Gold or Glory

October 30, 2019 / by Philippe Dova

For the past ten years, the International Festival of Extreme Sports (FISE), created by the Hurricane Group, gathers some 550,000 spectators across five days in Montpellier, France. Similar in nature to the X Games, 1,800 athletes compete in 12 extreme sports – including BMX biking, skateboarding, inline skating, wakeboarding, scootering and mountain biking. By signing an agreement with Chengdu in 1981, Montpellier became the first French city to pair with a Chinese sister city. So it makes sense that, with the FISE World Series tour’s global expansion (starting in 2014) to add editions in China, Japan, Malaysia, Canada, the US, Hungary and Andorra, Hurricane chose Chengdu as its base for the China event.

The aim for many competitors at this sixth edition of the FISE World Chengdu is Tokyo 2020. From October 31 to November 3, more than 450 athletes from China and around the world will compete on the slopes of the “freestyle park” in Sichuan’s capital to try to win the World Cup in either BMX Freestyle or Roller Freestyle – and thus qualify for next year’s Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Indeed, for the first time, these two disciplines will be part of the 2020 Olympics – and it’s a true recognition for “extreme” sports that, for the past 20 years, have been growing in popularity, especially in urban areas. “The 450 participants of the FISE World Chengdu are solely amateurs, but we consider 30 of them as professionals and this year, several national federations will accompany their athletes,” says Thibaut Girardot, the Asia general manager of Hurricane.

The BMX Freestyle event takes place in a 10,000sqft space equipped with ramps and bumps; it’s a giant playground on which the competitor performs several figures and jumps for a minute and a half. At the end of the regulatory period, they’re graded by a jury according to various criteria, such as the use of space, the form and the number of somersaults. As in ski-jumping, there are several levels of difficulty. The idea is the same for Roller Freestyle, except that the bike is replaced by inline skates and the competitor performs in a skate park, which is less bulky and has other types of bumps and ramps.

Apart from the two new Olympic disciplines, BMX Flatland is a unique event that athletes can compete in at FISE World Chengdu. It’s an artistic performance during which the competitor “dances” and executes figures, all while staying on the bike. Additionally, there’s the Scooter Freestyle – riding a scooter in an event that involves jumping and performing tricks for a minute and a half. “This is a sport that is emerging and has become very popular in Asia, especially in China, which is why we have associated it with FISE,” explains Girardot.

Polo Position

March 6, 2019 / by China Daily lifestyle Premium

Image above: The Hong Kong Polo Team in Beijing

When you initially considered setting up a Hong Kong polo club, did you envisage it would take as long as it has? 

The Hong Kong Polo Team was founded out of our pure enthusiasm for the sport, towards the end of 2013, by Asia World Polo; we played our first friendly in November that same year in Thailand. At the time, we realised that because of the lack of polo facilities in Hong Kong, it was the only major city in the world without a polo club or polo team. I knew from the outset that this was going to be a long process, as I had heard stories of others who had tried and failed. It’s also a case of having to start from the ground up and win the hearts and minds, find the land, gain the support of the equestrian community and secure the funding. In our mission, #bringingpolobacktohongkong, the magic ingredients are belief, resilience and patience.

Tell us about the soon-to-open facility in Sai Kung. What can we expect? 

If we can find the funding or secure investors, the plan is to build an equestrian centre that not only caters to polo enthusiasts, but also to the wider community to genuinely make polo and riding available to all. There are already large numbers of people on waiting lists to join riding schools in Hong Kong, so I guess there will be a little demand.

How many horses would you keep there, and can you give us a sense of the facilities or setup? 

We plan to accommodate around 100 horses, a polo arena, stables, a riding school, and facilities for the Riding for the Disabled Association and other worthy charitable organisations that could benefit, such as disadvantaged children’s societies. We also plan to introduce a programme to retrain and rehome retired racehorses. 

For beginners, what will a lesson or clinic entail and cost? 

