Surfing fashion has really entered the mainstream now," says Simon Chau, co-founder of the Hong Kong Surfing Association (HKSA). "Young people are wearing the clothes everywhere, and the whole surf lifestyle is catching on." Chau is explaining why he’s confident the second Quiksilver Hong Kong Surfing Cup (December 12-13) at Big Wave Bay, Shek O, is going to be an even bigger success than last year’s headline-making inaugural event. "Also, everyone who came last year will probably bring their friends. There’s going to be a real party atmosphere this year." As part of the celebration of the surfing lifestyle, a ’Quiksilver Beach party’ will be held at Shek O Sailing Club, Rocky Bay, on the Saturday evening of the event. The party is open to all surfers and spectators (tickets are available with the competition programme), and will feature a DJ as well as a fashion show with models, all in a relaxed beach environment.

It’s hard to believe that it was just 12 months ago that Hong Kong hosted its first-ever surf competition. Despite having no precedent, the 1997 Quiksilver Hong Kong Surfing Cup was a revelation, both in its professionalism and its popularity. "For a first contest, it was something else," says Francesco Suarez, who co-founded the HKSA in 1995 with Chau and Grant Robinson. "At most first-time local contests you’re happy if someone’s brought a bullhorn to start the contest. But we had everything you’d see at most professional surfing contests ­ big crowds; a slick, professional format; professional judging; excellent sponsorship; loads of prizes; and fantastic coverage in the media."

Over the past 12 months, the sport has continued to boom locally. For the first time, Hong Kong was represented in an international surfing competition when, in July, Kriston Reid and Mathis Reily took part in the 1998 Bali Grommet Contest ­ one of the world’s top junior events. The membership of the HKSA has shot up over the past year from 200 to almost 300, and surfboards and surfwear are selling like the proverbial hotcakes amongst both local Chinese and expats. But it wasn’t always like this.

First wave

It’s impossible to say exactly who was the first person to surf in Hong Kong, but it’s generally agreed that GIs and a few locals were surfing Big Wave Bay in the 1960s. Derek Bailey, a local schoolteacher, first started body surfing in Big Wave Bay as a teenager in the 1960s, and by the 1970s was part of a strong local surf contingent, made up of expats. Bailey recalls: "By the mid-70s there was a growing group of surfers in Hong Kong ­ about 12 in all! At that time, the only locals interested in surfing were a few of the lifeguards at Big Wave Bay. We weren’t very good, but we used to have great fun and some good evenings on the beach afterwards. We knew absolutely everyone with a board and an interest in surfing."

Through most of the 1980s, surfing remained the domain of a few regulars, with, at most, a dozen surfers at Big Wave Bay at any one time. But by the 1990s the writing was on the wall: surfing was catching on with the masses and it needed some direction. "We foresaw that surfing would grow, and that it would need some focus and direction," says Suarez. "After all, there were guys who wanted to keep surfing exclusive, and didn’t want newcomers crowding the breaks. But we knew that surfing was going to boom once it caught on with the Chinese, and that the best way to develop a growing sport is good management and development of resources. Also, with so many beginner surfers, we wanted to make sure that people had a good avenue into the sport where they could get education and guidance, and learn about etiquette such as right of way, traffic flow, and where to attempt your first waves. Hence, the formation of the HKSA."

Another crucial reason for the formation of the HKSA and organizing the first surf competition was to bring the rapidly growing surf crowd together. "At the same time as the local surf scene boomed, it also began to fragment," says Suarez. "In the old days, all surfers knew each other, but now we were starting to see groups turn up at breaks who didn’t know each other and there was no feeling of community. One great thing the surf contest did was bring everyone together. Simply putting guys in the same heat made them talk to each other, and everyone got to know each other. I’ve seen places in the US and Australia where there can be a lot of hostility because of factionalism. We wanted to eradicate that."

Despite the positive steps taken by the HKSA in the past four years, it hasn’t been smooth waters all the way. In early 1997, there was an incident involving a surfer which resulted in a swimmer complaining to the authorities. The government then dusted off an old law which effectively banned any watersports at Big Wave Bay (apart from swimming) which didn’t have prior approval from the Urban Council. Hong Kong’s most popular surf spot was suddenly out of bounds, at least for a while. This is when the HKSA proved its worth. "Instead of a bunch of guys ignoring the ruling and surfing anyway, we were able to give surfers a single, responsible voice," says Suarez. "And the government weren’t wrong: we also want to ensure the safety of everyone, surfers and swimmers." After negotiations, there was an agreement which allowed surfing in areas cordoned off from swimmers.

In any case, surfers don’t often encounter swimmers in Hong Kong: the most popular time for surfing is the winter and local swimmers don’t like waves or rough conditions. From November to March, swells from the northeast monsoon produce the area’s most consistent waves. There’s a common misconception with local Chinese that you can only surf in Hong Kong when there’s a typhoon (which occur most frequently in late summer). While they produce the biggest waves, Suarez warns: "Never surf in a typhoon ­ they’re big, powerful, unpredictable beasts."

Big Wave Bay and Tai Long Wan (Cantonese for "Big Wave Bay") in Sai Kung have long been the premier spots for surfing in Hong Kong. While Big Wave Bay is more accessible, and therefore more popular, it’s worth making the effort to get to Tai Long Wan as it has a much longer, cleaner wave ­ and cleaner water too. While these two spots are the most consistent in Hong Kong, there are other breaks which in the right conditions produce far better waves ­ but many of these remain a secret to the general surf population. This is not by accident.

"There’s a long history of not giving away the locations of good waves," says Suarez. "If you have the tenacity and spirit to get out there, explore and find waves, then you deserve to surf them." On a more practical note, it’s not worth listing many of the top breaks because they’re simply too dangerous for novice surfers. In this tight surf community, if you’re good enough to surf the better waves, you will find out about them soon enough.

Unfortunately for those looking to learn the sport, no one in the SAR is currently offering official surfing lessons. Although it’s an unsatisfactory situation ­ especially for matters of safety ­ without financial funding from the government, it’s unlikely to change in the near future. Anyone who wants to learn to surf should head to Big Wave Bay on a Sunday. This beach break allows you to learn in a safe environment, and you can meet up with the local surfers, most of whom will be happy to show you the ropes.

Practicalities

At "Eric’s shop" on Big Wave Bay beach, you can rent boards for HK$50 per day, and bodyboards for HK$10-30 per day. Eric also has some storage space for boards. Three shops in Hong Kong sell surfboards: Quiksilver Boardriders Club, 1/F, 10 Pak Sha Rd, Causeway Bay (tel: 2836 6075); Wind N’ Surf, G/F, 1 Glenealy Rd, Lan Kwai Fong, Central (tel: 2366 9293); and Pro Shop, 1/F, Front Unit, Ocean View Court, 31 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui (tel: 2723 6816). Almost all boards in Hong Kong are good-quality models from Australia, and range between 5feet 10inches (178cms) and 7feet (213cms). The prices are cheaper than Bali or Japan, but more expensive than the USA or Australia. You should expect to pay between HK$3-4000 for the cheaper models, and up to HK$6000 at the top end. In the winter, you may need a 3mm wetsuit although the water rarely gets too cold for surfing.