Eight sports that thrived in 2023's spotlight

Land Surfing

Land surfing offers several advantages over its ocean-bound counterparts such as accessibility, cost-effectiveness, variety, safety and fun. There are more posts about people land surfing in parks or on streets in cities on social platforms this year, which triggered more people to join.

Land surfing, also known as pavement surfing or street surfing, is a thrilling sport that offers the exhilaration of surfing without needing a drop of water. Imagine the feeling of carving turns on asphalt, riding imaginary waves, and experiencing the invigorating glide – all within the urban landscape.

Players rely on gravity to drive speed and sway their bodies to make the land surfboard slide. In parks and squares across China, young daredevils can be spotted balancing atop long skateboards, moving their bodies as if surfing the waves.

Xiaohongshu searches for "land surfing" revealed a significant rise in the first half of 2022, with the number rocketing 232 percent year-on-year. The number recorded an astonishing high in May — an increase of 460 percent year-on-year.