When people talk about surfing in South-East Asia, they invariably mean one of Indonesia’s 17,000 islands and their respective, wave-blessed coastlines. Almost 3000km north, Taiwan is one of surfing’s newest Oriental frontiers, and the industrious island already plays host to a WQS event – the Taiwan Open of Surfing. Top honours at the event’s 2014 incarnation went to North Narrabeen’s Jordy Lawler, where he was up against surfers from Indonesia, Japan and even a 14-year-old from Hong Kong with the fittingly unique moniker of Wolf. People often say that getting there is half the fun, but for one of Jordy’s first outings against the wolves of the ’QS, getting to Taiwan was an absolute bloody mission.