The great thing is these days you don’t need a string of polo ponies and an introduction from an elite member club to get started. If you can afford to rent a horse for an hour twice a month, or preferably once a week, you can not only learn to play polo, but also to ride and be involved in a wonderfully engaging and supportive community. We can help with directing you to polo clubs and clinics that train you. The average cost is HK$800 to HK$1,200 per hour. If you compare that to golf or sailing, it’s very achievable. Andy Leung – a member of our polo team – has started a beginners’ polo team with periodic training camps in Tianjin, and is recruiting new novice players and riders regularly from the local community. We also have the Hong Kong Polo Academy, based in Beijing, which can provide polo clinics, group lessons and introduction weekends. 

Your aim is to make polo accessible for all. For someone with a modicum of sporting ability who has never played polo or ridden horses before, but has interest, how long do you imagine it takes them to learn? 

It’s fair to say that I had a modicum of sporting ability – I liked badminton, tennis, cycling, skiing and scuba-diving, but it’s also fair to say I wasn’t particularly good at any of those disciplines. And that’s my point; you don’t have to be good at a particular sport to enjoy it. We’re not all destined to be Olympic athletes, but polo and horse riding will certainly get you in good shape. I didn’t start taking riding and polo lessons until I was 40 and I played my first tournament before I was 41. Six months to a year is a good estimate if you train once or twice a week.

What’s the standard size of a polo pitch? 

A full-size competition polo field is around 140 by 300 metres, but we are planning for arena polo, which is about the size of a football pitch – around 100 by 50 metres.

Where does the Hong Kong Polo Team’s circuit take them? 

So far, we have played in Beijing, Tianjin, Thailand, Korea, Singapore, England, Kuala Lumpur and Manila. We have also been invited to compete in polo tournaments all around the world. We’ve fought our way to and played in eight tournament finals. Astonishingly, with nowhere to practice and no polo ponies in Hong Kong, I’m very proud to say that we’ve won five of those finals, including the highly regarded and coveted Singapore Polo Open title in 2016.

We have notable luminaries in the city like Raphael le Masne de Chermont, Aron Harilela and Kwan Lo, who have played polo for so long, but is there a leading or emerging female polo player in the city – an equivalent of the golf world’s Tiffany Chan? 

The wonderful thing about polo, as I said earlier, is that it’s an inclusive sport. Men and women can play at the same level – and even on the same team. On our team, Lynly Fong was voted Asia’s Best Female Player in 2016. We also have some new local, rising female stars coming up the ranks. For example, Jessie Chang was awarded Most Valuable Player at Polo After Dark in Hong Kong in November for her efforts in the Hong Kong Beginner’s Polo Cup in Tianjin. As a reward, she will be given an opportunity to play on the main team sometime this season as a wild-card try-out.

Game On

January 16, 2019 / by China Daily lifestyle Premium

Image above: The HKGC’s Old Course

“We need facilities for local development that perpetuate the international image of the city. We are the only club that could host the Hong Kong Open. Where else can you hold 50,000 spectators?”
—William Doo Jr

Last November, British golfer Aaron Rai won his first European Tour title at the 60th Hong Kong Open, held at Fanling’s Hong Kong Golf Club (HKGC). With his win, the 23-year-old Rai may well have set off something of a global evolution – he is of Indian descent and, along with a group of newly emerging Indian players that includes Rookie of the Year Shubhankar Sharma, may be a catalyst for greater golf awareness and accessibility on the Indian subcontinent. 

At a time when increasing participation in the sport is the primary concern of all bodies running the game, the HKGC’s contribution is hugely significant. While raising awareness is not a term that sits symbiotically with a game many associate with elitism, expense and male domination, the HKGC has taken huge steps in encouraging more Hong Kong citizens of all ages to discover the pulling power of golf. 

The HKGC has much to boast about. There’s the heritage of the club, which celebrates its 130th anniversary this year; its European Tour rank points-winning Opens for men (who have included Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose) and, since 2015, women; and an ecosystem whose flora and fauna through conservation efforts comprise rare species and historic trees that naturalist David Attenborough could spend an entire BBC series documenting. And then there’s the club’s community outreach efforts and charitable work – it holds more than 200 events per year on behalf of the Community Chest and related concerns. 

