A sweltering sun climbs to its zenith as Sunday morning rounds 10 o’clock – the time most 20-somethings submit to hung-over lassitude, turn over in bed and stuff their face under a pillow. But not the Zengcheng wakeboarders.
Rising at 7am to hit the road by 8, these enthusiasts pile into a friend’s car each weekend to descend upon the rickety docks of Zengcheng’s Baihua Mountain Resort, where a man-made reservoir beckons them into a world of aerial stunts. By mid-morning, the heavy-eyed adventure seekers have already lined up their boards in order of voyage, taking turns perfecting what they call “monkey spins” and “handle passes.”
Few words are tossed back and forth on the berth. Cliques of Chinese, Hong Kongese, Australians, Russians and South Koreans cozy up to lounge chairs, nodding off between page turns or messing around on the dock’s trampoline. All are familiar with the routine: board, rest, board again. Their day belongs to the water; a modest lake of murky green depth that is neither clear nor polluted.
Opened in 1999 with support from Michael Chow of Kowloon – the only Asian to ever compete in a world waterski competition – Baihua Mountain reservoir has served as a rare haven for South China’s wakeboarders and waterskiers. Chow, who looks a decade younger than his weathered age of 62, first skimmed the water in 1966, traversing the open seas of Hong Kong as a boy. In 1984 and 1985, he competed in two global waterskiing competitions before taking 30 years off to train, dominating local races in his home country instead. This past April, he made a surprising reappearance on the starting line of the 2015 World Waterski Racing Championships in New Zealand, where, he laughs, “I let the young ones go on ahead.”
Focusing on waterski racing, a perilous event in which a 1,600-horsepower boat pulls a skier over 100 miles an hour for nearly two hours, Chow is anything but middle-of-the-road. Though not a businessman, he has managed to develop Zengcheng’s largest reservoir into a top-notch training camp, investing his own money into the project and often operating at a loss. Visitors can stop by any day of the week to rent a wakeboard, take lessons and enjoy unlimited access to a motorboat for RMB600 a day (RMB550 for women, discounts during winter months).
“Five minutes listening to my instruction and you’ll get up on the board today,” Chow affirms, brimming with what appears to be well-earned confidence. Sure enough, even the newcomers we see consistently rise on their first try, surfing the water for minutes at a time before tumbling into a bed of waves. Though he feigns casual acquaintance, Chow is deeply invested in anyone who frequents his shores, gauging their progress week to week and sharing his counsel when invited.
All motorboat drivers are licensed and trained in safety by Chow, who expounds the intricacies of the sport, including the ideal weight and speed of a boat for novice boarders versus pros. An assortment of lifejackets hangs on shore for the extra-cautious or non-swimmers – of which, we’re shocked to learn, there are many.
When noon rolls around, sun-strewn raindrops plummet against the dock’s tarp ceiling – a fair excuse to break for lunch. Chow, sporting Ray Bans and a skintight Speedo, boils a pot of dumplings for the sapped guests on site. Anyone is free to grab a bowl and help themselves to jiaozi, bok choy, fried rice or bananas. Some brew shots of espresso; others grill meaty skewers on the far side of the wharf. As storm winds fade into savory scents, it’s hard not to feel at home amongst this peculiar posse of boarders.
The afternoon carries on much the same, with three motorboats trucking flocks of eager passengers over the smooth water. Unlike the ocean, where Chow learned to waterski, the Baihua reservoir is unshakable glass – perfect for an amateur rider or midair maneuvers. Waterskiers are welcome but need to bring their own equipment, as there are no ski rentals available. For the less athletically inclined, a hot pink towable tube awaits to revive a few terrifying memories from childhood – because who doesn’t love being whipped around in circles while screaming for the driver to stop?
In a city of steel and grey, Baihua Mountain Resort is like the lake house of a jaded suburban family. Its waters rejuvenate Guangdong’s parched summer days. For Chow and the others, the lengthy commute offers long overdue downtime; a chance to slip into a buoyant wonderland and see just how far they can stretch the limit.
// Open daily, 9am-6.30pm, RMB550-600 for unlimited rides. Baihua Mountain Resort, 88 Baihua Lu, Licheng Zhen, Zengcheng District 增城区荔城镇荔城大道百花路88号百花山庄度假村 (020-8261 8888, 8265 8088, www.zcbhsz.com)
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