A kayaking race which sees 25 contestants from across the nation tour the Baisha Island is held in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province on July 12. [Photo/zhoushan.cn] 

A kayaking race seeing 25 contestants from across the nation tour the Baisha Island was held in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province on July 12.

Tian Yiyong, a contestant from Changzhou, Jiangsu province took the first prize in the men's group after finishing the 8.5-km race with a time of 53 minutes and 15 seconds.

Tian, who also won a title at a kayaking race held in Hong Kong, said that kayaking is one of his favorite water sports, and that this is his first time to compete in the sea, although he has taken part in many races before, mostly in lakes.

For the women's group, Xu Chunxia from Hangzhou, provincial capital of Zhejiang, took home the championship. Xu is a retired athlete from the Zhejiang provincial kayaking team and has won many domestic kayaking tournaments before. 

This was also her first time to row in the sea, and chasing after the waves really got her excited, she said, adding that she was impressed by the island scenery and planned to bring friends with her next time.

Water sports such as kayaking have been gaining in popularity across the nation in recent years. A spokesman from the race's organizing committee said the event comes as part of an effort from by local authorities to build Baisha Island into a base for kayak racing, training and sightseeing in China.