"The tidal bore on the 18th day of the eighth lunar month is a spectacle unmatched under heaven." Every year on the 18th day of the eighth lunar month, the Qiantang River witnesses its most magnificent tidal bore, one of the world’s three greatest tidal bores. With its overwhelming force and spectacular scenery, it attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors along the coast from Haining to Xiaoshan. Since 2012, with the launch of the world’s first inland surfing competition — the Red Bull Qiantang River Surfing Competition — the "tide players" recorded in Song Dynasty poetry have made a modern comeback through surfing, becoming a highlight of the Qiantang tidal bore spectacle.
On August 18, the press conference for the 3rd Red Bull Qiantang River Surfing Competition was held in Hangzhou. The event will take place from September 9 to 11 along the river section from Guanchao City in Xiaoshan to the Hangzhou City Balcony. The four competing teams are Team California (USA), Team Queensland (Australia), Team Hawaii (USA), and Team Hangzhou (China). Among them, the debutante Hangzhou team will feature a Chinese domestic surfer. The two top male professional surfers — Tiezhuang from Inner Mongolia and Chen Dongming from Taiwan — who have delivered the best performances in international surfing competitions, will compete for the honor of being the "First Chinese to Surf the Qiantang River." In addition, Terry Lin, a Taiwanese singer and self-proclaimed "surfing enthusiast" from the entertainment industry, has also expressed his desire to participate via video message.
A Game for the Brave
Since the Qiantang River tidal bore occurs only once a day, the competition is scheduled for one round per day. The four teams will be divided into two groups by draw, with two preliminary rounds held on September 9 and 10. The top two scoring teams will meet in the final on September 11, the 18th day of the eighth lunar month. Peter Townend, the first world champion in professional surfing history, lifetime achievement award recipient, and former coach of the U.S. national surfing team, will serve as the overall planner of this event.
The constraint of the "river channel" is the biggest difference between inland surfing and ocean surfing. Although the competition section of the Red Bull Qiantang River Surfing Competition stretches nearly ten kilometers, both banks are flood control embankments, leaving only one suitable entry and exit point. Competitors must pair up, ride a motorboat downstream to the starting point, wait for the tidal bore to arrive, then paddle against the current to chase the wave. Once they miss it, they must get back on the boat and "chase the wave" again. According to the rules, the two must alternate between piloting the boat and surfing, while judges on the command boat score based on the difficulty, execution, fluidity, and expressiveness of the maneuvers.
Additionally, compared to ocean waves, the water in the Qiantang River surfing area is murky, with high sediment content and complex hydrological conditions. Moreover, the longer distance and lower buoyancy of inland surfing place extremely high demands on the surfers’ stamina.
"The Qiantang River has a low riverbed, a narrow channel, and extremely powerful tidal bores. The movement of sediment at the river bottom is highly complex, and the changes in erosion and deposition on the riverbed are astonishing, with sediment content reaching up to 75% in some areas. If a surfer inhales water, it can be extremely dangerous," said Bao Xuping, CEO of Surfing China. "Only surfers with very high technical skills dare to try."
As the favorites to win this competition, Team Hawaii (USA) never lacks big-name stars. Jamie Sterling, the "Big Wave Expert," and Mary Osborne, the "Surf Queen," who competed in 2013, are among them. This year, Team Hawaii is represented by Jamie O'Brien, the youngest surfer in the world to win the Pipeline Masters, at the age of 31.
Huntington Beach in Southern California is known as the "Surf City." This small city with a population of less than 200,000 boasts a prime stretch of golden coastline, where everyone is a "wave tamer." Representing Team Huntington Beach, California, is Tosh Townend, who started surfing at the age of 7, won the California Junior Skateboarding Championship at 11, became a professional skateboarder at 16, and entered professional surfing competitions at 18. Sounds a bit mixed up? In Huntington Beach, there are many kids like Tosh who are adept on both water and land. Notably, Tosh's father is the legendary Peter Townend, 1976 World Surfing Champion and the overall planner of this event.
Chinese Surfers Make Their First "Splash"
For the two Chinese surfers, the Qiantang River is an unknown body of water full of allure and challenges. Chen Dongming, a 39-year-old surfer from Taipei, China, started surfing at 18 and has participated in multiple high-level competitions such as the Japanese Pro Tour and the World Pro Tour. Speaking about surfing the Qiantang, Chen Dongming is visibly excited. "I've been following this competition for two years. Every year, I watch the surfers' videos online. The level is very high, and it feels really thrilling. I’ve always wanted to give it a try. I didn’t expect to have the chance to participate this year, and I learned that if I make it to the finals, it will be the first time a Chinese surfer takes part in inland surfing. If I get that opportunity, I would feel incredibly happy and proud." Chen Dongming stated that to prepare for this challenge, he has started intensifying his physical training. "I’ve added running to my training plan. I’ve faced Tiezhuang three times before and won all of them. I hope I can win this chance this time."
Tiezhuang, 30, although born in Inner Mongolia, has loved water since childhood. At the age of 25, driven by a longing for the sea, Tiezhuang came to Hainan for the first time and encountered surfing. Since then, he has settled in Hainan, determined to devote his life to the sport. Tiezhuang admits he doesn’t know much about inland surfing. "But it’s not hard to see from the videos of the previous two competitions that the difficulty and thrill of inland surfing are no less than those of ocean surfing. Chen Dongming is a formidable senior and opponent with extensive surfing experience. Compared to him, my biggest advantage is stamina."
"Although surfing is extremely popular in the United States and Australia, the truth is that the Chinese physique is actually well-suited for surfing. The height and limb balance of Chinese people are both very compatible with this sport. Many international elite surfers are not very tall, which helps with body balance control," analyzed Bao Xuping. "However, the Qiantang River is very strictly managed and also very dangerous — even swimming is not allowed. Therefore, whether in formal or informal settings, this will be the first time Chinese surfers appear on the Qiantang River."
The other member of Team Hangzhou is Phillip Macdonald from Australia. As a member of the championship team in the first Red Bull Qiantang River Surfing Competition in 2012, he will guide the training of the two Chinese surfers before the event and assess their strength and performance together with Peter Townend, the surfing legend and overall planner of the competition. The teammate decision will be announced on September 6.
At the press conference that day, Taiwanese singer Terry Lin expressed his interest in the event via video. He had previously conveyed his desire to experience Qiantang River surfing to the organizers and made the necessary preparations.
"It’s a pity that I can’t attend the event in person due to a TV show shoot," Xiao Qi (Terry Lin) said. "I hope that with continuous training, I can join this competition soon. Meanwhile, I wish all participating surfers the best of luck."