ANDIA WINSLOW: These young athletes are training with China's national surfing team.

LOLO LUO LING (speaking Mandarin): WINSLOW: They dream of making it to the Olympics.

LI (speaking Mandarin): DAISY DONG KEYING (speaking Mandarin): ♪ ♪ WINSLOW: "Surf Nation" on DocWorld.

♪ ♪ (waves lapping) (exhales) (rubbing board) (hatch closes) Let's go.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God!

Oh, see that?

Oh, my God!

That was a proper barrel.

Oh, my God, look at that one.

♪ ♪ (softly): Look at that.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (people talking in background) BOY: Oh!

(others exclaiming) ♪ ♪ REPORTER (speaking Mandarin): (whistle blows) ♪ ♪ ALEX: When you're in the water, it's like a fight, you know?

REPORTER (speaking Mandarin): ♪ ♪ ALEX: Surfing is more a personal sport.

It's not, like, a team thing.

KIDS (speaking Mandarin): ♪ ♪ ALEX: That's only you in the water.

No one's going to help you.

♪ ♪ (talking in background) (applauding) LI (speaking Mandarin): KIDS (speaking Mandarin): LI: KIDS: - (murmurs) (applauding) (cell phone alarm ringing) (alarm stops) It's pretty messy, huh?

(exhales) And I rent this all by myself, you know, because they, they will not let me just have a own room.

So I'm just, like, I don't want to stay with anybody else, so I just rent it by myself.

My teammates not really close with me, 'cause they don't like me or something like that.

Check it out.

This one is, like, my super-old board.

When I was ten years old, I was using this board.

Look at its tail.

It's messed up.

I broke my bone.

See that (muted) right here?

See that crack?

I was trying to practice my back flip, and I think I land on a flat with my feet like that, and I cracked it.

That's why I have, like, a, two months, a month to not surf.

That's why-- oof.

So, let's go surf.

The waves are kind of small here, so, not much power.

(laughs) There's no power!

You've gotta build your own power!

(speaking Mandarin): ♪ ♪ When I started surfing, there was only 100 people in China who knew about surfing-- maybe less.

♪ ♪ Surfing is more popular now because people hear about the Olympics.

Chinese government, they want a gold medal.

(speaking Mandarin): (talking and laughing in background) (laughs) HUANG (speaking Mandarin): KID: HUANG: KID: HUANG: KID: HUANG: (shouting) We're designing our own unique training program.

We basically went through all the YouTube videos related with surfing, fitness, sports psychology, and even Chinese gymnastic programs, and put all the informations together.

(speaking Mandarin): (calling): (whistle blows) CLARK: I don't know of many other places in the world who have designed a program around surfing like they have at the moment.

(people cheering) (man cheers, exclaims) CLARK: And they're bringing in coaches from other places around the world because they don't have surfers in China.

GRANT THOMAS: The main thing is, wait for the bigger waves, because the smaller waves are gonna stop breaking now because the tide's coming in.

- (speaking Mandarin) ♪ ♪ THOMAS: The more time we're spending, we're learning more about the Chinese culture.

From a coaching point of view, it's a little bit more regimented.

So probably, they're a little bit more coachable.

♪ ♪ You see their willingness to learn.

WOMAN (speaking Mandarin): (kids exclaim) (laughing) WOMAN (speaking Mandarin): MAN (laughing): Hey!

CLARK: We've explained the time it takes to become a good surfer, and the leaders want to short-track it, you know.

If we'd say it takes 14 years to become a professional, they want to do it in ten.

- There, that's it.

THOMAS: But if anyone's gonna do it quicker, it's China.

(onlookers applauding) CLARK: Every province seems to be jumping on board, creating teams, and those teams are getting bigger and bigger.

What is their population?

1.3 billion?

I mean, the sport will grow quite fast.

They've actually brought in people from other sports.

So they've got canoers coming in, they've got sailors coming in, a lot of swimmers, they have quite a few divers coming in, and they're giving them surfboards, and they're seeing how they go.

Ones show potential they hold onto, and the ones that don't go back to whatever they were doing.

And then, you know, we've got Alex, who's had a head start on the rest of them.

He's surfing, you, you know, for a 15-year-old, it's not too far behind the best 15-year-olds in the world.

He's got the drive.

He's very passionate.

He's definitely got the confidence.

(laughing): We know that.

I mean, I, if I had five percent of his confidence, I'd love it.

But I think there's gonna be a lot of hungry kids come chasing down his title.

The development, because of the opportunities thrown to them, from a young age, surfing every day, twice a day, maybe three times a day, that progression is happening quick.

♪ ♪ (water running) DAISY (speaking Mandarin): LAKEY PETERSON (in video): Surfing is just like reading the ocean.

Some sessions, it's just extra-special.

