LANZHOU, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- After putting on their warm windshells and life jackets, eight-year-old Wu Ze and a couple of his friends stepped onto their stand-up paddles and began to surf on the Yellow River on Spring Festival break at the winter noon.

More and more children like Wu have been joining stand-up paddle boarding in Yongjing County, next to the Yellow River in northwest China's Gansu Province during the past few years.

Wu said he began to practice stand-up paddle boarding every morning and evening during his summer vacation in 2024.

"In winter, I can still practice after wearing warm clothes, and the Yellow River is just my theme park," said Wu.

The boy's hard work paid off when he claimed the title in men's U9 group at 2024 China stand-up paddling masters in Shizuishan, with over 300 people competiting in the event in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region last July.

"I couldn't have won this title without my instructor Wang Linhu, and he helped me a lot," Wu said.

51-year-old Wang was introduced to stand-up paddle boarding for the first time in 2020. "At that time, the sport gave us a safety guarantee for an outdoor swimming competition," said Wang, adding that he and his friends have been attracted by the sport.

Wang's stand-up paddle club has been registered by the Water Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, and he also obtained coach and referee qualifications in 2023.

Wang said that both adults and children could quickly get started as stand-up paddlers compared to other water sports. In addition, stand-up paddle equipment, like boards and paddles, are easy to carry. The boards are divided into inflatable boards and rigid boards.

"Our county is located in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, with good water quality," said Wang, adding that the banks of the Yellow River were mostly muddy with relatively few stones, making it safer to engage in stand-up paddling.

Wang has driven more and more stand-up paddling enthusiasts to become elite paddlers through teaching and training during the past few years. The number of stand-up paddlers has grown from a few to over 150 now.

"The youngest child in my club is only four years old," Wang said.

"The weight of a single board is about five kilograms, and children can also move it," said Wang, stating that the whole set of equipment is affordable to most families.

Wang believed that stand-up paddle allowed children and parents to enjoy the process of growth together.

11-year-old Bai Haochen, who lives in Lanzhou City adjacent to Yongjing County, also came to the county where his grandparents live in and engaged in stand-up paddle boarding.

"My grandson took the paddle and board by himself, and he gradually became sensible as a big boy through the sport," said Zhao Yinglian, Bai's grandmother, adding that the adults were very happy to see the boy take up the sport.

Stand-up paddle fever has lit up enthusiasts across the country. From Beijing to Shanghai, from Chengdu to Guangzhou, more and more fans have engaging in this water sport these years. China has also created stand-up paddle events of different levels in many regions including Ningxia and Gansu in northwest China.

In addition to paddling, participants can also play cricket, practice yoga, and even walk their dogs on the stand-up paddle board. "I think all this adds a sporting charm to stand-up paddle," Wang said. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)