Surfing China's Qiantang River Tidal Bore, Hangzhou - September, 2008

Top professional big wave surfers head to the Qiantang River in Hangzhou, China to surf the world's largest tidal bore--known as the "Silver Dragon."

Greg Long, Rusty Long, and Mark Healey wow the masses at the annual Tidal Bore Wave Watching Festival in Hangzhou and make surfing history!

Gerard Sports Marketing (GSM) has teamed up with Chinese partner, Wabsono International--and the Chinese government--to bring the sport of surfing to the Chinese people.

Everyday--twice a day--in the City of Hangzhou (pronounced "han-joe"), a tidal bore wave rolls upstream on the Qiantang (pronounced "kwin-tang") River. And each year, in September, the wave is at its largest.

To witness this awesome sight, hundreds of thousands of Chinese people come to the annual Wave Watching Festival in Hangzhou. And this year, they're here to see surfing for the very first time.

For this trip, we brought the Long brothers, and Mark Healey.

The purpose of this trip was to demonstrate to the Chinese government that surfing on the river was feasible... and that the idea of broadening the annual festival to include surfing is a good one.

This year's surfing event was a huge success. In fact, the day of the festival, it was a top story on the Chinese national news channel (CCTV)--and was viewed by approximately 1/2 the entire Chinese population!

GSM and Wabsono have signed a long term exclusive rights deal with the City of Hangzhou to develop the surfing festival concept. The plan is to include industry brands and promote the sport to the Chinese people.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• China
• surfing
• waves
• water
• sports
• Quintang
• River
• Hangzhou
• Billabong
• Quiksilver
• Mark
• Healey
• Rusty
• Long
• Greg

[poggle371]

Well done guys!I was the first to surf the dragon in 1988 and it was good to see you all 20 years on...Stuart Matthews

[neilandfi]

@GrahamTVdotNet Whilst in any normal sense, I back up Stu's claim, there is another sense in which it is not true. About 800 years ago, convicted criminals were given a board of sorts and made to stand in the path of the wave...surf or die kinda thing

[vigorwoods]

It's really, really dangerous.

[moronormormon]

The water looks disgusting.

[mndpsp1]

im a british expat living in china, and i would NEVER in my entire life, get into a chinese river. Kudos to them!

[papapetad]

@elstado1 No way. If there were more surfers, mankind might actually have a chance of survival coz more people wouldn't give a shit about materialistic nonsense and they certainly would not join up the police and army and take part in fascist practices. They'd just hang 10 and chill the fuck out. Need more surfers, just less "industry brands". The brands can go fuck themselves, using something as noble and pure as surfing to sell their overpriced junk. I know what you're saying though :)

[IGcolin]

lucky bastards

[marleySux]

doesnt look worth the hassle

[Acziok01]

5:00 mind = blown