Distance Surfing World Record Smashed On Qiantang Dragon Tidal Bore
While this is not official yet, I have heard a little rumour that the a new World Record for distance surfing has been set on the Qiantang tidal bore in Hangzhou, China. Early reports suggest that last Friday (26th October) Wednesday (24th October) the Brazilian Eduardo Bagé and Patrick Audoy of France surfed the mighty Qiantang tidal bore for 70 minutes clocking up a total distance of 17.1km (10.69 miles), breaking the 10 mile barrier for the first time on any tidal bore.
The previous world surfing record set by Sergio Laus appears on the film Longwave and was officially accepted by Guinness World Records as a distance of 10.1km (33 minutes 15 seconds) set on the Araguari pororoca on 24th June 2005. This beat the long standing record of 5.7 miles which had been held by Dave Lawson on the River Severn since 1995.
October 30th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
Update: this record will remain unofficial! The team involved has plans to return next spring with Guinness World Record adjudicators and GPS. I am sure the race will now be on to set an official new record on a wave that may break for excess of 2 hours! This free-ride wall of white water hardly sets the same challenges faced by the record seekers of the Severn and Amazon basin but a record is a record - how far will the Chinese let visitors take it I wonder?
November 16th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Many congratulations to the French guys…19 years ago I surfed the Dragon and I hope to return to China to WATCH IT!!, and celebrate the 20th anniversary of my ride….Stuart Matthews.Check out Long Wave it has the shots of 1988.
November 18th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
Thanks Matthews, during the ride I never forget you was there before.
when we brook unoficially the last record we chose a 65 coeficient .
Latter we surfed on a 116 coef and follow the bore during more then 38 km.
the mains problems came with autorities…
November 28th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
Patrick,very kind…seasons greetings to you and all “Bore Surfers” in France.Stuart Matthews….bien fait!!
November 29th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Stuart , I was back on our Dordogne river on monday riding the last wave of the year.It was great to be at home again and pretty cold regarding our temperature range!
It should be a pleasure for me to send you some some pictures about the china bore .Have you any idea on the way I could contact you ?
best wishes
Pat .
December 2nd, 2007 at 1:45 pm
P,I would love to see the pictures.If you can e-mail them to me
stuartmatthews371@hotmail.co.uk
Thanks I look forward to seeing them….Stuart…Joyeux Noel
December 8th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Ok mate , I will contact you in a while
best whishes .
January 13th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Patrick,have you had time to send the China photos to me?I would love to see them….Regards Stuart
January 17th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Congratulations, even if it’s still unofficial!!! I’m from a german boarders online-magazine and doing a research for Pororoca and Bore-Surfing at all, for an article on our website. I would also be interested in any photos (please contact me via http://www.oldschool.de/impressum/ ) and don’t forget to mention if you allow to publish the material on Oldschool.de. Of course a note to the Photographer / Surfer will be published, too. Whow, 70 minutes!! How is it like? Still stoked?
January 20th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Dear Stuart the photos are on the way of your house . you will get them during the next week.
friendly Patrick.
March 26th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Wow thats a long ride! I wonder how hard it was? I can imagine the real problem was the authorities, they are pretty tough on stuff like that. Does anyone know where there are photos of the ride?