Surfing in China - Exploitation or good opportunity?
Cristiano Mei
Peraphs you have seen this video on Youtube. It's an interesting starting point for a discussion. I had some feelings watching it, as, for example, that there might be a huge interest in developing the surf industry here in China. Notice I've used the term "industry". The tones of some speakers were enthusiastic, and yet worrying. Build artificial reefs? Enormous potential? Mmhh...yes, all sounds good, but where's the catch? I don't trust very much Chinese government. Will be made an effort to make people more aware of ocean environment, or it's just about selling boards and surfwear?
Watch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OHIBcvI39I
Cris from Amoy
P.S. From China I use a VPN account shared with a friend in Hong Kong. If you have any other means, please let me know.
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Cathay Seas information service
Hi Cris,
That's a good starting point, really.
From my point of view, it all started with an expedition of Antony 'Yep'
Colas, a french friend author of the Stormrider Guides.
We had a post about his trip on 110 East, here :
http://groups.google.fr/group/110east/browse_thread/thread/b5982233bee5afe6#
After Antony got arrested by the local police, the local authorities
smelled an opportunity to develop the activity of "surfing" in China.
[ANTONY, you are reading this. Stop me if i'm wrong]
The simple fact that the idea blossomed from surfing *a river* just makes
things clear on what they know about surfing...
A few months later, Wabsono and GSM marketing companies organized this
official meeting with premium world-class surfers, people from the surf
media (Jeff Divine) [JEFF, you are reading this. Any comment ?] and
executives from Billabong or Quiksilver.
One month ago, Nike invited our Hainan surfer friend Brendan. I don't know
what "it" is, but "it" is going fast.
So what ?
So the surfing industry, like many others, is beginning to consider that
China is not only a tee-shirt factory. It is also a market of 1.000.000.000
customers, more or less.
Because the key idea of course is to "sell the lifestyle".
Right after Cristiano, i have heavy questions.
It's fine to do business and develop the economy. But what about surfing ?
What about surfers, the real ones, those who go in the water ?
What about the development of local small businesses like surfshops ?
What about the development of professional surfing skills for teaching the
sport on chinese beaches ?
What about environment education for the population ?
What about the development of specific surf lifesaving skills ? (see this :
http://www.cathayseas.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=152:dramatic-surf-rescue-attempt&catid=1:cathay-seas-newsletter&Itemid=79
)
I am *absolutely* convinced that these questions will not find efficient
answers if the Chinese authorities are not involved in the solving process.
But it's already nice to have this discussion in public. Can we count on
some official support, or will we have to make surfing in China stronger
just by ourselves ?
Please all, give us your views on the subject, this is important.
Sincerely yours,
- Yannick.
*********************************
Editor of Cathay Seas.com
Renan Lore
Yes, there is a great potential in China for surf industry and surfers.
But, we are still very far from the beginning. I am the only surfer in Fujian (Cris left..) and have few thousands kilometers of coast for myself. I am exploring the spots every weekends (where the surf is up) and i can tell you that 99.9% of the locals do not know what is surfing. Moreover, i never saw someone in Fujian going swimming in the sea. They usually stop when the water reach waist-high... So, i guess the first step will be to explain that surfing is safe if you know how to swim (so the police will stop telling me that it is too dangerous for me) and then start to give swimming lessons to the kids (like we do have in Europe).
Some people say that Chinese will never have a beach culture because they avoid the sun.... wrong, it is changing very fast here...
I am looking for cheap bodyboards for the locals kids living on the beach, do you have any idea where i can get some in China?
thanks,
sincerely,
Renan
> Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:39:11 +0200
> From: in...@CathaySeas.com
> To: 110...@googlegroups.com
> CC: je...@surfersjournal.com
> Subject: [110 east] Re: Surfing in China - Exploitation or good opportunity?
john campbell
| I am interested in assessing the viability of starting a surfboard manufacturing business in China....hope fully i can get there in 2010....................any suggestions????............j --- On Thu, 29/10/09, Renan Lore <rena...@hotmail.com> wrote: |
|
Get more done like never before with Yahoo!7 Mail. Learn more.
