On September 16, alerted by a call, security patrol officers came to Shenzhen's Xichong Beach looking for surfers. They confiscated surfboards when they found them, then proceeded to cut out chunks of the boards using saws. One man caught on tape resists them at first, then stands to the side, seemingly stunned.
Videos of the sawing action went viral on social media, where they provoked outrage and disbelief. Photos of the aftermath show at least four broken boards. What's more, they seem to have been rented from shops located right on Xichong Beach. According to a store owner who owns some of the now-unusable surfboards, the loss of each one cost about RMB6000 or 7000.
A video shows the officers in action (VPN off):
The group that manages the beach is Nan'ao Xichong Joint Stock Company. In a statement, it said that police had received a complaint over the phone from someone who had been hit by a surfboard. Although the perpetrator had most likely left the scene by the time workers arrived, local management took measures to ensure no more surfing would happen. Visitors who refused to hand over their boards had them taken away and sawed up, while shops were ordered to stop renting surfboards. An employee of Nan'ao Xichong Joint Stock Company stated:
"...incidents of surfboards hurting people at Xichong Beach happen repeatedly, we did this to ensure the safety of visitors’ health and property."
Although the company admitted they didn't have the legal right to damage people's surfboards, they also argued that the beach doesn't have the proper prerequisites for safe surfing. Since the incident they have compensated the owners of the boards for the damages.
On the 18th, they showed a desire to make amends by calling together a meeting that included the Shenzhen Surfing Sports Association as well as various local government groups. Afterwards, the surfing association president Yang Zijiang said things had gone well. During the meeting, which lasted from morning til noon, "everyone discussed how to let surfing sports safely develop in the Xichong seaside area."
While surfing is still not allowed at Xichong, it may be possible in the near future. According to Yang, there was general agreement that the beach could abide by international surfing procedure, where surfing and general swimming areas are separated. Shenzhen Surfing Sports Association was also asked to help promote safe practices and techniques and other plans are underway to get Xichong up to standard.
With any luck, the beach will soon be a safe place for surfers and surfboards alike.
[Images via Daily Sunshine, Sports.sohu.com]
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