H
enry Salmon was seven
when he moved with
his parents to Hong
Kong. At the time, he
was immersed in the beloved classic
Swallows and Amazons
,
a series that
follows two families of children on their
school holidays as they sail, camp and
explore the lake around their summer
homes on their dinghies. By happy
coincidence, the Salmon’s new home
overlooked Repulse Bay, where sailing
boats frequently dotted the waters.
Soon after, Henry enrolled in his first
sailing course at the Royal Hong Kong
Yacht Club. His enthusiasm for the
sport has grown to become so infectious
that his parents and younger siblings
have all learned to sail. Today, Henry is
15,
and this summer, he will represent
Hong Kong at the Youth Sailing World
Championship in Cyprus.
Hong Kong offers the perfect
opportunity for children to dive
right into many water sports. From
overnight surf camps to kayaking day
trips, there are options to suit every
child, ability and interest.
Surf’s up
Kevin Coniam co-founded Surf Hong
Kong out of a desire to get children
to experience a lifestyle far removed
from their city-centred lifestyles.
Their base camp is at Tai Long Sai
Wan at Sai Kung East Country Park,
nestled amidst lush wilderness, where
the surf is great and the waters are
clean. “Children who are not strong
swimmers won’t be taken into waters
that are more than waist-deep and
we run our courses on one of the
more protected beaches,” says Kevin.
For ages seven and up, Surf Hong
Kong runs overnight summer camps,
where children get to try surfing,
kayaking, stand-up paddle surfing
and snorkelling, topped off with
the thrill of camping outdoors and
swimming in the freshwater pools
of the Sai Wan waterfalls. Soana
Deunier, whose kids have attended
the camp, says, “My city kids get
to experience the magic of being
constantly outdoors. They come back
full of memories and more aware of
the environment.”
With all this water surrounding us, why not take
advantage of the opportunity to try out some new
activities? asks
Aquin Dennison-Mathew
.
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