Despite all this, remarkably, the HKGC faces the threat of closure, as a specially commissioned Hong Kong government Task Force on Land Supply assesses prime sites to reclaim and develop in the city to alleviate the chronic public housing shortage. 

Naysayers accuse the HKGC of being ivory-towered, but the reality is different; the club has the highest public-use numbers of any golf course in the city. Contrary to popular belief, Hong Kong residents who are non-members can play at Fanling from Monday to Friday if they book in advance, at a discounted HK$1,100 for 18 holes. “More than 43% of the rounds have been played by non-members over the last few years,” explains vice-captain William Doo Jr. “In 2017, we had more than 120,000 rounds of golf, which means that more than 50,000 were played by non-members. We are extremely happy that the courses [Fanling has three] can be utilised by the general public.” 

It’s a modest investment in heritage, too. The HKGC is one of the oldest clubs in Asia and the first golf club in China. Its annual Open tournament is co-sanctioned by the European and Asia tours, and the likes of Greg Norman and Tom Watson have played its verdant fairways. Miguel Ángel Jimenez claims the HKGC has the “best ambience” of any club he plays anywhere in the world. Last month, Asian Tour players voted the HKGC the best tournament of 2018 and the best golf course. 

The HKGC hosted English golfer Tommy Fleetwood, American standout Patrick Reed and perennial Spanish favourite Sergio García at the 60th Hong Kong Open; all had played in the Ryder Cup three months earlier. “Past champions of the Hong Kong Open have gone on to become Masters winners,” says Doo, citing Rory McIlroy as an example. “And this year’s winner, Aaron Rai, a young Indian player, is really good for the sport. It was his first win on the tour.”

Youth, enterprise and innovation are all ambitions the HKGC has actively been targeting and promoting in recent years. “There are many youngsters playing at the club, from age six, and if you look at the development over the last 20 years, there are a lot more ladies playing, especially on weekdays,” says Doo. 

Leading the charge is Tiffany Chan, winner of the Hong Kong Ladies Open in 2016, who has since turned professional
and competes on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour alongside the likes of Lydia Ko and Michelle Wie. 

“She’s the first Hong Kong player to play in the LPGA,” says Doo, proudly. “It’s similar to Yao Ming playing the NBA.” He says Chan’s rapidly become a role model. “She’s a real inspiration to the younger Hongkongers. They all want to emulate her.” He also mentions Isabella Leung and Michelle Cheung as future local stars in the making. 

To further popularise the club, the HKGC has launched initiatives to “attract a younger audience and develop their stronger interest in the game.” The club works with the National Sporting Authority, providing a venue for free training for their members, some of whom are below the age of ten. Last May, the HKGC hosted the first Hong Kong Inter-Secondary School Golf Championship. Supported by the Hong Kong Schools Federation and the HKGA, the inaugural event included teams from 20 local and international schools throughout the city. Via the Inspiring HK Sports Foundation, which supports underprivileged youth in Hong Kong, a group of 25 students also enjoy weekly professional instruction by HKGC coaches at the club’s Fanling facilities. 

Doo believes the city should take pride in the HKGC’s wider contribution to the city. “We think there’s a need in the city for sports development,” he says. “We need facilities for local development that perpetuate the international image of the city. We are the only club that could host the Hong Kong Open, a European tour size event. Where else can you hold 50,000 spectators?” 

In short, Hong Kong lacks golfing facilities and driving ranges. Once numerous, they have been shut down to make way for more housing. Singapore has done quite the opposite. “They have a population of less than six million, yet they have 40 golf courses,” says Doo. “Yet Hong Kong, with a population of more than seven million, has only six or seven courses. So, if you want to compete with other cities in Asia, you can’t take away our courses. It leaves Hong Kong with no international capacity at all. How can we be Asia’s world city if that is the case?” 

