Foreign surfers admire Korean spirit

By John Redmond

Surfing, a sport often associated with southern California or Hawaii, enjoys a very large global following, with enthusiasts spending every minute of their spare time in pursuit of the perfect wave. Now that fever has hit Korea and taking coastal cities by storm.

Sponsored by the City of Busan and co-sponsored by the Korean Surfing Association (KSA) and a large number of local surf industry companies, the 3rd Annual Busan Mayor's Cup International Surfing Championship got underway at Haeundae beach last Saturday.

In adverse weather conditions and attended by a large contingent of international surfers including president of the Thailand Surfing Association (TSA), Chanin "Joob" Aiyarak and famous Japanese surfboard shaper Toshiro Oyama, Deputy Mayor of Busan Baek Seung Taek officially opened the competition.

Though the waves were small, spectators on the beach cheered their friends in the water. The international event was eventually postponed to Sunday as larger swell was forecast.

The weather however turned for the worse but this didn’t dampen the spirits of the crowd at the festival-like event.

As predicted the surf did pick up the following day, with waves being head high. But as Typhoon Meari began to exert its influence on the Korean Peninsula, the 119 guards ordered all surfers out of the water.

Water safety is a prime concern in coastal events, especially during monsoon season.

Though permission can be granted by the sea police for an event to take place, 119 guards take ultimate responsibility.

“In Korea, the sea police and 119 guards don't communicate, so permission granted from the sea police doesn't apply to 119,” said Cheryl Kim, a local surfer.

With permission officially denied to continue the competition, the beach was declared off-limits. Surfing or swimming at a closed beach in Korea results in heavy fines.

For many local and international competitors, this was not the end of the matter.

They decided to move the competition to an unpatrolled beach with the KSA assisting in hiring buses, but were deterred by stronger winds and rain. The police also showed up again at the new location and closed down the competition because of safety concerns.

Though the situation was trying, Joob Aiyarak of the TSA admired the determination of local surfers.

"I admire the spirit of the surfers here. If we were faced with the same adversities many surfers wouldn't have stuck it out just with the weather alone," he said.

Haeundae beach reopened to surfers at 4:30 p.m. after the storm had passed but conditions were more dangerous than in the morning.

Korea has seen a late boom in the sport of surfing.

With many Koreans travelling to places like Australia, as a cheaper alternative to America, to further their English skills, exposure and participation to surfing naturally led to the sport being imported to Korea.

The enthusiasm shown by Koreans has led to a surge in the Korean surfing industry with board and wetsuit rental services located at most surf spots along the Korean coast.