First Female Chinese Surfer Is Promote the Sport on Hainan

China is just discovering the sport of surfing. For the past three years, the World Longboard Championships have been held in Wanning, on Hainan Island in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Published

7 months ago

Categories

Sports

Topics

Sports

People

Darci Liu

Places

China, Hainan, Gulf of Tonkin

Transcript

SCRIPT: 27-year-old Darci Liu is China’s first female professional surfer. The former ballerina who grew up in some 1000 KM from the sea, was introduced to the sport in 2007 by her husband, a Californian surfer. But having now taken part in the last three Hainan World Longboard Championships - Darci is carving her way to the top, to complete against the best professionals. SOUNDBITE 1: Darci Liu (woman), Professional surfer, (English, 19 sec) : “I feel lucky, I feel grateful, I have a good opportunity and chance to be here, to surf with all the best women longboarders from all over the world, and to becoming good friend with them, yeah, I’m happy and proud.” In China surfing is still a new and largely fringe sport, but the world championships are a favourite with the local media. The coverage has led to a rapid increase in the number of surfers here – a few hundred, compared to barely a dozen 5 years ago. Darci has even opened a surf shop on the island, from where she occasionally gives lessons to tourists, or local children. SOUNDBITE 2: Darci Liu (woman), Professional surfer, (English, 19 sec) : « These kids are so good, They’re the future. They're definitely going to surf way better than us . I really hope that they’ll get better and better, and the next generation, they have to take it over. They probably gonna be the world champion who knows, right ? » Until recently this part of Hainan Island has been relatively untouched by development and is still a surfers paradise. But with residential buildings sprouting fast, along with plans to build a marina, Darci is campaigning hard to safeguard the local environment and its population of sea turtles. SOUNDBITE 3: Darci Liu (woman), Professional surfer, (English, 19 sec) : It makes me feel so much better. It’s starting, there are people starting to care about protecting those little turtles, they’re such a lovely animal. They need to be protected.” Surfing has changed Darci’s life and now she wants to use her passion to inspire others and preserve Hainan island for future generations. SHOTLIST: WANNING, HAINAN ISLAND, CHINA. 24 NOV 2013. SOURCE: AFPTV - Pan from her hands to Darci's face - Darci surfing SOUNDBITE 1 - Darci surfing - VAR of media on the beach - Darci with student - VAR student surfing SOUNDBITE 2 - Darci surfing - VAR of new buildings - VAR of Darci with two women in turtle sanctuary SOUNDBITE 3 - VAR Darci surfing /// -----