The kiteboarders of Hong Kong - where they get airborne and the instructors who give them a push

It’s a hot Sunday afternoon on Shui Hau beach on the south coast of Lantau Island. It’s one of Hong Kong’s longest beaches and among the best for kiteboarding. It’s also the location of Kiteboarding Hong Kong, a 150-member club established in 2006 (the association also hosts training sessions on Lung Kwu Tan, the closest beach to Tuen Mun).

It’s a colourful spectacle as eight kiteboarders zip along the water.

They are sharing the beach with 100 or so children and adults who are closer to shore, some sitting on colourful plastic stools, and engaging in a very different activity. They are digging for clams and other shellfish in the shallow mudflats exposed at low tide.

On the sand beginner kiteboarders are deep in concentration, eyes skyward, as they manoeuvre their bodies to keep the huge flapping kites in the air (boards vary in size according to the weight, height and experience of users, while kite sizes can vary with the wind conditions expected).