The First National Kitesurfing Championship was held in Pingtan, an island county in Fujian province, on Oct 8 and 9.

A total of 75 male and female players across the country gathered and competed for titles in six events.

Kitesurfers practice before the National Kitesufing Championships in Pingtan, Fujian province, Oct 8. [Photo/ptnet.cn]

The nation’s top water sports authority chose Pingtan to host the kitesufing event due to its perfect natural conditions, according to an official.

“Pingtan is blessed with terrific wind and sea conditions that suit for water sports like sailing, sailboarding and especially kitesurfing. It is hard to find another place that matches Pingtan’s conditions,” said Su Ke with the General Administration of Sports.

He added that Pingtan can build a kitesurfing and windsurfing training center for enthusiasts from home and abroad. Once it has international influence, Pingtan can use it to promote tourism and sailing.

Though kitesurfing is a newcomer to China, there are already loyal fans.

Mr.Wang is one of hundreds of spectators from the Longfengtou Beach. He travelled from Beijing, about 2,000 kilometers away just to watch the games.

“I love kitesurfing. And I’ve been to Pingtan before to practice it. It is a sport that requires high skills and advanced equipment,” said the 59-year-old.

“Kitesufing is also environmentally friendly, relying on the wind, and does not result in any contamination.”