Teenager Joe Keogh born to ride waves
At just 13 years old, Hong Kong's Joe Keogh is taking the surfing world by storm with his daring routines and passion for the sport
It's a miserable day in Shek O, where even curious village dogs curl into balls for warmth and diehard locals shun the frigid beach. But not Joe Keogh. Relishing the chance to surf before pulling on his school clothes, he sprints to the water's edge and launches himself. The once shy teen is instantly transformed into its master, carving waves out of shapeless slush until his fingers turn blue.
Watching on shore, his father, Tim Keogh, looks bemused. "It's amazing how good he's become surfing here, given the conditions," he says. "Hardly anyone surfs here."
But with a growing community of surfers in the region, it's only a matter of time before Hong Kong produces a world-class surfer, say the experts, and Joe looks to be the city's surest bet yet. The prodigy ousted an Australian 20 years older to win a competition two weeks ago, earning a wild card to compete against top professionals in Hainan next month. The best part? He's only 13.
Young surfers in top competitions are not unusual, but Joe hailing from Hong Kong has stunned the international surfing community. "This is the first time someone so young from Hong Kong or China has shown such a high level of skill," says Dane Jordan, general manager of the Association of Surfing Professionals for Australasia.
Joe pulled off an impressive series of tricks to secure top spot in the men's and boys' division at the Reef Hong Kong Surf Cup two weeks ago, making him the competition's youngest winner. His double victory followed a win in the under-16 division and a runner-up finish in the men's competition at the 2012 Skullcandy Surfing Hainan Open in early November.
He will represent Hong Kong and China against some of the world's best surfers at next month's International Surfing Association's Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival.