It’s not just a golf course, either, but 172 hectares of land that support a rare ecosystem. The HKGC is home to 46% of the total number of old and valuable trees (OVTs) in Hong Kong. There are 409 OVTs at the facility and, of those, 114 are rare and protected species. The site is also home to a huge variety of birds, insects, reptiles, and other wildlife, including a resident colony of common birdwing butterflies – Hong Kong’s only protected insect species – and the globally endangered Reeves’ terrapin. Other at-risk species include the brown fish owl, the red muntjac deer, the Chinese water snake and somanniathelphusa zanklon (a freshwater crab endemic to Hong Kong). As such, the club takes families and children on nature trails to experience the rich biodiversity on its land. 

“The culture should be accessible to everyone,” says Doo. “We’re seeing greater numbers of younger people all the time. We have huge charity fundraising days in our club, and we give all the universities and Community Chest subsidised rates. For corporations, we have specific golf days to facilitate their business. We’re trying to strike a balance. Hong Kong needs a top-class, top-tier course to host international events and simultaneously allow the general public to have a very accessible facility.” 

Here’s to increased public participation, a great day out in nature for children and adults, and the next 130 years of the HKGC.

Star for the Course

April 6, 2018 / by Caroline Lam

When she arrived for March’s US$1.5 million HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore, Feng Shanshan had the world at her feet. She was the top-ranked female golfer on the planet and had at that stage held that lofty position for a streak of 16 consecutive weeks. Feng was also plotting a course towards adding to her collection of 24 professional tournament wins so far, including one of the game’s Major events at the Women’s PGA Championship in 2012. Off the course, life goes on for the charismatic 28-year-old, too. Feng took time away from the game to share some insights into her life – and her love of karaoke and soap operas.

What personal traits have helped you become a great golfer?

I think the traits that have helped me play well are being able to stay calm, be patient and have fun. I try not to let a good or bad round affect me, or if I win or lose. I just try to be happy and enjoy my time on tour. Golf is my career, but not my whole life, so it’s important to remember that.

Who has been the greatest influence on your career?

I would have to say my father. He’s been there throughout my life to support me in all of my decisions, but in terms of golfing, he was so influential on my development. He was so dedicated in getting me to the driving range every day after school, and at the weekend we would travel out of the city to a golf course to work on my short game. Once I’d made it onto the LPGA tour and started working with a full-time coach, Gary Gilchrist, my father was ready to watch and support me as a dad again, instead of as my coach or caddie.

If you could meet one person from history, living or dead, who would it be and why?

The late Arnold Palmer, because he was not only a great golfer, but also a successful human being. He had a wonderful professional career. At the same time, he did many things with his influence to popularise the sport of golf that are worthwhile for me to learn and follow. It’s such a pity that I will not have a chance to meet him.

What is it about playing a round of golf that you enjoy most?

I love the competition! Not just the people we play against in the tournament, but in terms of always trying to do better for myself, which is what I focus on more.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Stay patient. Mentally, it’s so important to not get ahead of yourself. Secondly, sleep well. If I don’t sleep well, I don’t feel right, so I make sure I get the rest my body needs.

Outside golf, what do you love to do?

I really like karaoke – and I’m not ashamed to say that I enjoy watching soap operas.

What quality in a person do you most admire?

I love to laugh, so I enjoy it when someone is funny or has a good sense of humour.

What would be your dream holiday?

My dream holiday would be to stay at the seaside. Every morning, I could sleep as long as I like; anytime I open my window, I could see the sea; and I could do whatever I want.

Is there a particular type of music that motivates or inspires you?

There isn’t a specific piece that I like most, but I do like bright music with a strong sense of rhythm. I’m very serious on the course and have a bit of a poker face, but I think music helps me relax – and feeling comfortable is very important for me when I’m off-course.

Live the Dream

December 1, 2017 / by Ben Berg

Conjure whatever image you can in your mind’s eye of a surreal trip of the most otherworldly kind, and it’s hard to better the stunning mountainous backdrop of the Swiss Alpine resort of St Moritz and its annual horse racing extravaganza of a most exhilarating kind. 

Every year, more than 30,000 spectators converge around the frozen Lake St Moritz for an event known as White Turf across three weekends – in 2018, it’s being held from February 3 to 18. There, they watch a series of races across the lake in a variety of formats. Horses are given special ice shoes to run in – and the ultimate crowd-puller is “skijoring”, invented in 1923, whereby riders don’t saddle up, but are dragged behind horses in four-wheel carriages or on sleds. 

