The county of Pingtan aims to attract more kitesurfing talents in a bid to increase its influence in the sport.

The local professional kitesurfing training team plans to add 17 more young people between the ages of 11 and 15, and to offer them free kitesurfing classes during holidays, sources from the Pingtan Kiteboarding Association said on Thursday.

Members of the public who are interested can register with the association, which is located in Haiyu Square. They will first have to pass a fitness test.

As an island county, Pingtan is one of the most ideal places in China for kitesurfing, a sport which is becoming increasingly popular around the world. Pingtan has hosted the Kiteboard Tour Asia events two years in a row, and in April it set up the Pingtan Kiteboarding Association to host national and international events, and to provide training and other services.

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Niva Whyman