Name or nickname: Big Tranh, Symesy, Booza (back in the day)
Favorite surfing beach:
Winkipop (when it is under 5 foot!!) / Dreamlands
Best surfing moment (describe): Surfing at Dreamlands in Bali. We stayed in a hut near the beach, woke up at sunrise to 4 foot, offshore and glassy. No one else turned up for 2 and a half hours.
Surfing hero (and why):Gotta be Kelly Slater, the man can do anything.
Favored board type: My 6’10” Fish
Surfing maneuver you’d love to do: Anything more than just standing up and going straight ahead.
Dream surf spot: Bali – so many beautiful breaks
Other sport (play) and (watch): Cricket, Aussie Rules, Rugby
Greatest personal sporting moment(s): Vic Country U/18 Cricket Team / being named “Pointy of the Month”.
Ultimate pin up: Kristin (of course).
Sarah O’Hare / Angelina Jolie.
Food: Roast Lamb
Drink (variety): Crownies
Thing you miss most about home: Regular surf. The wide open spaces, and beautiful beaches. Nous.
Thing you like best about Taiwan: Food. Hanging out with the lads. Travel opportunities.
Music:
Xavier Rudd, Donovan Frankenreiter, Midnight Oil.
Best advice you’ve ever had: Go Hard or Go Home.
Movie: Gladiator, Billy Madison
Collections: Superhero Figures
Who would play you in a movie?:
Mel Gibson in his Lethal Weapon roles.
Current car: The Purple Haze – not running right now!!
Dream car: Sandman Panelvan
Near death experience: I was surfing in Bali and got sucked under, I didn't know which way was up or down. I couldn't find my way out and thought I was gone, but luckily I lived to tell the story.
Your idea of a great night out: Starts in Taipei on a Friday night, and finishes up in another state or country on the Saturday.
Philosophy on life: Here for a good time, not a long time.
Carl stylin' on a backhand 
nice lineup 
Carl says, "Get out of my way!"
Dave hits the backhand reo, Carl looks on
These guys are brave...it really is as cold as it looks and its Spring! A couple of days later, the North Sea had gone back to usual: lazy, small swells. The little jetties are to stop the sand getting eaten away: apparently a huge storm a few years ago took all the sand with it. No more reports from Aberdeen...next time I go back I'll be riding a motorbike I think, not waves!
I'm in Aberdeen at a conference and have to say, these Aberdeen surfers are tough bastards. Just wading in the water, I nearly got hyperthermia, but these guys are getting out there for what I might delicately call "fairly poor quality" surf. Searched out some local lads who said (I think!) that it does have some good days, but it is COLD. Enough said. Never thought I'd say it, but take me back to Taiwan!
Pretty flat and uninspiring this weekend, but Dave made a mid-week trip to the east coast for these shots. Full onshore, but still had some potential, especially near the Wushi Harbour wall (bottom 2 shots). The "Taj Mahal", Dan's preferred break, was not great this day, but a few local boys were making the best of it.
Big Gazza had two surfs this day......how lucky eh?! He got Airport Lefts at a beautiful size with some even wind and not much of a crowd last week on our break. No wonder he keeps going back......
Rugby League's greatest player was forced into premature retirement yesterday by injury.
Name or nickname: Big Tranh, Symesy, Booza (back in the day)
Interesting couple of days for Carl and Dave. Yesterday, stuck in a massive traffic jam on the way to the Pillbox, gave up after an hour and came home, not before Dave rammed his car into a concrete barrier trying to use his mobile (!)
Carl spied a very low tide Pillbox producing some tidy 2 footers with offshore on them. Pointies was still blown, as you can see from the pic. We might have a look early tomorrow to try to catch the end of this swell. (photos by Carl)