I just had so much fun.

I got to finally surf waves with a little bit of power and have a bit more speed, and I just had the best time.

It's so fun out there.

DAISY (speaking Mandarin): (speaking Mandarin) (yelps) DAISY: - (yelps) ♪ ♪ DAISY: (crying) ♪ ♪ DAISY: (man speaking Mandarin) DAISY: (man speaking Mandarin) MA (speaking Mandarin): KIDS: MA: KIDS: ♪ ♪ LOLO: It's just like a very pure love with surfing.

It's like, oh, I feel so good when I'm catching a wave.

When I'm standing on a board, it's like nothing.

Just me and the wave and the wind.

It makes me feel alive.

When I started surfing, when my parents first saw me, like, this tan, they would say, "Where did you go, what do you do?

"Do you have a job?

"Why wouldn't you just be, like, highly paid officer and getting white?"

Because most of the Chinese, especially in my parents' generation, they would consider white girls are the most beautiful ones.

So, they were just, like, "Why are you being so ugly and tanned and so poor?"

Yeah.

(laughs) CONNOR: Looking out the back of the wave instead of looking... MAN: This turned, this turned out to be a sick wave.

(exclaims) CONNOR: Yes!

See if, let's see if you can slow it from here.

Look.

Look where his eyes are.

Looking straight up there at the lip.

- (speaking Mandarin) CONNOR: So this is what we want to see more.

MAN: He's, he's bending his legs at the top of the wave.

LOLO: When I first came this team, Mr. Ma say, "You're kind of, like, old to be an athlete.

"But maybe when you retire being an athlete, you can transform to a coach assistant or a coach."

CONNOR: His wave selection is still a bit poor, so he needs to try and wait for those bigger sets.

♪ ♪ LOLO: And if you, like, win the medal in the pretty important contest, you'll be, like, national athlete, and you can get, like, salary.

(whistle blows) (speaking Mandarin): I love free surfing so much.

But it's, like, I just make a living here, then I can surf every single day, yeah, it would be great.

♪ ♪ THOMAS: Question one.

KID (speaking Mandarin): THOMAS: List two things that you should do the night before an event.

Go.

(talking in background) ALEX (speaking Mandarin): THOMAS: Question two.

List three things that the judges are looking for.

KID (speaking Mandarin): - (speaking Mandarin): GIRL: THOMAS: Question three, GT or Clarky: which coach is fatter?

(all laugh and shout) But remember who the boss is.

(all laughing) GT.

KID (speaking Mandarin): ALEX: BOY: (kids exclaiming) BOY: BOY 2: BOY 3: (all laughing) THOMAS: Ooh!

(all laughing) Here we go.

BOY: KID: THOMAS: 187.28.

KIDS: (all laughing, talking in background) CLARK: (all cheering) KID: (all laughing) CLARK: But we're all rock.

♪ ♪ (speaking Mandarin): ♪ ♪ TEACHER: Class begins.

KIDS: Good evening, teacher.

TEACHER: Good evening, class.

Sit down, please.

November, November.

KIDS: November, November.

TEACHER: December, December.

KIDS: December.

December.

TEACHER: Swimmer.

KIDS: Swimmer.

(laughing, speaking Mandarin) (laughing) THOMAS (in high-pitched voice): Ooh, I broke my board.

(in normal voice): He's the board breaker, mate.

- (laughing): No!

- No, he's all right.

We like him.

(both laughing) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ MA (speaking Mandarin): ♪ ♪ THOMAS: So China's plan involves getting their kids competing in a variety of events around the world.

These competitions basically fit into three categories.

There's the Chinese National Competitions.

These are where the provinces send their own teams to compete against each other.

For the kids, these are really important events for competition experience and to maintain their standing on the national team.

There's the World Surf League's Championship Tour, otherwise known as the CT.

This is where the superstars of the surfing world compete against each other individually.

When Alex says he wants to be world champ, this is exactly what he's talking about.

♪ ♪ And then there's the International Surfing Association.

They hold the World Surfing Games.

This is where countries send delegations of their top surfers, and they're typically seen as the amateur world championship.

But now they're used as a qualifier for the Olympics.

So everybody comes.

This is where China is measuring themselves against the world.

But Olympic qualification isn't as a team.

It's as an individual.

So the Chinese Olympic Surf Team, were there to be one, may only have one surfer.

(Bob Marley's "One Love" playing on stereo) Panama!

♪ Gonna be no more doom ♪ ♪ One song ♪ ♪ Have pity on those whose chances grow scanter ♪ (horn blows, man exclaims) THOMAS: Obviously, it's a monumental event, as far as the I.S.A.

World Games goes.

You know, we've got a bunch of the world's top surfers that have come from the WSL to put in their claim so they can surf the Olympics.

