Mutterings of Discontent + Updates 1 and 2

Tomorrow (2nd October), sees the start of the two day, first Liuzhou Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup to be held on the river between the No 1 (Liujiang) Bridge and Wenhui Bridge. It will be followed by the F1 Powerboat Grand Prix, being held here for the second year.

It seems that at least one competitor in the water ski events is less than happy. Today was a practice day and the competitor in question has complained on Twitter that "Conditions [are] the worst I've ever seen. Almost fell before I got to the ramp on a ride over." On his website he includes a video apparently intended to show how dreadful the conditions are. It looks like a man water skiing to me. Then bad-temperedly throwing his helmet into the water. Helmet abuse!

(The above is a Youtube video - not available in China. Alternative low resolution video here.)

I happily admit that I know next to nothing about water skiing, but today was a beautiful, warm, windless day and the river looked pretty calm and normal to me. The competitor doesn't say what it is that bothers him about the competition site, but I would have thought that if you are a professional skier and taking part in a world championship, you should be able to deal with any almost water conditions. That said, he was complaining on Twitter before he even visited the site. "Rumor has it site is death on a stick" he reported within hours of arriving and going straight to his hotel. Now he is speculating on whether everyone will get out alive. Perhaps he should remember what he wrote on his website - "water is water".

People with more legitimate complaints have been grumbling, too. The locals. Once again the entire riverside, one of Liuzhou's favourite leisure spots, has been taken over. No longer content with having a few cops around to hold people back, this year they have fenced off the whole riverside. 

And erected barriers on the bridges to stop people getting a free peek at the river.

As I walked past today, I heard one man say to his friend, "Whose river is it, anyway?" Good question. Although, he wasn't quite so polite.

Tickets for the event cost ¥8,000 for a VIP ticket for the week (about 5 times the average local  monthly salary - I doubt if a single person will pay for that themselves. Corruption rules.) Normal day tickets are priced at ¥150 but are not for sale in any ticket outlet. I have seen precisely one advert which merely listed a mobile phone number and a QQ number. Where is the money going? 

Perhaps the rich kid might like to think what his expensive hobby is taking from the local community instead of whittering on about how terrible life is.

Update 1 - 3rd October

Seems our friend must have recovered from his jet lag.  He is now reporting that "Todays the finals. Yesterday was better than practice. City is great but a backwash system would be great."

Excuse me? We always wash our backs.

BTW, the firework display was to celebrate China's National Day - not for you!!

Complaints from the locals continue. People who work and live on the river have been unceremoniously removed and riverside related business have been fenced out.

Update 2 - 4th October 

I am happy to report that Liuzhou has finally won over our friend who hated it only three days ago. Today he is reporting that "Liuzhou is by far my favorite city in China!" and " All my trips have been good, but this is still my favorite to date." (Although I don't think he has visited any other Chinese cities!) Of course, it probably helped his mood that he won his event. He is still asking for a backwash system, but I don't think the city is going to change the river for the sake of two days a year. The organisers have signed up for the next four years. They'll be back.

Not such good news for the locals. 

tags: liuzhou  waterski  wakeboard  

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