Typhoon surfers hit the beach in Hong Kong

Record ID: 84062

  • Title: Typhoon surfers hit the beach in Hong Kong
  • Date: 21st October 2016
  • Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (OCTOBER 21, 2016) (REUTERS) SHEKO BEACH CRASHING WAVES SURFER RUNNING INTO SEA VARIOUS OF SURFERS IN LARGE WAVES VARIOUS OF PROJECT MANAGER, BRENDAN BENI, WAXING HIS BOARD (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROJECT MANAGER, BRENDAN BENI, SAYING: "I think Hong Kong is very conservative so you get a warning like quite often. So it's quite windy but it's not as bad as they say it's going to be. There's not very often there's surf in Hong Kong so take what you can get." SURFER RUNNING INTO SEA SURFERS IN BIG WAVES VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ON THE BEACH WATCHING SURFERS CONGRATULATING EACH OTHER IN WATER LARGE WAVE VARIOUS OF ECONOMIST, SIMON QUAIL, WAXING BOARD QUAIL GOING INTO SEA (SOUNDBITE) (English) ECONOMIST, SIMON QUAIL, SAYING: "Yeah I know, but if people who don't know how to swim and stuff they will get into a lot of trouble, but if you've surfed in places with big waves, it's not that bad." MAN WITH BODY BOARD WALKING TO SEA BIG WAVE MAN GOING IN WITH SURF BOARD VARIOUS OF MAN WITH BODY BOARD IN BIG WAVE SAND BLOWING ON BEACH TWO MEN IN THE WATER
  • Embargoed: 5th November 2016 04:24
  • Keywords: typhoon Haima Hong Kong surfers
  • Location: HONG KONG, CHINA
  • City: HONG KONG, CHINA
  • Country: Hong Kong
  • Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Wind/Hurricane/Typhoons/Tornadoes
  • Reuters ID: LVA00154Y62IT
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Hong Kong issued a number 8 typhoon warning, the third highest, early on Friday morning (October 21) with the approach of Typhoon Haima.
    Hong Kong shut all but essential services and the government also advised people to stay inside and away from the sea.
    However, this was the signal some surfers were dreaming of.
    Dozens of thrill-seekers ran into the sea at Sheko beach to take advantage of unusually large waves.
    "I think Hong Kong is very conservative so you get a warning like quite often. So it's quite windy but it's not as bad as they say it's going to be. There's not very often there's surf in Hong Kong so take what you can get," said project manager, Brendan Beni.
    He said that he and his friends had hailed an Uber to get to Sheko as all taxis and buses weren't running to the remote fishing village on the southern part of Hong Kong island.
    Economist Simon Quail said waves in Bali and Taiwan are bigger even without a typhoon approaching, but admitted the conditions were not for beginners.
    "Yeah I know, but if people who don't know how to swim and stuff they will get into a lot of trouble, but if you've surfed in places with big waves, it's not that bad," he said.
    The Home Affairs Department issues a statement saying 59 people had sought refuge at its various temporary shelters while there were reports of 23 fallen trees.
    The Hong Kong Airport Authority said that a total of 689 passenger flights had been cancelled and delayed at 6:30 a.m. local time (2230 GMT on Thursday, October 20).
    Haima will be closest to Hong Kong around noon, skirting about 100 km. (62 miles) to the east of the territory, said the Hong Kong observatory on its website. This means that winds with mean speeds of 63 kmh (40 mph) or more are expected from the northwest quarter.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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