Many Australian readers would be familiar with the name Clifton Evers even if they're not sure where they'd heard it. Evers, who spent many years researching male violence and gender issues, became the 'go to' guy for the ABC whenever such topics made the news. He also just wrote a book last year, 'Notes For A Young Surfer', giving guidance to impressionable groms. So, even though he'd dislike me using the term, Evers had become somewhat of a media personality in Australia. 

Yet his name hasn't been heard anywhere in the Australian media recently. Six months ago Evers and his wife packed up all their belongings and moved to China. I spoke to him about how a keen surfer such as himself has adjusted to life in China and what projects he's now involved in:

Swellnet:Where have you surfed in China so far and what's it been like?

Clifton Evers: I've surfed a collection of islands off the coast of Shanghai and Ningbo as I live and work in these cities. There are a number of locations that pick up swell depending on the season. We get a lot of north swells that come down from systems that drop off the Korean peninsula. Many of these systems move too quickly so there is no time for a decent fetch to be established. Some of these systems do pause and you can get 10-second period north swells.

One particular north-facing beach in these islands gets fun and I go there the most. When there is an east swell – which is far less regular - I go to another island. The main spot here is a very peaky beachbreak, which reminds me of South Stradbroke, which I grew up surfing. The spot is not consistent but east swells tend to have more juice, particularly during typhoon season. This place barrels, properly. All the water around this delta region is brown and silty. The north swell spot is polluted. However, the east swell spot is further out and has little to no pollution.

SN: And Hainan Island?

Hainan Island is well known to everyone. Warm, clean water and lots of breaks, particularly lefthand point breaks perfect for logging. There are some good waves for shortboards too. One is like a modest Snapper and I got to surf it alone at three to four foot for a week. This island has China's biggest surf scene, all fifteen or so surfers. It is very consistent in the winter with north swells pushing in regularly. There are many places on this island to surf which are empty as people stick to the known breaks.

Exploring China for surf is worthwhile, but language skills are the key. The place has playful surf, but it is not going to be autumn Aussie quality, except very rarely and you have to be Johnny-on-the-spot

SN: How did you come to be working in China?

CE: I was working on various social issues and projects in Australia as a researcher for universities. This work put me into contact with community-minded and driven people from all around the world. I came into contact with a few people from China.

China has a rich history of people working towards addressing social justice and community issues. With the rapid urbanisation of China, industrial expansion, and growth of consumerism in China I wanted to come and see for myself how people in everyday communities were dealing with the changes, problems and issues they are facing. For example: forced relocation, the legacy of the one-child policy in terms of gender and family relations, rural to urban migration, housing and food inflation, censorship, pollution and land degradation, consumerism, lack of education for rural children who have arrived in urban centres, and the list goes on...

There's a lot to learn from the Chinese people. They can have innovative ideas and practices. Many of the government policies here and the way the Chinese Communist Party functions I totally disagree with, and so do many people here. In fact, many people are actively pursuing reform in their own communities. It is important to note, The Party does not represent the people. The Party is about the interests of The Party. Many people live under difficult conditions and manage regardless, demonstrating a creativity and resilience I admire and can learn from, and maybe some of their ideas and practices can be exported to communities in Australia and other countries to help them get by.

In the end, I applied for and was offered a job at a university with a campus in China. I now get time to research with local scholars and work for communities here, when I am not teaching.

SN: The last time we spoke you said you'd been involving yourself in local dissident issues: anything that you can elaborate on?

CE: Dissident is a loaded word. It can mean directly contesting The Party. I don't go marching out on the streets or write inflammatory articles. I don't believe it is my place to do so. I don't believe I can come here and teach the local people how to live their lives or should do politically. That colonialist thinking has no place here, and is just plain arrogant.

However, that does not mean one cannot come here and collaborate. In my humble opinion, 'dissident' can also mean becoming involved in local issues, that if dealt with ethically and with both global and local knowledge, could benefit the people and local communities, rather than The Party and the big businesses cavorting with them. I am involved with a project looking at how to support communities of rural to urban migrants to maintain their presence and black economies in the form of street markets in big urban centres, which tend to get cleaned up by authorities in an effort to modernise.

