“The surfing community, like everyone else, panicked”

A report on how coronavirus affected surfing in China


February 13
|EN Recent
|POR DUKE

“The surfing community, like everyone else, panicked. People started wearing masks on the beach,” he wrote on the English site. magicseaweed Nik Zanella, an Italian surf instructor who has become one of the main links between the far-off People's Republic of China and the Western world.

In his note, the surfer says that the timing of the outbreak was not the best for the surfing world because it happened right at the beginning of the Chinese New Year holidays, when people from big cities go to the coast. Thus, some 20.000 people from Wuhan arrived in Hainan, home of Riyue Bay, one of the surfing capitals. “The cases of infection spread like wildfire,” adds Zanella.

The QS 5000 Corona Open ended three days after the first casualty was reported and on the same day that a casualty was reported outside China. “But from the emerald waters of Hainan, the problem still seemed remote, minimal,” says Zanella.

“Then the wheel spun and spun fast. Chinese dualistic philosophy focuses on the ever-changing dualism of yin and yang: darkness becomes light, wetness becomes dry. Everything turned into fear,” he adds.

“Living in China has never been easy for the “laowai” (Mandarin for “foreigner”). Life in China is a mix of short-term job opportunities and frankly a huge culture shock. You can’t blame those who fled, although many decided to stay and ride out this storm with the people they love,” Zanella explains.

The surfer tells the story of one of his friends from Hainan, Ye Shan, who left for Wuhan on January 21 just in time for his city to be quarantined on the 23rd. “Ten days inside our house is like jail. I am angry and bored out of my mind,” he said.

As of today, small towns along surfing beaches such as Houhai, 45km east of Sanya and 100km south of Riyue Bay, are safer. The nearby city of Hainan has 80 cases, which is a small number compared to the number in neighbouring Guangdong province, which has 797.

"After the initial panic, we now feel quite safe in the village. We have temperature checks at the entrance every time we come in and out (…) Things are getting better here,” said Monica Guo, a local longboard star.

“Surfing teaches you to enjoy brief moments in the most hostile environments: For example, a raging ocean. The virtues of adaptation and resilience have also been celebrated in Chinese society for millennia. There is one thing in common. Everyone is under an abnormal set, a massive storm called Coronavirus. All you need to do is hold your breath, wash your hands, keep your surroundings clean and wait for everything to calm down.”  the Italian concludes in his article.

 

China Coronavirus surf