Surfing, rock climbing, skateboarding... cool, personality and "aggressive young people"
Nearly 90% of college students look forward to emerging sports classes
One evening at the end of June, Xia Dongyang quietly lay on the surfboard, facing the line where the sea and the sky meet.
The sky showed a slightly drowsy face, dyed crimson by the setting sun.
The sunset gradually darkened, until the sky turned cyan, then dark blue, and twilight. Everything in his sight gradually disappeared as the sky dimmed, as if he could reach the end of the world as long as he kept paddling the water.
This is the surf that impressed Xia Dongyang the most.
Ever since he witnessed surfing in the vlog of a blogger at the end of 2020, he has been "on the top" in an instant.
He set himself a plan to learn a new skill every vacation, and immediately set surfing as a new goal.
"Cool", "Sa", and "make people excited" are the adjectives Xia Dongyang gave to surfing, and it is also the reason why he "loves at first sight" for surfing.
Like surfing, some niche projects that have entered people's field of vision in recent years are having a chemical reaction with young people.
Not only that, in 2016, the International Olympic Committee officially announced that the five major events of baseball and softball, karate, skateboarding, competitive rock climbing and surfing will become the official events of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Break dancing will also become the event of the 2024 Paris Olympics. International competitions that have attracted worldwide attention are also accelerating the process of these projects breaking into people's lives.
China Youth Daily China Youth Daily launched a questionnaire survey of 2892 college students from all over the country. The results showed that 39.83% of them are very interested in one or more of the emerging sports such as surfing, rock climbing, skateboarding, and hip-hop, 47.06% Respondents said they were more interested in these sports, and only 13.11% said they were not interested.
Skateboarding (54.63%), hip-hop (45.99%), surfing (45.68%), roller skating (39.38%), and rock climbing (35.20%) are emerging sports that more respondents want to try.
Colleges and universities are "weather stations" that capture the trend of sports
Among the 2892 respondents, 89.63% expected the school to offer a trendy and cool emerging sports curriculum.
The voices of college students who are walking in the trend of the trend are first caught by colleges and universities, and the pace of college curriculum and community building often goes with it.
Xiamen University offers internet celebrity paddle board courses, Zhejiang University and Changsha University of Science and Technology offer rock climbing courses, and societies such as skateboarding, roller skating, and street dance are active in major universities.
Therefore, although many emerging sports events are niche, university campuses with relatively abundant sports venues, equipment, and faculty resources often become "hotbeds" for these sports events.
According to a survey conducted by the China Youth College media, 19.16% of college students think it is very convenient to participate in emerging sports in the university because the school offers related courses or clubs; 54.46% think it is more convenient. When they want to get in touch with emerging sports, they can use clubs, friends, etc. Channel to reach.
The main ways for college students to participate in emerging sports are to participate in the school’s clubs (48.17%), to choose the school’s physical education class (45.02%) and to find opportunities to participate irregularly (32.75%).
The school is Chen Lingxiao's rock climbing "enlightenment".
When he first came to Peking University in 2017, he received a great "visual impact"-the brothers and sisters of Shanying Club "flying around" on the rock wall.
After experiencing it for himself, the detail charm under the "cool" appearance of this sport made him even more excited.
"Rock climbing is a process of communicating with my body. I can feel the strength of every muscle when climbing, and sometimes subtle changes in strength can help me complete difficult routes."
Chen Lingxiao, who has been walking the rock wall for 4 years, has become the director of the Shanying Club and the director of the climbing department. He has a deeper understanding of rock climbing, which has a similar meaning to his name and takes "upward" as the ultimate goal.
"Rock climbing is a process of constantly challenging one's own limits. Breaking through the limits of one's strength and the refinement of climbing techniques have given me a great sense of accomplishment."
In 2019, the paddle board class offered by Lin Qiuhua, a teacher of the Sports Department of Xiamen University, made Xiamen University once again a hotly searched "school for other people's homes".
Ma Hongyu is the former chairman of Xiamen University Boat Association and former captain of the paddle board team.
Rather than surfing, which is not so friendly to beginners, he recommends paddleboards that originated from surfing but can also be played on still waters. "It's easy to learn and safe."
