Tobey Brookes

Network Project Manager

Biography

Published Winter 2007

Tobey Brookes has certainly been making waves since he joined Samarind in early 2007. As network project manager, Tobey has headed up the engineering team since early January, impressing everyone with his organisational skills.

Tobey previously worked as the IT project manager for a travels promotion company in Chester. His experience managing the IT networks for branch offices in such diverse locations as Ireland, Spain and Switzerland has given Tobey the expertise to manage Samarind's major implementations, as well as working out the schedules and ensuring the five-strong team are on track.

Tobey's used to making a splash, however. He's a water sports nut. To Tobey, being pulled along at 30mph on his wakeboard is like a walk in the park. Zooming over the ocean at 60mph on his jet ski and hurtling 20ft into the air off a big wave - that's Tobey's style.

Not for him the pointless pootling about you see squealing holidaymakers perform a few yards from a beach. Tobey takes his jet ski on comparatively epic journeys round the North Wales coast. A typical route would start at Porthmadog and take in Abersoch, Hell's Mouth and Nefyn before returning - and that's on very choppy water at speeds up to the National Speed Limit on a good straight road.

The big challenge is wave jumping. Tobey will aim his jet ski, Captain Ahab-like, at a monster wave and then leap off it high into the air. Of course, such activity isn't without its risks. On one occasion, a cross wave hit his jet ski just as he was preparing to jump.

"The resulting crash was so loud I thought it had bust open the jet ski's hull," Tobey recalls. "Fortunately, that wasn't the case, otherwise I'd have been stranded. With a dislocated shoulder and a strained back, I managed to climb back on board and limp back to shore.

"I'm not too worried about the risks," he adds. "I've been jet skiing for ten years and that's the only problem I've had."

Driving a car on the roads these days is probably riskier! But it's not just the thrills that make jet skiing appealing to Tobey. He also enjoys the coastal scenery and the wildlife he encounters. Graceful porpoises and huge jellyfish are often his companions on his travels round the Gwynedd coastline, and colonies of seals, invisible to people standing on the headlands, can be seen basking in inaccessible coves.

Tobey lives in Connah's Quay with his partner Bridie. Although Bridie isn't as keen on jet skiing as Tobey, she does enjoy the social aspect of the sport, assembling picnics or barbecues on the exotic beaches where they take their holidays. Bridie's parents live in Malaysia and visiting them provides not only some opportunities for exciting water sports but also the chance to further explore their shared passion for Oriental food.

"Bridie and I love Eastern cuisine and enjoy cooking it ourselves," Tobey explains. "Our favourite dish is Laksa, a kind of highly spiced Malaysian stew with everything in it - seafood, chicken, meat, noodles and vegetables."

"We go to a lot of trouble sourcing authentic ingredients and tracking down the correct seasonings. We've both got fairly educated palates. Neither of us is afraid of a bit of chilli!"

It would seem Tobey has a taste for adventure in more ways than one.