- (singing along): ♪ Let's get together ♪ ♪ And feel all right ♪ THOMAS: To surf against the best is an amazing experience for any kid.

- ♪ One heart ♪ THOMAS: We told them, you know, like, just enjoy it.

There's kids all over the world that would dream of paddling out next to Kelly or Gabriel Medina or any surfer on the world tour, and these guys are about to go do it.

- ♪ Feel all right ♪ (cheering) FILIPE TOLEDO: Pretty cool, huh?

We're looking at everyone wearing their shirts, and, like, "Oh, China, oh, cool."

I actually met one of the kids, or one of the, the surfers from the team in Hawaii, and, um, he surfs really good, actually, super-fun.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, Alex, yeah, that's the one.

It was good to see him in the water.

Share a couple of waves.

THOMAS: The challenge for Alex is, he's got the expectations.

You know, he's the best surfer in China.

He's their best chance of doing anything.

There's no doubt he's getting bigger, he's getting stronger, but he's still a kid.

♪ ♪ But I know, like, Mr. Zhou and Mr. Ma, they're, they're not happy with how he behaves.

It's not their style.

We had a meeting.

They were nearly not gonna let him surf here.

But, you know, for us, we look at him and refer back to the late Andy Irons, and the cockiness and the confidence, you know?

It's kind of part of it.

(laughs) LI (speaking Mandarin): (Thomas and Clark chuckle) LI: - (quietly): Kelly Slater was over there.

LI (speaking Mandarin): (applauding) ALEX: LI: ALEX: ALEX: I don't got nervous.

WOMAN: You don't get nervous?

- No.

I compete since I was five.

If I surf to my ability, if I lost, fine, that's okay.

But if I didn't surf to my ability and I lost, I'll be (muted) pissed, you know?

♪ ♪ Since I was five or six, my dream is, I wanted to be on CT. (whistling) I don't care about I.S.A., going to an Olympics.

I don't want to be an I.S.A.

world champ.

I just want to be a real world champ, like Slater does.

♪ ♪ But I'm still going to compete in I.S.A., 'cause the Chinese government say that.

♪ ♪ (people talking in background) (insects chirping) THOMAS: You want to be careful of this morning, because already, I can see a tenseness, a change in you, and that's going to bring on little mistakes.

All right?

You got to try and keep yourself as level as you can.

Make sense?

No use changing the fun, and the smile, like, the smile's already gone off your face.

All right?

When that changes, the performance will change.

So it's really important that we just keep the same thing going that you've been doing, because you've been surfing great, but you need to know if this all changes, out there will change.

All right?

- Mm-hmm.

THOMAS: Let's go, get in the other side.

You can sit in the front.

Okay, can I drive yet?

(alert beeping) MAN: You're good.

(Thomas cheering) THOMAS: Let's roll.

♪ ♪ (seagulls squawking) ♪ ♪ ANNOUNCER: The 2019 I.S.A.

Worl Surfing Games presented by Vans.

Three, two, one.

(airhorn blows, team shouting) (crowd cheering) ♪ ♪ THOMAS: So in each heat, we've got four surfers, 20 minutes, and they get the chance to score the best two waves they can, ten being the highest you can score on any wave.

The top two finishers move on to the next round.

(crowd cheering) The main thing for Alex, like, he's 15.

He's surfing against 20- to 30-year-old men.

You know, it's like putting a boy in a boxing ring.

Even though they're not hitting each other, like, what chance has he got, you know?

REPORTER: Now, you are the, uh, Michael Jordan of our sport.

You're 11-time world champion.

What would it mean to you to have "Olympic medalist" next to your name?

Gold medalist, it's just, I, I think it's...

It's something so unfamiliar to us.

I think it'll create a whole different kind of energy.

REPORTER: All right, well, congratulations on that win in the first heat.

We look forward to watching you in the rest of the event.

(crowd cheers and applauds) ♪ ♪ Smoke 'em.

- (exclaims) THOMAS: No, no, just wait, Just wait.

Just tell me really quickly, what's our goal?

Two what?

ALEX: Two good waves.

- Two, two fours.

- Yeah.

- Two fours.

Let's just go for fours.

- Two fours for the first one.

- Because, 'cause it's easy, yeah.

And then let's push it after that, okay?

Let's just complete our first wave and, and build confidence.

- Yes.

- All right?

- Yeah.

THOMAS: He understands what we've told him.

Hopefully he follows through with that.

(laughs) Let's see how we go with that one.

(horn blaring) We'll soon find out.

Whew, Alex!

(official making announcement over loudspeaker) THOMAS: I like how he was nervous.

It's when he's nervous, it's almost the most humble that he is.

Right there he doesn't think he's going to win.

(horn blaring) THOMAS: Here we go, there's something coming.

Starting the heat, I think.