Each semester at Xiamen University, there is a paddle board class that can accommodate about 100 people. It is a popular and sought-after course. Normally, the class is mainly held in the lake on the campus. If there is a chance, the teacher will also take the students to the beach near the school.
The paddle board team that Ma Hongyu belongs to is the "advanced version" of the paddle board class. If students are attracted by the paddle board and are willing to participate in the training, the paddle board team will also provide students with more in-depth learning opportunities.
The opportunity is not limited to the school. In 2017, Ma Hongyu went to Wanning, Hainan to participate in the first Chinese College Student Paddle Board Competition.
This experience in the competition also paved the way for Ma Hongyu's later surfing enthusiasm.
"I have the opportunity to experience surfing at the competition site. After I tried it, I fell in love with it." The speed on the top of the wave not only allows him to enjoy the excitement and close contact with the ocean, but also makes him more grateful and awe of nature.
Huang Yuqiao is the former captain of the Mustang Women's Softball Team of the University of International Business and Economics.
In her view, as baseball and softball appear more and more in the younger group, college baseball players will be the backbone of baseball and softball promotion.
This judgment comes from her knowledge that baseball and softball has a good foundation in some universities.
There are baseball and softball competitions between universities in the capital every year, which allows graduates of each year to take a whole summer of baseball memories and move on to the next stage of life.
"Cool" and "Olympic" bring breakthroughs to "niche" confidence
The most exciting thing for Huang Yuqiao this year is to see baseball and softball games at the Olympics.
One month before the start of the Tokyo Olympics, various baseball and softball-related news flooded into her mobile phone, and various team groups were also enthusiastically discussing it. Everyone organized "cloud watching".
"Sure enough, this is the Olympics, a grand event that makes people excited."
The signal brought by the Olympic Games is the development of a sport, which is undoubtedly a "cardio booster" for baseball and softball, which is still a niche emerging sport in China.
For Huang Yuqiao and baseball and softball fans, this is an excellent opportunity to promote and popularize baseball and softball.
"I really hope that one day, passing and playing are no longer a luxury that can only be done in school."
Huang Yuqiao's wishes reflect the status quo of some emerging sports.
The China Youth College Media survey shows that college students are more willing to try new sports, but the proportion of college students who have actually experienced these sports is relatively low.
Roller skating is one of these relatively new sports. The most interviewed college students have participated in (39.52%). Skateboarding (35.03%), hip-hop (16.46%) rank second and third, rock climbing (8.68%), surfing (4.39%) and other projects with higher requirements for venues and equipment, the proportion of participants is relatively low.
Even in colleges and universities with relatively complete sports development conditions, 26.38% of college students said that it is not convenient to participate in emerging sports in universities, and it is difficult to get in touch when they want to get in touch.
High requirements for venues and facilities (73.48%), high cost of participation (59.34%), limited dissemination (54.94%), lack of professional teachers (53.87%), etc., are the current obstacles to the development of emerging sports in the interviewees’ eyes .
Li Chenxiang, 25, is a graduate student at Beijing Jiaotong University and a surfer.
She bought herself a skateboard and balance board, and used these to practice her sense of balance.
In her view, surfing has its environmental factors in the domestic niche.
The waves in many coastal areas in China are relatively small, not suitable for surfing, and the experience is more expensive, and in the eyes of many people, this is still a very dangerous extreme sport.
Ma Hongyu also has the same feeling: "There are fewer good surfing spots in China, and the distance is relatively long. It is usually difficult to go." But because of "too addictive", he always finds opportunities to surf on his own during the holidays.
"If colleges and universities want to form surfing clubs, they will also be restricted by relatively large geographical factors. After all, there are few schools close to good surf spots in China." The requirements are not so high, and it is more convenient to develop.
For young people, there are no difficulties that "love" cannot overcome.
"I'm really interested in surfing. I can usually play on land surfboards and try it out in the sea during holidays." Ma Hongyu obviously felt that although the number of college students playing surfing is not large, more and more people have begun to pay attention in recent years. Surf, start to experience and try.
In particular, surfing into the Olympics has allowed many amateur surfers to participate in the World Series. The broadcast of the competition around the world will also attract more people's attention.
"This is exciting for young people who like and want to participate in surfing."