Skijoring, derived from the Norwegian word skikjøring, which literally means “driving with ropes” or “ski driving”, ordinarily involves dogs such as huskies. But this 110-year-old White Turf spectacle draws a devoted group of adventurers and daredevils, who can be towed at speeds of up to 50km/h by riderless equines for 2,700 metres, making up what must be Switzerland’s (and global horse racing’s) flattest and most photogenic course, despite being Europe’s highest. There was talk of it at one time becoming an Olympic sport in the 1960s. Surrounded by the shimmering landscapes of the Engadine valley, it’s an utterly unique experience. Says Martin Staub, president and CEO of the event: “White Turf is world-exclusive.” 

That’s pretty much how all of the Engadin and St Moritz feels. The picture-perfect backdrop has formed the mood board for a great deal of cinema; the Engadin is like the Hollywood of the mountains. More than 200 films have been made there, with classic moments from Elizabeth Taylor driving her convertible across the Silvaplana in Rhapsody (1954) to Roger Moore’s turn in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) – one of the most famous sequences in the James Bond films, as he careens down the Piz Palü at breakneck speed on skis while trying to avoid three pursuing Russian soldiers. 

Bond returned to the Engadin eight years later in the form of Timothy Dalton for a scene in A View to a Kill, where he fights, along with a cello, on Piz Scerscen. More recently, Kristen Stewart and Juliette Binoche became entangled in a tempestuous relationship on Lake Sils in Clouds of Sils Maria (2014). 

The magic of the Engadine continues to unfold in real life just as it does on-screen. The action on the frozen ice of Lake St Moritz and its orchestration is much like a motion picture, and depends on various factors. The demands of such an extreme equine spectacle require abundant skiing prowess on the part of competitors, and of course, total mastery of their four-legged friends. Given the nature of the event, there are strict regulations in place, with weather being the most determining factor of all. 

Races only take place on the lake when the ice measures 30cm thick. Despite the constant threat of global warming, mild conditions haven’t halted the running of White Turf since 1964. Many people are concerned about the horses and their safety, but to date, only one horse has ever died at the event in more than 100 years of racing, which makes White Turf the safest event anywhere in horse racing’s history. 

The horses are shod with specially spiked shoes to prevent them from tumbling. One unexpected and delightful upshot of their shoeing means that as they clatter and splice their majestic way across the surface, they kick up chunks of compacted ice and fresh snow, creating a scene not unlike an exaggerated, life-sized snow globe. It’s at those moments – amid the shouts, thuds and laughter – that time almost stands still in this astonishing mise en scène. 

But the smooth, micromanaged nature of the event today is the result of so much work over the years on the part of organisers. In 1965, not a single skier made it across the finish line; reins became entangled and the thoroughbred horses shot off in different directions. As a result, skijoring’s equipment began to be standardised and coloured skis were made compulsory, so the horses could see clearly in the snow. 

It’s not just the safety of the horses that is paramount, but the people, too. Skiers (or “jockeys”) undergo stringent physical tests before the race. White Turf has attracted riders as famous as Lester Piggott in the past, but the event is open to amateur participants should they wish to enter. 

“We are very happy to have a constant demand of jockeys wanting to take part each year,” says Staub. In recent years, results on three racing Sundays during February have been combined and the skier with the most points is crowned King of the Engadine. To up the sense of eliteness further still, there’s even a White Turf Jockey Club and a small group of White Turf ambassadors. 

The event may be somewhat under the radar, but it does draw some high-profile association. Two long-standing sponsors of the event are Credit Suisse and BMW, whose participation actively promotes the social aspect. 

But while White Turf draws a niche group of jet-setters and partygoers – yes, there’s a VIP section for guests of the sponsors – the event is open to the public and to holidaymakers in the Swiss region. To watch the racing events, a seat (the stands boast 2,500) costs as little as US$100 – and for such a once-in-a-lifetime experience, that seems a remarkable deal. 

