About Avra

AVRA is an ocean lifestyle and brand founded by Shu Pu in 2013. AVRA designs, produces and distributes ocean lifestyle goods for ocean lovers of all kinds. AVRA is also responsible for creating and co-founding a number of extreme ocean events and challenges, including:

 

  • The Cold Half, an annual 15km marathon swim from Stanley to Deep Water Bay in Hong Kong since 2013. It is Asia’s only winter marathon swim event, with water temperature like a good “cool” channel crossing. In 2017, the Cold Plunge, a 1.5km sister event, was also introduced.
  • The Clean Cross, a record-breaking 35km swim from Hong Kong to Macau in 2014. Simon Holliday swam across in just over 10 hours, breaking Beijing marathon swimmer Zhang Jian’s record, the only other successful swim across the Pearl River Delta. The Clean Cross raised over HK$250,000 for Ocean Recovery Alliance’s Grate Art project;
  • HK360Swim, a 45km swim circumnavigation of Hong Kong Island, first conceived in 2016. It is designed as the signature swim challenge for Hong Kong, similar to the “English Channel Swim” for England or the 20 Bridges Swim for New York City. The current solo record is 10 hours 43 minutes 6 seconds, set by Alex Fong in 2019.
  • HK360Xtreme, a solo HK360Swim(45km) around Hong Kong Island, then bike (215km) and run (100km) completed on 7 November 2020 by extreme endurance triathlete Mayank Vaid.

 

AVRA means “breeze” in Greek. It was the name of Shu’s outrigger canoe. It also means “aura” - an invisible energy or emanation field that surrounds all living things. All aspects of our lives can be seen in the energies flowing through our auras: personalities, lifestyles, thoughts, emotions, physical and mental make-up. AVRA represents the energies of ocean lovers everywhere!

 

About Shu

Shu Pu is the founder of AVRA and is based in Hong Kong. Coming from a creative background in fashion, she has been involved in conceptualising and co-founding a number of sports and not-for-profit initiatives for Hong Kong. Shu is one of the co-founders of Splash Foundation, a not-for-profit swim school for under-served communities in Hong Kong, and Pure Ocean Connection, a not-for-profit paddling society promoting paddling events around the world to benefit Hong Kong charities. When not busy developing new products and organising ocean challenges, Shu spends her time swimming and paddling in the ocean, cycling, sabre fencing, and discovering good food.