Cathay Seas information service
@ John :
I am checking out. Someone i know manufactures... everything... including
boards, but i can't testify on the quality. On the other hand, there is the
example of SurfTech boards in Thailand, which i can testify about because i
ride one of their boards.
[Does any other '110 East' reader has an interest in involving in these
projects ?]
@ Renan :
There might be several people/companies willing to follow such a project. I
am also checking out.
Indeed, as a lifeguard i would say it should be done with caution, because
we don't want to put softboards in innocent hands and trigger fatal
accidents. Maybe deliver the tools with some "Surf etiquette" warning,
which is a very minimum.
http://www.CathaySeas.com/images/stories/illustrations_articles/surfetiquette.jpg
- Yannick.
Cathay Seas information service
[I had a link to Cathay Seas in my previous post but, damn, there is this
Firewall thing... please find the "Surf Etiquette" here attached.]
Oh, one more on the subject.
I mentionned Wabsono marketing company in my post of 23 oct.
Here they are again with this website : www.SurfingChina.org
or the chinese version http://blog.sina.com.cn/surfingcn
Any comment ?
Hint : the photos are NOT of chinese waves, except for Qiantian river bore
(but you had noticed already).
I love this one indeed :
http://photo.blog.sina.com.cn/photo/612e38ceg7293c7b7d678 it's so, huh,
romantic.
- Yannick.
*********************************
Editor,
www.CathaySeas.com
Cathay Seas :
Cristiano Mei
I've been watching the website...hot chicks, cool guys, surfwear, PADDLE BOARDS, rock music. It's seems we are going to have our own Chinese California very soon. Until chinese will get in the water with that brand new 7000 rmb shiny board, wrapped in hi-tech wetsuit and start paddling. If they don't drown but manage to get out in one piece, they will realize how marketing can be dangerous and deceiving. Learn to surf it's hard and sometimes very frustrating. Moreover, it requires a good knowledge of sea environment. It's not ping pong. People here die every day for their poor skills and ignorance, I live by the sea and see those awful things happening all the time.
Just to get the idea on Chinese behaviour toward the sea, take a look here, a small part of translated news from an expat website. There have been more drownings, but have been reported only in Chinese. Please notice: this is just from one city, so figure yourself the rest of China.
Poor safety at Jimei School Village swimming pool claims lives |
Updated: 10 Aug 2009 Share this news?...Click box
 |
Ineffective management has caused many people drown in a swimming pool near the Nanxun Building at Jimei School Village.
"Within a week, two people drowned in the swimming pool!", Mr. Zhang, whose nephew is one of the victims, said.
He told the reporter that his nephew went swimming with his colleagues on the night of 4th this month. Just after a few minutes, his colleagues found he was missing. They soon asked help from the police.
As no lights were near the swimming pool, it was very difficult to find his nephew. They spent two hours searching, but still couldn't find him. They had to drain away the water by opening the water gate. But it was too late, they found his nephew had dead.
The reporter noticed that the water quality of the swimming pool was very bad. There was much rubbish in the water, and it smell bad. Walking around the swimming pool, there were no signs of a shallow water zone and deep water zone.
People living nearby said that though many have drowned in the swimming pool, there are still lots of people swimming there. They call on the relevant department to take some measures so as to avoid more accidents. END. |
Now, who in the world would swim in a cloudy water, foul smelling swimming pool full of garbage? Only Chinese. They are just reckless. Will they surf during a typhoon swell even if they don't know how? Oh yeah! Not only they will, but also bring some folks along!
Another news, from Xiamen Evening News:
Xiamen's lack qualified lifesavers blamed for unsafe beaches |
Updated: 12 Aug 2009 Share this news?...Click box
|
If you are in danger of drowning in the beautiful seas surrounding Xiamen, you might be reasonably expected to ask, who can help me? The answer might make you feel you are doomed because there are only 8 low paid lifeguards in the area and they are expected to protect the all who venture into the waters around the island of Xiamen.