(announcer commentating over loudspeaker) Here's one.

Go, go, go, go, go, go, go.

Yes, yes.

Keep going.

He'll finish this if it stands up for him.

Go, go, go, go.

That's all right.

Good start, though, for a first one.

He couldn't have started any different...

He's showing pretty good poise.

ANNOUNCER: First place, red.

Second place, blue.

Third place, white.

Yellow needs 1.07 to move second.

THOMAS: Here we go.

He's going to take this.

Just go, go, go, go, go, go.

ANNOUNCER: 20 seconds remaining.

♪ ♪ THOMAS: That's good, that'll help us.

Keep going.

ANNOUNCER: For yellow, 4.03.

4.03 for yellow.

First place, red.

- Is he in second?

- So he's got eight points.

ANNOUNCER: Second place now yellow.

THOMAS: He's hit his goal.

Let's just see him get one more.

Can you whistle?

(Clark whistles loudly) THOMAS: Come on, we might get a lucky lefty.

This could be all right.

♪ ♪ ANNOUNCER: One minute.

THOMAS: Uh-oh.

ANNOUNCER: White only need a 3.43 to move second.

For the white, 5.07.

- Damn it.

That's all right.

ANNOUNCER: Five, four, three, two, one.

(horn blaring) CLARK: So we got second?

- Third.

- Really?

- Yeah.

- What?!

THOMAS: Alex, he got the score.

- What?

- He got the score.

- He got the score?

- Yeah, for sure.

That's all right, though, listen, just before-- just wait, just listen.

He got it.

So everything, before, before you get too upset, I'm only going to take two seconds.

You got your eight points.

You got your eight points, which was good.

Hey, before you walk off...

I'll walk with you.

ALEX: (muted) THOMAS: No, it's all right.

We just probably took that one in third priority.

You surfed good.

ANNOUNCER: In third place, yellow, China.

In fourth place, blue, Thailand.

Stop filming this (muted).

(horn blaring) ANNOUNCER: This has been everything for today.

Thank you very much.

(speaking Spanish) (speaking Japanese) See you tomorrow.

(speaking Spanish) Ciao.

THOMAS: It was a loss, but in saying that, from a coaching point of view, you know, he couldn't have done it any better.

♪ ♪ He's still a kid, you know, and he's got the expectations.

Like, everyone's, like, "When's Alex going to do this?

"When's he going to end up here?

When's he going to do that?"

It's a lot of weight there, really.

If he kind of forgets about what everyone thinks about him, and if he can control himself and focus on what he's got to do, he'll, he'll surprise people down the track.

♪ ♪ (speaking Mandarin): I don't know if it's working.

My boyfriend asked me to marry him.

I thought his propose is, like, a joke, because he's a little drunk and he didn't propose with a ring.

I was, like, "Okay."

I didn't know that he would tell his family.

And his family told whole family.

He's only happy when I say yes to everything he says, when I do everything he want me to do.

We just argue a lot.

WOMAN (speaking Mandarin): (speaking Mandarin): WOMAN: Not ready yet.

- (speaking Mandarin): WOMAN: What does she want to be first?

- (speaking Mandarin): Get into the water.

Punched by wave.

Make me feel alive.

(Chinese national anthem playing) (anthem continues) (anthem continues) (anthem ends) ANNOUNCER (speaking Mandarin over loudspeaker): - (cheering) ANNOUNCER: - (laughing) ANNOUNCER: (drums continue, recorded vocal track playing) ♪ I see you dancing with every girl ♪ ♪ Looking for someone to rock your world ♪ ♪ I'm tracking your body, it's looking right ♪ ♪ Boy, I can tell that you'd go all night ♪ (song ends) (crowd cheering and applauding) (people talking in background) MAN and LOLO (speaking Mandarin): MOYU (speaking Mandarin): (voiceover): It's just pretty unfortunate that Alex is not here, because I think this whole healthy competition will really help Alex, too.

You know, he's out there.

He's thinking he's the best.

He don't see any...

He's surfing with, like, hobby surfers.

Never see, like, who's better than him.

That's not the reality.

When you come back, this is the reality.

They're not landing air reverses like he does, but they're doing better turns.

They, they apply better key strategies.

They win heats, consistently winning heats.

There's all these details, like, got together to really make where they are.

Alex is just missing out, you know?

DONG (speaking Mandarin): MOYU: DONG: MOYU: DONG: MOYU: Huh?

DONG: MAN: DONG: MOYU: Dong, he's the perfect athlete that a coach wants, you know?

(laughs) ANNOUNCER (speaking Mandarin): MOYU: Ah-yah... - (grunts) MOYU: He's such a funny kid.

He makes everyone happy.

DONG: BOY: Ah.

