Eat Sleep Surf: TAIWAN – Two Friends Cycle & Surf Their Way Across Taiwan
Dec
I just watched a new 4-part television show called Eat Sleep Surf: Taiwan… and I wanted to take a moment to tell you all about it.
Eat Sleep Surf: Taiwan is a 2-hour-long video series produced by Australian filmmakers, Rian Cope and Dylan Brayshaw… and it’s the story of the duo’s own self-supported bicycle/surfing adventure on the island nation of Taiwan. Over the course of four 30-minute episodes, Rian and Dylan slowly make their way across the island of Taiwan, from Taipei (the capital city) in the north to Kenting National Park in the south.
You might remember Rian and Dylan from a similar bicycle/surfing adventure they conducted in Indonesia in 2009. I wrote a review about that documentary series just a short while after it was released, and I wrote a more recent review of Dylan Brayshaw’s shorter bicycle/surfing documentary, Sendiri.
Now, more than five years after their original trip across Indonesia on bicycles and boogie boards, Rian and Dylan are back (in a new foreign land – TAIWAN) to share their love of cycling and surfing with anyone willing to simply sit down and watch.
If you take a moment to watch the Eat Sleep Surf: Taiwan video trailer above, you’ll get a sense of Rian and Dylan’s cinematic style. The videos are shot by Rian and Dylan themselves – with Dylan doing most of the camera work and Rian taking up most of the time in front of the camera. The duo does switch off responsibilities from time to time, however – especially when it comes time for them to leap off their loaded touring bicycles and jump into the cold coastal waters of Taiwan for a good surf session. At which point, Rian might jump into the water with his boogie board while Dylan remains on land to film Rian in the surf. Or Dylan might leap into the water on his surf board, while Rian stays behind with the bikes to document Dylan’s surf session.
The production quality of Eat Sleep Surf: Taiwan has improved greatly over their 2009 documentary in Indonesia. There’s still a lot of GoPro footage in the series, which brings down the production quality a bit (in my opinion), but the sound has greatly improved and both Rian and Dylan have greatly improved their on-camera mannerisms.
While cycling and surfing in Taiwan might sound idyllic to some, I have a feeling this 4-part documentary series is going to find a niche target audience. Those who like the series most will be either cyclists, surfers, or those interested in Taiwan for whatever reason.
If you fall into one or more of those three categories, then I certainly recommend you give Eat Sleep Surf: Taiwan and watch. DOWNLOAD IT HERE
I spent two whole months in Taiwan myself and just happened to be there at the same time Rian and Dylan were wrapping up their bicycle/surfing filmmaking session in the country, so I know what a beautiful, special place Taiwan is. I think that if you watch Eat Sleep Surf: Taiwan, you’ll see as well just how amazing this small island nation is – for surfing, for cycling, or as a usually overlooked travel destination of any kind.
PS – I happen to have a small cameo in the Eat Sleep Surf: Taiwan series. Watch the video below and you’ll see me (Darren Alff) talking about why I like bicycle touring so much, and what I liked most about traveling in Taiwan.
To learn more about Eat Sleep Surf: Taiwan, Eat Sleep Surf: Indonesia or Dylan Brayshaw’s short bicycle/surfing documentary called Sendiri, be sure to visit the official Eat Sleep Surf website at: www.eatsleepsurf.com.au
