Every Saturday and Sunday, elite junior windsurfers gather at Stanley Main Beach for training. Young Post talked to five of them: Adrian Lee Chun-ting, Eric Man Ngo-hin, Terence Li Hong-nam, Roxy Hui and Charlie Ngai Wai-yan.
The Form Five students raced in the Techno 293 Asian Championships in Singapore in January and in the Techno 293 Junior World Championships in San Francisco, United States, in July.
The World Championships was an eye-opener for the 16-year-old athletes. Eric claimed bronze at the Asian Championships, but along with Terence and the girls, he was taking part in a world event for the first time. 'Our rivals were much stronger than those at the Asian Championships. I expected to get into the top 10, but I finished 13th,' he says. But the student from Kiangsu-Chekiang College is still excited that he had a race with a top-five finish.
Adrian is the reigning Asia junior champion and had competed in the US event before. The student from HKBU Affiliated School expected to finish in the top five but came eighth. 'I am a little disappointed. Our race took place near the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, with strong winds and currents. Strong winds help me but not big waves,' he says.
Charlie almost missed the World Championships. 'I hurt my right foot when a big wave threw me off in training. Luckily I had a speedy recovery and qualified,' says the girl from St Paul's Secondary School.
There were some funny incidents in the race. Adrian says he saw some dogs swimming next to his board while Terence almost crashed into a container ship. 'I looked up and realised the ship was right in front of me. It sounded its horn to warn me. But it wasn't going fast and I had time to steer clear,' says the TWGHs Kap Yan Directors' College student.