- (speaking Mandarin): MOYU: And when he goes surfing, you give him directions, he will just get it.

(announcer talking over loudspeaker) But Dong definitely hit a plateau period of time.

He is very concerned about winning.

Too much, you know?

Although he always tell us, "No, I don't have pressure.

I don't have pressure."

But he eats a lot.

(chuckling): That's a sign of he's really under pressure.

But then I had a talk with him, and I'm, like, "I want that you enjoy every day here.

Winning come after, always come after."

And then, suddenly, on track.

Came back to the old Dong again, happy, cracking jokes.

He doing, like, crazy big turns.

(group exclaiming) MOYU (speaking Mandarin): And then meanwhile, just helping the whole team vibe, because they need to forget about winning, you know?

(laughs) When you're happy, you do well.

(speaking Mandarin, laughing): ♪ ♪ Future star in the making.

(cheering) (Moyu exclaims) ANNOUNCER (speaking Mandarin): (horn blaring, group cheering) Yeah!

MAN: Yeah, nice!

♪ ♪ MOYU (speaking Mandarin): Yeah!

BOY (speaking Mandarin): MOYU: (talking in background, horn blaring) (crowd cheers and applauds in distance) (people talking in background) (announcer speaking over loudspeaker) ♪ ♪ (mock-yelling in Mandarin): LOLO (laughing): (sighs) (announcer speaking over loudspeaker) (announcer continues, crowd cheering) ♪ ♪ (horn blaring) (cheering) ♪ ♪ (crowd cheering) (crowd cheering) (announcer speaking over loudspeaker) (horn blaring) ♪ ♪ DAISY: ANNOUNCER (over loudspeaker): (Daisy gasps) DAISY and ANNOUNCER: WOMAN (laughing) and ANNOUNCER: DAISY and ANNOUNCER: WOMAN: MAN: (people talking in background) Rollercoaster!

DAISY: MAN: DAISY: (announcer speaking) DAISY: LOLO: DAISY: (man joking, Daisy muttering angrily in Mandarin) Kind of small wave is more lucky than winning.

MA (speaking Mandarin): MOYU: MA: MAN: MA: MAN: (laughing) MA: MAN: MA: MOYU: MA: (people talking in background) DAISY (speaking Mandarin): WOMAN: DAISY: FU and DAISY: DAISY: FU: DAISY: FU: DAISY: (woman whistling tune) ♪ ♪ LOLO: Right now, it's just like, "Okay, you need, you need to win that medal for your future salary."

It kind of, like, changed my, my feeling about surfing.

So I always care about, like, be the top of things, so I need to push harder.

For me, it doesn't have no, nothing to do with surfing.

♪ ♪ Before, as a free surfer, it was just like a festival for me.

But right now, just make everything like mission.

Yeah, it's kind of a job.

It's not like enjoyment anymore.

(speaking Mandarin): WOMAN: LOLO: Actually, I want to take a break from the team.

(speaking Mandarin): ♪ ♪ (car horn honking) ♪ ♪ ALEX (speaking Mandarin): ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I can't believe we live in a motel.

What the (muted)?

My friend.

MAN (on phone): What's up?

(door unlocks) ♪ ♪ BOY (speaking Mandarin): ALEX: - (laughing) ALEX: (guffawing) BOY: GIRL: Crazy motel.

♪ ♪ WOMAN (speaking Mandarin): (people talking in background) ZHOU: (water running) (laughs) (chopping) He's from Szechuan, but not only cook Szechuan food.

So all the surfers from different provinces like his food.

MAN (speaking Mandarin): (car alarm chirping) (boy speaking Mandarin) (sirens blaring in distance) (people talking in background) (sirens continue) Oh, (muted), look at that meat.

Oh, my God.

(chuckling): That looks so good.

Two?

Three.

Let me get three.

Oh, my God.

(muted) good.

Hello.

(barking) Oh, (muted).

Holy (muted).

(barking) Holy (muted).

That dog is so aggy.

I nearly got bite.

You know what?

I bet you, if we living here, the coach will figure it out that we go paddle training in this lake here.

"Grab your board.

Go around all this here."

Lame!

Being the best Chinese surfer is like...

It means nothing.

What are you proud for, if that's don't mean (muted)?

'Cause you are nothing on the world.

I really not did that good in international comp.

I never did that really good.

I don't know why.

Maybe nervous?

Not really comfortable?

I don't know.

But my dad was really good coach, though.

He knows everything.

For sure, he's one of the coolest dad in the world.

Imagine... (laughs) ...your dad come to tell you, "If you go surf, you don't have to go school."

Like... (exhales through lips) (muted), that's supposed to be the coolest thing ever.

(laughs) I mean, that's the, mostly the deal all the kids want.

You go surf, you don't have to go school.

See that school bus right here?

Screw that.

