900 years is too long—only the tides matter. Legendary surfers from both sides of the strait compete for the title of China’s first Qiantang River surfer.
Published: 2026-09-24
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Last updated 2026-09-24 — "Surfing the tides" flourished in the Tang Dynasty and reached its peak in the Southern Song Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Xiaozong, a group of well-known tide-surfing stars such as Ya Ba, Xie Bangsha, Hua Niuer, and Seng’er emerged. Like modern celebrities, their every appearance on the Qiantang River drew large crowds of fans cheering them on, thus etching their names in history. However, under factors such as strict government control and shifts in the Qiantang River estuary, it gradually declined by the end of the Song Dynasty. The grand Chinese tide-surfing spectacle thus faded into silence on the Qiantang River. More than nine hundred years later, in 2014, the figures of China’s "tide riders" will once again appear in the Qiantang tidal bore, competing with top international athletes for the "tides" of the Qiantang.
The press conference for the 2014 Red Bull Qiantang River Surfing Challenge was held in Hangzhou on August 18. Two of the best domestic male professional surfers in international surfing competitions—Tie Zhuang from Inner Mongolia and Chen Dongming from Taiwan—will compete before the event for the honor of being named "China’s First Qiantang River Surfer." The winner will team up with Phillip Macdonald from Australia, a member of the champion team from the first Red Bull Qiantang River Surfing Challenge in 2012, to form the Hangzhou, China team and advance to the official competition.
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The event will take place from September 9 to 11 in the river section from Xiaoshan Tide-Watching City to Hangzhou City Balcony. The four competing teams are the U.S. California Team, the Australian Queensland Team, the U.S. Hawaii Team, and the China Hangzhou Team.
Grassland man surfs just as well
Although born in Inner Mongolia, Tie Zhuang has loved water since childhood. By a small river on the Horqin Grassland in his hometown, he taught himself to swim and began dreaming of the world beyond the grasslands. At the age of 25, driven by a longing for the sea, Tie Zhuang came to Hainan, where he saw surfing for the first time. He then settled in Hainan, determined to spend his life with the sport.
With few top domestic surfers around, Tie Zhuang turned to the internet to find videos of international pros, carefully studying and mimicking their moves. Whenever he met skilled surfers, he seized the chance to learn. Over the years, Hainan’s surfing community came to know Tie Zhuang for his diligence, and he received extensive guidance from Japanese surfing veteran Chiba Hideyuki, who has over 30 years of experience. The two became good friends. As his skills improved, Tie Zhuang began entering high-level competitions, gradually showcasing his talent. In 2009, he won the "Best Local Surfer" award at the Surfing Hainan Open. In 2012, he placed fourth in the longboard division of the same event, becoming the only domestic surfer to earn a wildcard for the World Men’s Longboard Finals. He also participated in the ASP Hainan International Pro Surfing Event at the Wanning Surfing Festival in both 2012 and 2013.
His impressive achievements in ocean surfing caught the attention of the organizers of the Red Bull Qiantang River Surfing Challenge. But for Tie Zhuang, river surfing remains a fresh and challenging endeavor. "River surfing is still uncharted territory for me. From watching past competition videos, I’ve found that its unpredictability and difficulty are no less than ocean surfing. Ocean waves come in sequences, but river waves are longer and the water faster. So I’m really looking forward to this Qiantang River surfing competition," Tie Zhuang said. Though he lacks the experience of Chen Dongming, he’s determined to vie for the title of "China’s First Inland River Surfer." "Chen Dongming is a formidable senior and opponent with rich surfing experience, but I have my own advantages—I’m younger, likely have better stamina and explosiveness, and I’ve recently been focusing on leg strength training. I hope to make it into the official competition this time; it would be a huge opportunity for me."