At present, there are only five lifeguards in the two bathing beaches on Gulangyu and that of Yefengzhai, Zhenzhuwan and Guanyinshan Beach maintains another four.
Only eight of them have lifeguards licences. Compared to the thousands of swimmers, the lifeguard presence is too weak.
Despite the fact that more than 100 sea lifeguards have been trained in Xiamen, most of them have left to go to other cities and only eight have remained at their posts in Xiamen.
Mr. Huang of the Xiamen Swimming Association said the migration of the sea lifeguards made their numbers smaller and smaller. This was a vicious circle, and that the association could only replace sea lifeguards with pool lifeguards.
An industry insider revealed that the problem was that their salary is too low. Zeng and Cai, who are experienced sea lifeguards in Xiamen said they could only work in summer, and only gained 1450 yuan each month. Their paid increased 100 yuan in last 8 years.
They also pointed out that these positions only last 6 months, so for half of the year, they must search for other work. |
END.
I think there is no need of any comment, this is the reality here.
Another one:
Man drowned at Xiamen beach when catching waves in typhoon |
Updated: 21 Jul 2009 Share this news?...Click box
|
A 19-year-old man was engulfed by sea waves near Yefengzhai Beach last Saturday night when typhoon Molave was churning near Xiamen Island.
At around 11:00pm July 18, 2009, the man, surnamed Wu, proposed to catch the sea waves with several fellow workers. As the wind was strong and the waves were high, Wu fell down accidentally and was immediately swept away by the waves.
Wu嚙踝蕭s fellow workers shouted for help and one of them jumped into the sea trying to approach Wu, but the waves were too high that Wu was washed away very soon.
Patrolling policemen were called to the scene but Wu had disappeared in the sea.
His body was found on the beach at about 12:00 on Sunday. |
END.
Who would be so crazy to catch waves during a typhoon at 11 P.M.???
Another one:
Man drowns in the most dangerous sea area in Xiamen |
Updated: 30 Jun 2009 Share this news?...Click box
|
As the weather warms up, more and more people go to the seaside to swim. However, it is not safe to swim in some areas where drowning may happen easily.
Around 6:30am June 28, 2009, a man was found drowned in the sea areas near Hulishan bus station. The location is where the local residents considered as the most dangerous area for swimming - there is a big reef which is said to have claimed lots of lives.
Miss Li, who operates a restaurant over there, said the flow condition of that sea area is very complicated. When the tide ebbs, the flow will drag people to the sea and then throw them out.
According to a police officer, when the weather turns hot, many people go swimming in this sea area. Many outlanders don't know the flow situation, and that is very dangerous.
The most dangerous sea areas are near the signboard of "One county, two systems" and the Baicheng beach. There are many reefs in the two areas.
The flow will change the direction by the block of the reef and form the turbulent flow of currents. The swimmers are difficult to know how to deal with it and then drowning happens easily.
Please notice the red text: |
Top 10 dangerous water areas in Xiamen |
Updated: 08 Jul 2009 Share this news?...Click box
|
Most people would like to go swimming in the lakes or to the seaside during the hot summer. Although the government has taken many preventive measures, drowning accidents happen one after another.
Below are the top ten dangerous areas for swimming in Xiamen.
Spot 1: Water area near the signboard of "One Country, Two Systems" at Huandao Road Hazard index: 嚙踝蕭嚙踝蕭嚙踝蕭嚙踝蕭嚙踝蕭 This area is an accident-prone area because there are many reefs around. The reefs create turbulent currents and whirling currents which are dangerous factors for swimming.
Spot 2: Water area at Baicheng Beach Hazard index: 嚙踝蕭嚙踝蕭嚙踝蕭嚙踝蕭嚙踝蕭 The current is complicated in this area, and the water temperature is unsteady.
Spot 3: Water area at Wuyuan Bay Hazard index: 嚙踝蕭嚙踝蕭嚙踝蕭嚙踝蕭 The man-made beach at Wuyuan Bay is soft and irregular. There are some unexpected deep ditches near the shore. It is more dangerous when the tide ebbs. Last summer, at least 14 people drowned in this area.