Not going.

(chuckles) My dad just wanted to give me everything so I were happy.

All of my family was arguing with my dad.

"The kid have to go school, have to go school, have to go to college, go find a good work."

It was, like, it was, like, most of the Chinese kid do that.

Even when I was five, I remember this so clear.

My mom would just go find a house.

The house was just near the college.

My mom to plan I'm going to that college.

At that time I was only five.

I was, like, "(muted), you're going to... (chuckling): You're gonna plan that, that far?"

I'm, like, "Oh, my God!"

That was pretty scary.

QIU HANG (speaking Mandarin): ♪ ♪ BOY: Hey, is that a chicken or is that a "quack, quack"?

Chicken, chicken.

ALEX: That was a duck, not chicken.

Dude!

Dude!

- Chicken!

- Dude!

No, he can bite you, you know?

QIU (speaking Mandarin): ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (car alarm beeps) ALEX: Grandpa.

Good morning, Grandpa.

TOWNEND: What's up, Alex?

ALEX: How are you, Grandpa?

Alive.

(laughs) - Still funny.

- How you doing?

- Miss you, Grandpa.

- (muted), you got taller, you're nearly tall as me now.

- Nah.

- (laughs) How were the waves out there this morning?

- It was pretty okay-- it's been pretty messy, but yesterday was fun.

Yesterday was fun and clean.

How's that air I land that day?

- Not too bad, but you got to do it all the time, not just once.

- I know.

And then you got to be able to do it in 20 minutes.

(laughs) - I know I can do it.

Grandpa, every time I saw this, that's your car.

- You know it's me.

(laughs) - And pink shirt, for sure that's Grandpa.

(laughs) ALEX: Grandpa, for sure, is one of my best friends in my life since I was seven or eight years old.

Back to the day, he's one of the best, and he's the first guy who ever won world title.

♪ ♪ TOWNEND: Flow is in the criteria.

- I know.

- Hopping is not a maneuver.

- I know, I know.

- (laughs) If you have speed and use your rails, you don't have to hop.

- Yeah, right.

In the beginning, PT was the head coach in Chinese team.

He's helped me a lot.

He helped me pick up sponsor, figured out how I'm going to make it to CT, how I'll get better.

I'm better on my barrel riding, though.

But last year, I got so smashed on the pipe.

Oh, my God.

- Won't be the last time.

- That's so cool.

One of my sponsors is Hurley.

♪ ♪ I'm gonna grab those (muted).

Oh, my God, that's a lot of shorts already.

- It's so you can't be as greedy as you normally are.

- Okay, Grandpa.

♪ ♪ - Are we done?

- Oh, (muted), oh, my God.

(groans): Oh, my God.

♪ ♪ REPORTER: Well, it's an iconic venue here, as the Huntington Beach Pier hosts the 2019 Vissla I.S.A.

World Junior Champs.

44 nations, over 320 competitors.

The world's best under-18 surfers.

ANNOUNCER: With all the buzz of the Olympics, having that opportunity to represent your country is very unique.

Surfing, it's typically a individual sport.

When somebody wins here, they usually make it onto the CT around three years after that, so it's really great snapshot into the future.

♪ ♪ - (speaking Mandarin): ALEX: - (speaking Mandarin): (Alex responds) - So, Alex, what's your plan?

Are you surfing before your heat or no?

- I'm going to surf, yeah.

Going to go... (announcer speaking) - Get in the water a little bit?

- Yes.

ANNOUNCER: ...7.83.

- Oh, this new wettie feels nice.

ANNOUNCER: 7.83.

- Nice.

- Also, the custom color, though.

- Like it.

Blue.

- So, I see the best waves all being rights, right?

- Yeah, I know, that's my backhand.

- Yeah, yeah, just making sure you just stay in the pocket and whip a few, and I'm sure you'll make the heat that way, right?

- Yeah.

I know what you mean.

Okay, I'm going to free surf.

POST: He definitely has potential to go far.

He's a very talented kid.

Will he push through to that top pro level?

We shall see, you know?

I, it's, it's a challenge.

It's one thing to get to, like, that pro level, but to, like, consistently be there is really hard.

Mentally, emotionally, all of it, you know, there are so many aspects that go into it.

So...

Uh, it takes a lot to stay at that level, yeah.

Must be challenging, though, with, like, a whole country behind you.

That would be, that's a whole 'nother spectrum.

(laughs) For the country, totally different surfing approach, right?

But I'm sure some of them are going to tap into, like, they really love it.

- What's the name?

- Alex Qiu Zhuo.

TOWNEND: You gotta get them, champ.

- Yeah, Grandpa.

Thank you.

(announcer speaking indistinctly) - It's perfect for you today to rip the (muted) out of it.

- Yeah.