Wang Guobiao of the University of International Business and Economics is the former captain of the Mustang baseball team. After graduating and returning to his hometown, he rarely has the opportunity to touch baseball and softball. "After all, this is a team sport, but in second and third-tier cities, you can hardly find a baseball team. The traces of softball sports venues and related products." He expects the "chain reaction" caused by baseball and softball entering the Olympics. "Relevant sports organizations, markets, and universities will provide more support for baseball and softball on and off campus. It can start a prairie fire. In the future, more college students who love this sport like me will devote themselves to the development of this sport, and create a better sports atmosphere for universities and society."
Young people who are “absorbed” into emerging sports gain “evolved” themselves
Every year in the "Hundred Regiments" held by the University of International Business and Economics, Chill Skate Club can become the "most beautiful boy" on this street of community.
According to the experience of President Shao Yaosen, the booth should be placed in a relatively open space, so that the members of the community can display it on the spot, and also allow the freshmen to experience it on the spot.
In the eyes of Shao Yaosen, the biggest attraction of skateboarding is "chill".
The name of the club means "relaxed, laid-back, and free."
"Skateboarding is a sport that can reflect the attitude of young people." Shao Yaosen felt that although the structure of skateboarding is simple, there are countless ways to play; although there are so-called "movements", the skater is never tied to the rules. The hands have their own unique moves and styles.
"Tolerance", "Individuality" and "Challenge", these innate genes of skateboarding can just reflect the current young people's life attitude of pursuing individuality and being willing to accept new things.
"Because of this, I met a lot of interesting people through skateboarding. This thing is very cool."
"Highly interesting" (72.44%), "new trendy fashion" (60.30%), and "cool and stylish" (58.78%) are the labels given to emerging sports by respondents in the China Youth School Media Survey.
Relying on this first impression, the emerging sport is like a magnet, sucking young people in line with its tone into the sports field. After that, the true meaning of sports has been spread out step by step.
"The greatest significance of surfing is that I have gained an'evolved' myself." Xia Dongyang's "evolution" comes from two aspects of knowledge and spirit.
"The first time I understood the word'break point', I suddenly felt a sense of openness." After first getting to know the professional terms of this sport, what followed was a surfing experience from body to soul.
The nose chokes and the brain is numb.
At first, when the huge wave hits, he can't avoid it at all. The whole person is rolling in the sea, like being thrown into a drum washing machine.
Every day’s experience is different, and each season’s experience is even more different.
Sometimes he finally swam a few meters into the sea, and when the big waves came, even people with boards washed up on the coast.
He picked up his wet self from the water time and time again, and the success that could be foreseen but didn't know when would come to support him again.
"The greatest sense of accomplishment is at that moment, standing up and rushing forward under the support of the waves. At that moment, it is enough to heal all the frustration that was overturned by the waves before."
It helps to exercise and master motor skills (33.58%), new forms of exercise stimulate college students to participate, increase the sports population (24.24%), help college students feel fun in sports (16.56%), and help socialize (14.42%) What college students have gained from emerging sports.
The growth brought to Chen Lingxiao by rock climbing goes far beyond the sport itself. He can feel his growth by trying more abundant movements, appreciating the beauty of nature, and learning to assess and predict risks in outdoor rock climbing.
"There are also some forms of rock climbing, such as pioneer rock climbing, which requires more than two people to perform. There will be a lot of exchanges between friends who'knock the line' together. The topic starts with rock climbing, but it will not end with rock climbing."
Shao Yaosen found that some of the members of skateboarding, street dancing, rap, and streetball clubs overlap.
These popular cultures, which are "bound" with the cultural attributes that young people prefer, are highlighting the personal charm of this generation of young people in a diversified manner, and they have also become their unique "secret signs" in the social field.
Xia Dongyang has long no longer limited his social circle to the existing scope. He is looking forward to meeting "masters" in surfing. In his imagination, he is not only surprised by the other's skills, but also wants to understand their love.
"I hope I can continue to set off with these friends, each with a wave board on their heads, swimming against the rushing direction of the waves, towards the sea."
China Youth Daily, China Youth Daily, trainee reporter Bi Ruoxu, intern Li Zianggai Jiaoyi