Spot 4: Maluan Bay in Xinglin District Hazard index: 嚙踝蕭嚙踝蕭嚙踝蕭嚙踝蕭 The depth of Maluan Bay can be more than 2 metres even near the bank.
Spot 5: Haiwan Park Hazard index: 嚙踝蕭嚙踝蕭嚙踝蕭嚙踝蕭 The steps near the shore are slippery and this area is a profundal zone.
....... END. I |
I've kept this as the last one, since it's a good news, from last week:
Teenager saves foreign boy from drowning at Huandao Road beach |
Updated: 29 Oct 2009 Share this news?...Click box
|
 The teenage hero, Deng Bibin, was only 17 years old
A Xiamen teenager saved a foreign boy from drowning at Huandao Road beach and refused payment from the grateful mother.
The
Japanese mother, called Emi, took her son to Huandao Road beach on Oct.
24th. The little boy suddenly fell into the sea while his mother was
chatting with her friend.
嚙踝蕭I
was totally shocked and even forgot to call for help.嚙踝蕭 Emi said, 嚙踝蕭And
suddenly a young man jumped into the sea and swam towards my son and
took him ashore.嚙踝蕭
Emi was so appreciated of the young man嚙踝蕭s help she wanted to reward him but was refused and only had his name at last.
The
young man, Deng Bibin, was only 17 years old. When talking about his
brave act, Deng said, 嚙踝蕭There is no reason. I just did what I should do.嚙踝蕭 |
END.
As you can see, people keep dying. According to the situation, before even talking about surfing, the government must educate people to safety and ocean environment. People here go swimming with BASKETBALLS, FOOTBALLS or inner tubes, since they believe this "life buoys" will prevent them from drowning. Let them paddle out in a swell it's just irresponsible.
Sincerely,
Cristiano
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Cathay Seas information service
Thanks for the reminder Cris, it was important to keep us in the right
path.
So if i try to sum up the discussion...
"Surfing in China" is a good opportunity for us, surfers, because of course
there *is* surf in China.
Indeed, before opening surf shops and surf schools and dropping thousands
of boards over the Middle Kingdom, we must make sure this will not harm the
public, as Chinese locals are not familiar with the ocean.
This implies some PROJECTS FOR ENHANCING WATER SAFETY in China :
1) developing BETTER LIFEGUARD SKILLS in surf conditions (specific
advanced training)
2) developing PUBLIC INFORMATION about beach-level dangers (postsigns,
leaflets, knowledgeable people)
and from these two points we will be able to focus on :
3) developing EFFECTIVE PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS for SURF INSTRUCTORS
For the bigger part we will be able to find the basics quite easily, the
project in itself will be about translating the documents in chinese and
gaining some official endorsement for it.
We need help in the translating field and in the linking with Chinese
authorities.
*** If any of you want to involve in this task, please let me know :
in...@CathaySeas.com ***
And last point of our discussion... "surfing in China" is not about
exploitation either, but if the aim of the western surf industry is only to
'sell the lifestyle', it's defintely not their problem what influence the
marketing has, or what people do with their products (and how they die
doing it, should i add).
Sincerely yours,
- Yannick.
On Tue, 3 Nov 2009 15:40:14 +0000, Cristiano Mei <chite...@hotmail.com>
wrote:
>
Cristiano Mei
http://www.repubblica.it/2006/05/gallerie/sport/surf-in-cina/1.html
Cristiano Homo Amoiensis
> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:43:15 +0100
> From: in...@CathaySeas.com
> To: 110...@googlegroups.com
> CC: secre...@ilseurope.org
> Subject: RE: Reply: [110 east] Re: Surfing in China - Exploitation orgoodopportunity?
> ---
> 110east is the meeting room of China & South East Asia surfers.
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jacques theophile
Jacques
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Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 10:19 PM
Subject: Re: Reply: [110 east] Re: Surfing in China - Exploitation or
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