Hong Kong Stories ---Bonding at Water’s Edge
Hong Kong has a total of 261 outlying islands, and Cheung Chau may be one of the most well-known islands among Hong Kong people. In 1996, LEE Lai-shan, the indigenous inhabitant of Cheung Chau, won Hong Kong’s first Olympic gold medal in windsurfing. Since then, there has been an inseparable relationship between Cheung Chau and windsurfing, and many people were attracted to Kwun Yam Wan, the venue famous for practising windsurfing by LEE.
Since its establishment by Derek’s grandfather, the store at the end of Kwun Yam Wan Beach has been passed down to the third generation, with a history of over 70 years. It has witnessed the ups and downs of windsurfing in Cheung Chau. Although the store remains on the same beach, it has been passed down from generation to generation, and the mode of operation is different for each generation. Derek, the successor of the third generation, has injected an extraordinary vitality into the store.
Living on the island and growing up on the beach, Derek has fond feelings for the sea. Apart from working in the store, Derek is also passionate about windsurfing. His passion for water-based sports has influenced his son Jadon, making it possible for Jadon to become a member of the Hong Kong Wingfoil Youth Team and represent Hong Kong in competitions. Being known as a “Cheung Chau boy”, Jadon is not just passionate about wingfoiling. What’s more, he wants to be recognised as a “Cheung Chau windsurfer”. Maybe this is the sense of identity passed down by Cheung Chau windsurfers.
Apart from the indigenous inhabitants of Cheung Chau, people from outside the island are also attracted by Kwun Yam Wan and windsurfing. Stephanie moved to Cheung Chau with her mother in her teens. When she was young, she was not particularly fond of water-based sports. It was not until her thirties that she happened to learn windsurfing, and has lived a different life since then.
Windsurfing is just a medium allowing different kinds of “Cheung Chau people” to get up close with the sea and feel the unique charm of the Cheung Chau island.