Being widely popular in daily life, the SUP race on the crystal clear Huong River has become a memorable part of Hue Festival.
Competing at Hue SUP Race 2022
An exciting sport
In simple terms, SUP surfing (paddle board) means that a person sitting or standing on the paddle board and using the paddle to move it on the water. As mentioning to this sport, many people might think of rapids or vast and majestic beaches; however, SUP surfing has now become one of the popular sports and been played on many different water surfaces, including rivers and lakes.
Given its entry to Hue and got strong development in the city, SUP surfing is always associated with the poetic Huong River and responding to the “Green Sunday” Movement of the province. After the success of the first Vietnam SUP race in 2018 on the Huong River, the SUP surfing activity has flourished in Hue, contributing to creating an additional interesting sport, entertainment and tourism service. Many Hue people are choosing their own hobbies to beat the sweltering sun as summer comes; among them, many young people choose SUP surfing.
Athletes participating in Hue SUP Race 2022
This is not a spontaneous activity; as currently in Hue, there are companies providing professional SUP surfing services and insurance for their customers. When people have demand to experience SUP surfing on the Huong River, they can easily contact the providers at the Da Vien boat station.
The SUP surfing service is usually opened at 5 a.m. and 5 p.m., with each round is from 60 to 70 minutes, which is enough for the players to fully enjoy the route from Da Vien boat station to Phu Xuan Bridge, Truong Tien Bridge, and back to Da Vien boat station.
SUP surfing is a good sport for health, enhancing the flexibility and the endurance for muscles, etc. While surfing, the players must keep balance so that their legs, hips and waist have to work at full capacity to avoid falling. Therefore, they will soon gain the toned body as they wish.
Besides, Tran Cong Huy, a player, has recently shared: "Renting a SUP and watching the sunset are the best moments of relaxation and immersion in the nature. By the SUP, I can freely go to the middle of the river to start discovering new things.”
A sport day
On August 25, 2018, for the first time in Vietnam, the SUP (Standing up paddle board) race took place at Toa Kham boat station, gathering nearly 40 male, female and children athletes from Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Thuan, Vung Tau, Hanoi, and Hue, etc.
According to Mr. Tran Trung Kien, Head of the Organizing Committee at that time, the race was originated from Hawaii and appeared in Hanoi five years ago. As Hue was realized a beautiful city, meeting all conditions for participants to have a feeling of safety to compete in fresh environment, while also being able to enjoy rare landscapes on the banks of the Huong River, they decided to choose Hue as host for the race, thereby creating a stepping stone to raise the event to the national and international levels.
Hue SUP Race 2022 also attracted foreign athletes
As an activity to respond to Hue Festival 2022, Hue SUP Race 2022 was held on the Huong River in two days from June 24 to 25, with the participation of 120 athletes. The race was not only for SUP athletes from all over the country, but also an opportunity for all Vietnamese SUP lovers to gather, meet and share their love for this exciting sport, encouraging people to increase playing sports, supporting health, and using SUP boards as a means of transport to pick up trash on the river.
Hue SUP Race 2022 “wants to create a highlight and call on the community to work together so as to protect the Huong River,” shared Mr. Nguyen Dinh Anh Khoa, Head of the Organizing Committee.
Hue SUP Race 2022 brought about a special environmental protection message, with all medals awarded to the winners were made of recycled plastic from plastic caps and bottles, which had been picked up from the Huong River in the “Green Sunday” Movement. That was the effort of a group of artists from Russia and Tran Tuan, the artist, with special creative efforts.
According to artist Tran Tuan, as he knew that Mr. Nguyen Dinh Anh Khoa was the creator of the “Green Sunday” Movement in Hue, who intended to organize a SUP race on the Huong River, he expected to create a connection by using the trash collected by Khoa's team to make medals honoring the athletes winning the race, and those who contributed to keeping the river clean.
Hue SUP Race 2022 was implemented in three contents, including the Long Course Race with 6 kilometers in length, starting from the boat station located in the ironwood pedestrian bridge area, and surfing along the Huong River towards the Dap Da - Vy Da around the Hen islet, then backing to the starting point; the Race Kid (for athletes at the ages from 8 to 16) with one kilometer in length, starting from the Toa Kham boat station and surfing to the other bank of the river, then going back; and the Sprint; while this content was only 200 meters in length, it required the racers to surf along a zigzag path around the boat station area, and the racers must have physical strength, skills as well as experience.
Story: Ba Tri - Photos: B. Tri - H. Phuoc – Hp