- Those long-running lefts, you can ride them all the way down the beach.

You know how to do that.

It's Riyue, that's all it is.

(laughs) ANNOUNCER: So just hold your head up high and be proud that you're representing your country.

POST: Well, you're next.

What is your overall game plan?

- I have my own plan.

- I know, I want to hear it.

'Cause we all have to have a little bit of a game plan going into this, right?

- I know.

Yeah, I know.

- What are two things you want to focus on?

- Two plus one.

- Two plu... Oh.

(laughs): Okay.

Is that it?

So now coming down to the five-minute mark, really paying attention to the ocean.

Here comes a little set to look at.

Like... (announcer speaking) (man whistles) POST: He was totally against anything that I have to say, which is okay.

Let him run his own deal, you know?

He should make this round pretty easy.

♪ ♪ TOWNEND: This is going to be a competitive heat.

The one in the red, without question is, to me, technically a little stronger than Alex.

ANNOUNCER: That could be one of our highest-scored waves of the day.

But there's a set coming, yeah.

(whistles) Here it is.

♪ ♪ (groans) That was kind of bad wave choice.

TOWNEND: Right now, he's got two decent ones, but he needs one now that's better than the two he's got.

He needs the plus-one.

- Come on, be patient.

TOWNEND: The kid in white who's heckling him, you know, because he knows he just got that good wave, and he doesn't want Alex to get one to answer it.

ANNOUNCER: Surfer in yellow in the third spot, trying to catch a wave.

Surfer in white holds priority...

KID: Go!

ANNOUNCER: And leaves yellow out the back with 38 seconds left.

Yeah, Team Canada, wow.

ANNOUNCER: So he locks it in to solidify his position.

And wow, action hot and heavy to end this one.

- Damn it.

(crowd cheering) MAN: He's going to be pissed.

I don't want to see his pissed-off face the whole day.

(muted) MAN 2: The whole day?

The whole rest of the trip.

POST: You'll get another chance, dude.

(sighs) - Just so you know, yesterday, he came to me and asked me if I'd coach him, and I said, "I can't," I said, "That's Dave's job, and I'm not going to interfere with him."

I'm just letting you know, when he walked towards me, he's just looking for my endorsement, and I told him, "You got to listen to the coach."

- (starts) - So I'm just letting you know, I'm not going to interfere with anything you are doing.

- No, no, I appreciate it.

- (laughs) - No, no, it's all good, I, I could see he was nervous.

That Canadian kid was hassling the (muted) out of him.

See?

He's not used to that.

That guy was intentionally making him uncomfortable.

- Yeah.

- (laughs) Because his first two waves were good.

So, you know, I have that saying, "Two plus one."

You don't go unless it's going to beat the first two you already have, right?

- He was surfing so good in his free surfs... - Well, no, his first two waves, for the waves he had, he, you know, those were well-executed waves.

- Yeah.

- Finished on the beach, you know, you can't do more than that.

- Yeah.

- (laughs) Good luck with the rest of the crew, mate.

- Oh... - (laughs) ♪ ♪ He got outsmarted in that heat because he's not comfortable with international competition.

He's just got to have more heats under his belt.

Just got to be in the water more often with the best guys in the world, and that's where Beijing has absolutely no clue in the, in that development process.

♪ ♪ (music playing faintly) (birds chirping) So just argue a lot with my boyfriend, and he say, "Maybe it better for you to read some Buddhist poem or write it down."

So I just pretty much, like, when I wake up, I will just write, write down some poem to, Buddhist poem to make me, like, stay calmed down.

I hope it helps.

(car alert beeps softly) BOYFRIEND (speaking Mandarin): (horn honks) (vehicle horns honking in distance) - (speaking Mandarin): BOYFRIEND: WOMAN: WOMAN: BOYFRIEND: WOMAN: BOYFRIEND: WOMAN: (all laugh) BOYFRIEND: WOMAN: BOYFRIEND: MAN: BOYFRIEND: MAN: BOYFRIEND: LOLO: BOYFRIEND: - (laughing) (lighter clicks) (laughing) ALEX: When I'm with Chinese team, I could not focus, so I just go focus by myself now.

Superman!

(woman laughs) (blowing) ALEX: In Chinese team, you cannot do that, you cannot do that.

You cannot go surf by yourself.

When I come here, I felt way more comfortable.

I'm just free surfing by myself, figuring it out by myself.

It's not about coach.

The thing is, you have to go surf.

When you go surf, you have to try to figure it out, you have to try.

You're not trying, you're not going to do it.

It's like, you never try, how do you know you can?

♪ ♪ (ukulele playing) (picking out notes) (playing soft tune) (insects chirping) (birds chirping) LOLO: What really make me scared is, I'm kind of having second thought about the decision I've made.

