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 Taiwan's surfing pioneer Jeff Sun cuts it up |
Srfing, roughly translated into Mandarin Chinese, means "struggling with the waves." Since the introduction of the sport to the island in the late 1970s, an increasing number of people are testing their strength and skill against the formidable breakers in Taiwan. On December 10, 1995, the ROC Surfing Association sponsored the All-Taiwan Honeymoon Bay Surfing Contest at Tahsi, located in the Northeast Coast National Scenic Area. In spite of early morning showers, 55 people ranging in age from seven to 67 entered the contest, with dozens more coming out to observe the event.
A temple, rather than a road sign, stands between the highway and one of northern Taiwan's hottest surfing spots. Sunday mornings are normally quiet, but at 10:30 on this morning, as the heavy beat of rap music pumped out defiance to the foul weather, the first group of wetsuit-garbed surfers plunged into the waves. It was about 11:00 a.m. when the music won this war of wills. The rain stopped, the sun came out, and it became a perfect day for a surfing contest at Honeymoon Bay.
After wading through the initial shore break, surfers clambered atop their boards and paddled out. At the invisible line that marks the place where small waves pass by quietly and big waves can be surfed, they bobbed up and down awaiting the judges' signal. For a piercing second, the blast of an air horn drowned out the music, and the next few waves propelled the first surfers into action. With a small forest of people slashing back and forth between the sandy beach and the imposing shape of Kueishan (Turtle Mountain) Island in the background, the All-Taiwan Honeymoon Bay Surfing Contest lurched to a start.
Rules of the Game
Each group of surfers was given a time period of 20 minutes within which each one of them had to take at least three rides. Surfers could score points on a maximum of 10 waves. According to the head judge and founder of the sport in Taiwan, Jeff Sun, contestants were evaluated on three criteria:
"Surfers are judged on maneuvers, wave choice, and the duration of their rides--but the most important criteria is ave choice," he said. "Depending on the size of the breakers, a larger wave enables surfers to pull off more difficult maneuvers as well as ride the wave out longer."
In order to foster fair competition among a diverse group of participants, contestants were divided into five different groups based on age and experience. There were five categories: children, women, seniors, and men's groups A and B. The youngest participant, seven-year-old Henry Sun, has been surfing since he was four; the oldest surfer, 67-year-old Kuo Chang Rong, did not begin riding the waves until he was 65. A man who can still recall the last two decades of Japan's 50-year rule over Taiwan, Kuo enthusiastically explained his initial attraction to the sport.
"I was in the merchant marine for decades and could never really get over my love for the sea," he said. "Two years ago it was my son who suggested that I try surfing and taught me the sport." With a begrudging look on his face, Mr. Kuo admitted that his son is still the better surfer. "After all," he explained, "he has been doing it one year longer than I have."
A True Love for Surfing
In spite of the intensity with which the contestants went at the waves, camaraderie rather than competition prevailed on the beach. Clearly, the surfers participated out of a true love for the sport. For Tom Sun, the younger brother of the island's top surfing guru, surfing is the ideal sport for kids. "It teaches them to understand the sea and increases their endurance," he said. "Surfing is a lot better than many other activities today which young people frequently get involved in but are deemed unhealthy. It is also a sport they can do throughout the whole year." He was not exaggerating. A latitude roughly in line with Hawaii and Cabo San Lucas gives the island's coastal waters a balmy temperature even during the winter months.
Veteran South African surfer, Sean Juan, conceded that the quality of surfing in Taiwan was a pleasant surprise. "If you live in the northern part of the island, a trip to Honeymoon Bay or Fulung Beach is convenient and can provide some excellent waves," he comments. "But for more regular breaks, Kenting and other places in the south are really the best."
According to the Sun brothers, who have set up both a surf shop and a surf center in the little town of Tahsi near Honeymoon Bay, the quality of surfing in Taiwan is beginning to get international recognition. A number of Japanese, Australians, and Americans have heard about the development of the sport here and sought the Suns out for surfing excursions. Jeff Sun operates a top-notch surf shop in Tahsi where all the latest boards and equipment can be purchased. He also custom-makes boards for very reasonable prices. At the adjacent Surf Center, run by Tom Sun, surfers can receive lessons, meals, lodging, and equipment rental. A special three-day package includes videotaped lessons, all equipment, and meals for only NT$3,000 (aroundUS $115)! The Surf Center relies upon "goodhearted self-service," where you keep your own tab for things like food and drink and then settle accounts with Mrs. Sun before you leave. For more information, contact the Center at (039)781-781 or fax: (02)732-7984.
A long day of "struggling with the waves" imprinted a euphoric exhaustion on the faces of the participants at the All-Taiwan Honeymoon Bay Surfing Contest. But for an observer new to the sport and turned off by the condescension of many expert surfers in the West, the aura of friendship which pervaded Honeymoon Bay made it seem an ideal place for learning the sport. With friendly and knowledgeable folks such as these, it's no surprise that an increasing number of people are turning to surfing in Taiwan.