spot: where?

name this spot!


Here's a little teaser for you....where is this spot?
Hint: It's well within an hour's drive.
Prize for 1st correct guess: a pointy hat!

Tobes had a nice little session at the Rocket yesterday. Wave size looked to be about the same as those posted from Sunday with a mild on-shore. Had the place to himself for about an hour and then 4 other guys got in the water.

Jinshan 1 and 2

couple of shories

Carl and Dave tore up a few shories at Jinshan 2 (see above) Was quite a good little surf.
After, they spied a couple of beetle nut babies trotting out a few numbers and they didn't sound too good, but looked pretty hot in short skirts and Kiss boots.
Jinshan 1 point was irregular but OK, the main beach had a few of those rights which used to come through, a touch of offshore, but still far too many boys out. Dave got some gay little booties for his Sri Lanka trip!

point

usual crowd

nice form

Surfer Joe

barrel

cutback

newspaper shots


Tobes and Garry did a super early...Jinshan dead flat and uninviting. Carl and Dave got the news at 7.45 on the way down the mountain and promptly turned round and came back.
Anyway, as we don't have any local pictures, check this sequence of shots of the best rugby league player in the world, Newcastle's own Andrew "Joey" Johns. My Mum sent me these newspaper clippings of Joey carving up some little Bondi shooters. Most surfers would be very proud of these moves and this boy grew up in the coalfields very far from a beach!

All hail the king

slater


Kelly Slater: now 7 times world champ. Youngest world champ at 21. Oldest world champ at 33. 7 years since last world title. Semi retired for years in between. A pretty good surfer....?!

Death defying Laird

Pointy of the Month Ross nominated Laird Hamilton as his favorite surfer. I read his bio and saw this quote " On August 17, 2000, he again raised the bar by towing in to what was indisputably the heaviest wave ridden to date -- a Teahupoo ledge that defies description."
I found a photo of this wave and was amazed at the whole sequence ...if you want a good scare, check it out. They reckon if he didn't make it out, he would almost certainly have died!

Otters return

flat

Nothing, it seems, can deter the Jinshan otters as they migrate. Normally craving the slightest of bumps on the ocean surface, these sleek black skinned creatures were quite content to loll around in the still waters. Not even the chance to mate onshore seemed to draw them away from their traditional spot.
This weekend is excellent for "otter spotting" as not a wave nor a zephyr of wind disturbs their school.

Pointy of the Month:"Tuck"

the champ

Name or nickname: Ross ‘Tuck’ Tucker
Favorite surfing beach: I’ve only been to five!
Best surfing moment (describe): One evening having a VB with the boys at Jinshan after a surf.
Surfing hero (and why): Don’t really know any, but I like the way that Laird Hamilton really rates himself.
Favored board type: BIG
Surfing maneuver you’d love to do: Sick Air
Dream surf spot: Anywhere with a barrel, me (on a lucky day), and someone with a camera
Other sport (play) and (watch): Rugby, but I have a soft spot for anything that could lead to trauma type injuries.
Ultimate pin up: Anna Kournikova
Food: Butter chicken and garlic naan
Drink (variety): Beer ….cold…preferably free.
Thing you miss most about home: Clean air, clean water, no people
Thing you like best about Taiwan: Chaos
Music: An eclectic mix – REM, Midnight Oil, Muttonbirds, Hunters and Collectors…bands you’d have a good time listening to in a pub.
Best advice you’ve ever had: Go home!
Movie: Cool Hand Luke
Who would play you in a movie? Dolph Ludgren
Current car: Half a Corona (the car not the beer)
Dream car: A whole car.
Near death experience: Wandering drunk in a minefield
Your idea of a great night out: BBQ, beers, and banter
Philosophy on life: The things that come to those who wait, may be the things left by those who got there first.

3 inches and perfect!

pointy checks the scene


Our man "Pointy" got out his ruler and reckons Andy Irons is only riding a 3 inch version of Teahupoo...you see it's all in the perspective. Carl reports from a crowded Jinshan this afternoon: " There were 47 guys in the water all wearing steamers, and the waves were peeling off left and right:only trouble was they were only 3 inches big!"
Pointy reckons Carl has just lost perspective.... maybe Jinshan was 15 foot and offshore?

Rain, Rip, Regret

messy

stormy


Very strong rip, very annoying driving rain, sets hitting us on the head, smashed into rocks on the shore break, paddling non-stop: gotta love this sport!

