Red Bull Qiantang Surfing Shootout 2012

Red Bull Qiantang Surfing Shootout

Qiantang Surfing Shootout on Hangzhou from Oct 1-3.

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 29 September, 2012 : - - Sixteen surfers from four teams - GoPro Hawaii and Wabsono California from the United States, OE Great Barrier Reef from Australia, and Brazil's Roxy Amazon - will compete in the Red Bull Qiantang Surfing Shootout in Hangzhou from Oct 1-3.

The event is the only river-surfing competition in the world and is expected to attract more than 200,000 spectators along the banks as the tidal bore, more dramatically known as the "Silver Dragon", reaches its annual peak.

The Qiantang event, started in 2009 as an exhibition event, has changed into a legitimate surfing competition under the sponsorship of energy drink Red Bull this year, and the participating teams have increased from two to four.

"It's an incredible experience to be here in China and to surf this tidal bore - there is nothing like it that I've ever experienced," said American surfer Mary Osborne. "Itis always changing, you are not quite sure what's going to happen with the river. It's definitely one of the most adventurous things I get to do." Qiantang River enables surfers to ride continuously for almost two hours.

"With big waves there is a lot more water, the waves are a lot taller, you go a lot faster on big waves. But the river is a combination of river and ocean water, and the river waves go much farther than ocean waves. It will push you for two hours. I caught the longest waves of my life in the river," said big-wave surfer Jamie Sterling, who first surfed the Qiantang River in 2009, and is taking part in his third challenge.

Zhao Rongfu, head of Hangzhou Municipal Sports Bureau, said every surfer would have two jet skis, a speedboat and another vessel ahead of him or her. Three aid stations are set along the banks, and the surfers are not allowed to get within 150m of each bank. The government is aiming to attract the public, especially youngsters, to the sport.

Bao Xuping, CEO of organizer Surfing China, and a surfer said "I am able to surf on some sections of the Qiantang River and, as we acquire more knowledge about the river, we are expecting to start to bring up some Chinese surfers next year - the process will be scientific and systematic. I really hope we will have Chinese surfers participating in the competition next year."

About Qiantang River Tidal Bore

Qiantang River is the biggest in Zhejiang Province, running from the west to Hangzhou Bay in the east. It serves as a river hinge, playing an important role in the water-transportation between the east and the west. It is encircled by a group of economically booming cities including Shanghai, China's leading industrial and commercial hub, and Ningbo, one of China's leading port cities.

The extraordinary surging/bore tide of the Qiantang River is a world-renowned natural wonder caused by the gravitational pull of the stars and planets. The centrifugal force produced by the rotation of the earth and by the peculiar bottleneck shape of Hangzhou Bay makes it easy for the tide to come in, but difficult for it to ebb.

The soaring tide of the Qiantang River is such a spectacle that only the Amazon River's surging tide rivals it! Annually, millions of people from both home and abroad flock there to watch the magnificent tide on the eighteenth day of the eighth lunar month (also around the Mid-Autumn Day). When the surging tide comes, the water can rise up to a height of 30 feet and the noise it generates sounds like thunder, or thousands of horses running.

Various activities are held to celebrate the annual Tide according to local custom. In terms of its history, the custom of watching the bore tide has happened for more than 2000 years. It first appeared during the first century. Then, it became popular in the Tang Dynasty (about 7th -13th century). Yangong town in Haijing 45 km (about 28 miles) from Hangzhou is the best place to watch the Qiantang Tide.

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Source: CD/Red Bull

Author: The Editors

Tags: Red Bull Qiantang Surfing Shootout, Tidal bore,

Events: Surfersvillage