You Spin Me Round

June 30, 2017 / by Bob Robertson

Flying discs (Frisbee is a brand trademark by Wham-O) have long been a great source of fun on hot summer days. But the humble plastic disc has gone high-tech, and Ultimate – a team game roughly modelled on American football, but with no player contact – is played competitively by millions around the world.

If you think a disc is a piece of simple moulded plastic, then think again. Pad Timmons is general manager of Discraft, whose UltraStar is the official disc of the national governing body USA Ultimate and the leading disc used by players around the world. Speaking from the company headquarters in Wixom, Michigan, he says the company has a “secret recipe” for making the UltraStar, similar to the secret recipe Coca-Cola uses to make its beverage. “It’s a fine-tuned piece of sporting equipment,” he explains.

The key is in the design and manufacture, which ensure the discs have a consistent flight pattern; Discraft now supplies its cutting-edge discs to 70 countries. Timmons says he has played disc sports for more than 40 years, designed 40 disc golf courses and won top disc competitions. He concludes, “Flying discs have been my life.”

While Ultimate is a team game played on a pitch, disc golf replicates the “royal and ancient game”, except that players swap their clubs and balls for specially designed flying discs that they try to land in a metal basket fixed to a pole. Timmons explains that players carry up to 20 discs in their disc golf bags. This includes long-range “drivers”, mid-range discs that are easier to control but don’t go as far, and “putters” – discs with a pronounced edge that can catch the chains in the basket. Like traditional golf, disc courses have nine or 18 holes.

Other competitions include freestyle, where players do tricks like spinning the discs on their fingers; disc dog, where dogs catch discs thrown by their human teammates; and Beach Ultimate. The discs themselves can come with special features – some glow in the dark, while UV discs turn purple in sunlight. There’s even the Disc Jock-e, produced by Tucker Toys, which connects via Bluetooth to iPhones and other devices, and plays streaming music as it flies. There’s also a market for collectible, limited edition discs with rare designs. 

It’s all a far cry from the humble origins of the flying disc game, when 17-year-old Fred Morrison and his girlfriend, Lucile Nay, playfully threw a popcorn bucket lid back and forth at a family picnic in California in 1937. They decided that Fred’s mother’s pie tins were easier to use, and were playing on a beach one day when a passer-by offered to buy one for 25 cents. The tin cost five cents, and, seeing a business opportunity, Fred launched his Flyin’ Cake Pan business.

After honing his knowledge of aerodynamics while serving in the US Air Force during the Second World War, he developed the business and marketed his Pluto Platter in the 1950s. Toy company Wham-O took over in 1957 and changed the product’s name to Frisbee. “I thought the name was a horror,” recalled Morrison many years later, though he admitted warming to it as millions of dollars in royalties flowed in. 

The sport is developing rapidly in Hong Kong, where around 150 enthusiasts play regularly in matches organised by the Hong Kong Ultimate Players Association. The association was created by expatriates 20 years ago, but now membership is equally divided between expatriates and Hongkongers, says association president Kevin Ho. Around 300 to 400 secondary school students are also playing Ultimate today, thanks to the association’s outreach programme. 

What makes a great Ultimate player? “Being explosive and agile are the two most important things, because the nature of the game is predicated on being able to get free of your defender,” says Ho. “You need to be able to accelerate and run around in short bursts, and be able to jump high and far so that you can catch discs that are high up in the air.”

Many of the best players come from other sports such as football, basketball and volleyball, and apply their specific skills to Ultimate. The game matches two teams of seven players, and each squad has up to 20 members who are frequently substituted because of the amount of running involved.

In Hong Kong, the game is played on football or rugby pitches, and points are scored by catching the disc in the opposing team’s “end zone”. The first team to score 15 points wins, and if neither team has won within 90 minutes, then the side with the highest score wins. Unusually, there is no referee, so players are solely responsible for following and enforcing the rules, even at the World Championship level.

Ho says that the nature of the discs makes the game unique. “When you’re playing with a ball, you can only really throw it one direction, but with a disc you can make it bend and curl around defenders. That’s what makes the strategy completely different.”