In a country where dark skin is regarded as a no-no by most girls, Darci Liu, 25, waves goodbye to the stereotype, getting daily kisses from the eastern sun while catching waves along Hainan’s coast. She lives a whitening-skin-product free life as China’s first female professional surfer.

“I love to be in touch with nature, I love surfing , and I surf for the one simple reason, that it is fun! ” said Darcy on her Weibo profile.

Surfing in China? You’re kidding right? It’s not even tropical!

No, we are not kidding. As a matter of fact, Darci has been operating a surf school on Sanya Beach, Hainan, offering surfing courses to both locals and tourists who interested in learning, making her a pioneer in the sport of surfing in China.

Liu’s current reputation as China’s surfing gem did not begin until she met her Californian spouse, Matt Hammond who introduced her to the water sport, and she has been riding the waves ever since. Originally the Hainan local was not a water-sports girl, instead spending her whole teenage years learning ballet in an arts academy in Wuhan until she was 18. But this is what Darci makes different from other female surfers. Her early life as a ballerina gives her an aesthetically pleasing, elegant touch to her technique. Darci proves to the world that two contrasting disciplines such ballet and surfing could be paired together.

Endorsed as a Swatch professional surf team member, Darci was invited as a wild card participant at the Swatch Girls Pro at Wanning in both 2011 and 2012 and has competed annually in the Surfing Hainan Open, though she plans to expand her experience in 2013 with trips to the Philippines, Taiwan, and France.

Check out how she rides the waves to the mainland:

Video: CNTV

Images courtesy of Weibo