"Chinese people put quite a lot of value on 'face, ' " says 23 year-old winner Cheng Pei Quan, who earned the nickname "The King of Collars" because he can sew 95 collars an hour, a third more than average.

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He was one of a couple of dozen young islanders to take part in the Haka Pei, many of whom had already competed in other gruelling physical activities before striding up Maunga Pu, the volcano used every year for the Tapati toboggan run.

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