Also, I have joined some people on a project looking at how to use new media tools to strategise and resist developers and their thugs. There's also work on a program that is about providing educational resources for rural to urban migrant children so that they can get an education and jobs despite illegally living in cities, which they are not supposed to reside in. These are just a couple of the projects I have been able to take part in.

SN: Considering what you've seen and learnt, what do you think the future is for China politically?

CE: The Party still has an iron grip on the whole deal. There have been public announcements made about reform, but it's just propaganda given they want to contain any enthusiasm for change inspired by recent revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain and Libya.

There is an emerging super rich, an expanding comfortable middle class, and a billion hard workers to support them. Eventually, those workers are going to be pissed off when they see all the gains and how little of it is for them. There are already protests over forced relocations, food and housing inflation, etcetera. But it is anyone's guess how this dissatisfaction will boil over. Many people are working towards reform, as revolution has a long history here and they know it turns out costly and bloody.

For example, some people I work with remember Tiananmen and lost their friends there. There are people working on other models for changing things. The government is touting a harmonious society, to make people feel bad if they dissent or argue the point. But people aren't buying it. That much I know. The Chinese are as cynical of government as anyone else. The students I teach mock this propaganda.

SN: You mentioned the growing middle class, do you think Chinese youth culture will eventually overtake and influence American youth culture?

CE: Not for a long time. Yes, these youth cultures are growing as the middle-class expands. There are even 'expos' for such cultures. For example around skating, surfing - laughingly, considering they only show stand up paddle boarding and surfing the Silver Dragon bore. Music cultures are, of course, booming due to ease of access. However, young people here continue to be under enormous family and societal pressure to stay focused: study, get a job, and participate as a worker/citizen/consumer.

Many families are aspiring to be middle class. Most of the middle class and those aspiring to be part of that class are the first generation to have such privilege and opportunity. Significant leisure time is not quite here yet, and that is a key ingredient for such cultures to blossom.

SN: So is there any surf scene in China? Even an urban surf scene? Is a legitimate local surf scene likely to happen?

CE: The only 'surf scene' is on Hainan Island, and that is miniscule. There are two tour operators there, but they stick to a particular pointbreak and beachbreak. At the other places in China a few people surf but no-one really hangs out enough for a scene to form. The local authorities stress when you do surf, as they think you will drown. They will sometimes wave you in.

Locals don't get stuck into the waves or seem to have an interest in surfing, except out of curiosity. Some locals surf on Hainan, but around my neck of the woods none have a go at all. Some expatriates go exploring, but it takes perseverance to work out where to go and when, so most don't bother or give up.

To be honest, the no surf scene thing is great. Nobody gives a stuff about surfing or belonging to a 'surf culture' or any of the commercialism. Which is ironic, considering the production of surfing commodities here. It is just about someone deciding to go ride some waves and doing it. As such, I don't see a legitimate surf scene emerging, except maybe on Hainan.

Postscript: The above interview is not reproduced in it's entirety. Some information had to be removed just prior to it being published following a request from Clif.

Hey mate,

I hope there have been waves, I have been missing the autumn goodness. Just a quick ask to take out the name of the institution I work for in the interview. There is a crackdown here at the moment, you would have noticed the disappearance of the Chinese-Australian blogger Yang Hengjun and the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, as well as others.

There is an air of uncertainty here at the moment, you can literally feel it. It is an odd atmosphere for me, this self-censorship and the feeling that I am doing it or need to be careful (not that I am comparing myself to the brave souls Yang Hengjun and Ai Weiwei, but it feels like everyone needs to be careful at the moment and I don't want to risk any trouble for the communities I work with, however remote the possibility).

Following the revolutions and protests in the Middle East and North Africa "they" are flexing their domestic muscle. I hope you understand. I am fine with the rest of the interview and my name being there, but I don't want the University name coming up in any media monitoring.

What we take for granted at home is not "for granted" here. My naivety is telling. You could even add this email to the post.

Cheers, Clif