Green Bay (Fudge) Packers

waiting

Carl and Dave scanned a blown coast and had not seen a surfer until.....the near end of Green Bay ("Tunnels") revealed 37 boys in the water! Most in full suits, lolling around, when a wave came, of course everyone caught it. This was an amazing sight(above and below) on an otherwise unremarkable day: the boys went back without getting wet.

carnage

crowd

Lashed and bashed

stormy pointy hat

This pointy had the right idea: stay onshore! Ross, Dave and Carl found a wind whipped pillbox with a killer undertow. Catch a wave, get bashed, come in, walk up and paddle out again.
Wind lashed and tired from a constant paddle against the rip, this wasn't great fun!

Pill box and pointy

Low tide, good waves

low but good

Spur of the moment dash to the Pillbox turned out well for Ross and Dave. Got a little bigger out there, nice 3 foot sets. Very low tide was creating some crazy peaks, but good to blow some cobwebs out.....but not as good as this. Check it out.

Jaws

Brian got a few left handers at the rocket on Monday afternoon. For some reason, out by himself, he felt a little spooked....something must be eating those 3 headed fish swimming around in the power plant outwash!

Dan at Jinshan Point

Well, look how fancy we are! Dan got a few at Jinshan Point on Sunday afternoon and here is an example. Please don't expect this level of sophisticated graphics all the time, or you'll be very disappointed!

Well, it was a surf

not too bad

Dan went to Jinshan(blown) and then to Green Bay (lots out and bit sloppy).
Dave, Ross and Carl went straight to the Pillbox and Carl met Tobes at the turnoff. The Pillbox was small and a little choppy, but, as usual, provided at least a few fun little waves. Ross really starting to swing his short board around and Tobes and Carl feeling more confident at this sometimes tricky spot.

satisfied

Psycho Kiwis

Crazy Kiwi Doug Young was towed in to the biggest 2 person barrel ever at Teahupoo. He was behind the other guy at one stage (see board deep in the back) but rode it out.
I don't know about you, but this doesn't really look like a lot of fun....bring me my brown cordoroy trousers!

Long drive

pilly never fails!


After a mountain road chocka with Sunday drivers and nutcases overtaking in thick fog and rain, the disappointment of Rocket, Jinshan, Green Bay et al was strong. Let's drive.....! Restaurants had a few guys out, but not real big and closing out a bit. Also, how do you get out to this break??
Pilly doesn't usually disappoint and didn't today. Even though small, it was clean and had a nice shape. Carl was stylish going left and right, sometimes on the same wave(!), Ross carving some big bottom hand turns. Dave scraped his knee again.

disappointed

green bay

Stormy

Rain driving, surf surging, water gritty brown and murky: what a great day for a surf!
Not really, as a killer rip meant a constant paddle at the Pillbox. Carl, Ross and Dave not overly impressed but a couple of drops on some 5-6' stormy sets almost made up for it.

Kenting envy

Pointy Greg went on camp down at Kenting last week and took these shots of some peeling waves at Kenting.
All work and no play for Greg unfortunately....they look nice, don't they?

Prelude to grandeur

Dave and Ross got a few little beauties at the Pillbox after Longwang passed over on Sunday. 2 foot, but a nice offshore hoding them up. Dashed back for grand final celebrations..go the Tiges, which extended into the night. Coomba, Ross, Wol and Lewy all in fine form. Snake it out....!

Wrong End?

We're definitely at the wrong end of this island. Gazza over at bluebirdboarding has posted some spectacular video footage and close up surf shots in the past couple of days. Check it out here and drool.
The superbly named Typhoon Longwang might bring us something. Keep those mobile phones switched on over the weekend. Be really careful of the previously mentioned speed trap ; Carl just got a whopping fine in the post and a pretty picture of his car at the same spot, this time going through a red light.
I just had to post these photos of my home break back in Australia at Merewether. This morning, the waves were beautiful and the dolphins came out to play too.

What's happening??

Dave and Ross did the after work run to the Rocket yesterday. A few nice ones, bit bumpy but breaking out at the point.
Problem: 12 guys out on one peak at 4pm on a week day!
Solution: Go to Green Bay
Turned out smaller and slushier, but no crowd.
The longer term solution might be more problematic: maybe heaps more swell and much colder temps??
My new camera is on its way: thanks for all the Pointies who helped me out in my time of need and sent me some photos for posting....

rocket splutters out

?

Mystery wave to be explained at a later date.
Carl went out with Steve to the rocket and at 8.30 there were already 28 guys in the water. It had fizzled out to 1 foot bank bangers, thigh deep and closing out. This swell does not hang around long!