The team used to be my future career, and now I'm kind of, like, far away from it.

I'm just kind of, like, in the middle of nothing.

And then, my savings are running out, so it's, like, "Oh, my God."

It got me really, really scared.

Like, I don't know what to do next.

In China, you have so much rules, so many rules.

Getting a job, get married, give birth to child.

For me, I want something new.

(speaking Mandarin): ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ But it's so tough to achieve want you want.

(speaking Mandarin): It's your life.

You have to make a choice.

(tape tears) (muted), my tape is barely finished.

Aww, (muted).

(laughs) Look how perfect it is.

(muted) tired.

I had a dream.

I was swimming.

In the swimming pool, it was, like, two sides.

One side, they know how to swim.

One side don't know how to swim.

I was trying to learn how to swim.

♪ ♪ I jumped through the water and I feel somebody just grab my feet and pull me down into the water.

I tried to pop out.

I can't.

And I just hold my breath.

Hold it and hold it and I hold it.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ WOMAN (speaking Mandarin): - (laughing): ♪ ♪ (waves crashing in background) ANNOUNCER: The WSL thank the international surfers who have come here for this event, which opens the World Surf League season for 2020.

It's fantastic for the fast-developing Chinese surfers who are participating here.

(audience applauds) ♪ Better have my money, my money ♪ ♪ Have my money, my money, better have my money ♪ ♪ My money, have my money, money, money, money ♪ ♪ Better have my money, my money ♪ ANNOUNCER: Five minutes on the clock.

♪ Better have my money ♪ (horn sounding) ♪ ♪ (no dialogue) TOWNEND: What I told Alex in the WeChat text earlier today is, "Just be yourself."

This is your first-ever WSL event.

Just do your thing, don't think about the result.

(laughs) We'll see if he pulls it off.

(talking in background) - (speaking Mandarin): ALEX: ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ TOWNEND: Most of the guys that he's against in this event are in their 20s.

These guys are experienced individuals, and you're talking about former guys on the World Championship Tour-- on the tour, not the QS.

For a 16-year-old, to get through one round would be a good statement.

He's out in his local spot, he should have some idea of what waves to catch.

So let's see what's going on here.

He's in third place, 17 minutes to go.

So here he goes, Alex, on this wave right here.

Does a nice first turn.

He's coming down the line, comes off the top, pulls it.

Now he's pulling out, it ran away from him.

A couple of good, strong maneuvers, That could move him up into second right there.

Actually, they gave him a really good score and moved him up into first.

But early going, 14 minutes.

(laughs) Anyway, I'm going to have a sip of my whiskey.

(laughs) ♪ ♪ The other two guys have just had a couple of good rides.

The kid Osborne basically tore the (muted) out of that wave.

(laughs) Alex is probably going to drop back into third, and here goes Alex again, Alex has picked up another one.

He's got a nice little wall in front of him.

Nice roundhouse wraparound-- fell off, though.

You know, he can't be doing that.

You know, so he's got to get a good wave.

Otherwise, he doesn't stand a chance.

♪ ♪ Good.

Awesome, look at that!

♪ ♪ It's over-- Alex is through.

That's a historic moment right there.

I am stoked for Alex-- that's big.

(crowd applauding and cheering) (applause and cheers continue) ♪ ♪ REPORTER: Okay, Alex, this is the biggest event that there's been in China, and you've just advanced through an international heat.

Just tell me, how are you feeling now as the first Chinese surfer to ever do that?

- I feel so happy right now.

I just want to represent my country.

I feel pretty good.

I'm made it through on my first heat.

- And you're still quite young.

What are your, uh, future goals as a surfer?

I want to try to be on the CT while, while I'm being, uh, older.

- Can you just tell me, um, and you can answer, "One of my other goals would be to be on the Olympics."

- (clears throat) I want try to be on CT. - And?

- Well... (laughing): I don't know, pretty much... - Okay.

- Pretty much like that.

- Okay, thank you and good luck in your next round.

- Thanks.

TOWNEND: He's never advanced out of the first round ever.

Now he's on the scoreboard.

That's critical, and that'll put the naysayers in China at rest.

THOMAS: Everyone wants it done quick, and it's not going to be next year, and it's probably not going to be the next year.

You know, realistically, it's five, six years, and then you'll see how well he's got.

In saying that, in five, six years, who knows where some of these little kids are going to be?

♪ ♪ MA (speaking Mandarin): (applauding) (whistle blows) Good?

- Good.

Go, go, Dong!

- Go get it, Dong.

Have fun.

- Go get them, Donghe.

- Get 'em, Donghe.

(whistling, cheering) ♪ ♪ LOLO: I remember clearly.

The first day I arrive in Bali, all the sky is so pink.

It's like I'm walking in a drawing.

♪ ♪ I'm living the dream.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