Courtesy of Open Water Asia, Big Wave Bay, Hong Kong.
Tomorrow, some of Hong Kong’s top swimmers, runners and paddlers will descend on Big Wave Bay where the mountains meet the sea to offer a spectacular, scenic backdrop for the 2.2 km Sheko Challenge and Trisolothon.
Race director Doug Woodring describes the 14th annual point-to-point event, “This is one of the best loved open water races in Hong Kong and the region, and it brings the spectacular coastline of the Sheko Peninsula right to the participants, as they race along the rocky coast in this unique beach-to-beach event.
The event celebrates sports and the environment, and the incredible outdoor assets that we have in Hong Kong. The Sheko Challenge and Trisolothon bring out the some of the best swimmers, runners and paddlers who love the outdoor environment that Hong Kong offers. The Sheko Challenge was the first sports events in Hong Kong to not allow plastic bottles or food utensils to be used in order to reduce the waste footprint of the event, while also paying respect to the ocean that we all love to use for sports and recreation.
In the Tri-Solo-thon, swimmers who want be part of a team, instead of swimming solo, can team up with a runner and a paddler (surf ski and outrigger canoe), all of whom start at the same time from different locations, and converge on the same finish line together. The race promotes open water swimming and sports in Hong Kong, along with a strong ocean conservation message.
We have over 325 swimmers and 40 runners signed up for the event, and given the growth in open water swimming around the world, including with local youth, the event continues to be a core race for both seasoned swimmers, and as an introduction for some who have been training for their first ocean race. Sports are a great way for athletes to also be ambassadors for the environment, since it is important to have nice environments for training, competing and recreating.”
Paolo Merlini of Jaked, one of the event sponsors, says, “Supporting all the athletes in one of the biggest open water events in Asia, we are excited to share our professionalism and passion towards swimming competition, as well as to put effort into ocean protection against water pollution.”
“GoPro helps people to capture life as they live it, share the experience and pass on the stoke. We believe that sharing our experiences makes them more meaningful, and way more fun,” says Achilles Wong, Microworks Technology, and event sponsor with GoPro.
Since 2004, the Sheko Challenge has been a way to bring athletes closer to the environment, inspiring them to be ambassadors for the ocean. Some of the funds raised go to support the ocean protection work of Ocean Recovery Alliance, WWF – Hong Kong, and the development of water sports in Hong Kong.
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