Dropping in on: The SA Team - Ahead of The China Cup

Shortly before boarding their plane for Asia, Greg Emslie and the SA Surfing team gave us their thoughts about seeing China for the first time, ahead of the first International Surfing Association (ISA) event on Chinese soil; The China Cup.

"Today we are leaving for Hainan Island for the China Cup. The team is really amped and consists of Dave Fish (manager/coach) Royden Bryson, Brandon Jackson, Dale Staples, Nikita Robb, Sarah Baum and myself.

This is a high profile event featuring the top eight countries in the world, and it is our goal to bring back gold. It is also a great opportunity to get a solid start for the year ahead, both individually and as a country.

As non of us have ever been to Hainan before we are not sure what to expect, but from the videos and photos we have seen, the place looks awesome with a great left-hand break. As Dave Fish says, "Its great to work with a team of top professional surfers, and we are all flipping excited and amped to get there and do well." Nikita agrees and says she is really excited to be a part of such an elite team. The journey will take us a day and a half, with 2 days warm up before the start on the 7 Jan" - Greg Emslie

Watch this space for regular updates on The China Cup, SA's progress, and Greg's regular thoughts on the ground from China.