Version française | Members Site
What is Dragonboating?
Dragon boat racing has its origin in 290 BC China when the great poet and wiseman Chu Yuan threw himself in the Miluo River to protest the corruption of his beloved homeland. People of the town searched the river in a vain effort to find him.
Each year thereafter they celebrated his life and teachings by holding dragon boat races on the fifth month of the Chinese calendar. Eventually the tradition spread to all corners of the world and, today, dragon boat racing is the world's fastest growing sport.
Dragon Boat Competitions
A dragon boat crew is made up of 20 people, who paddle to the beat of a drummer at the bow, while a steersperson, at the stern, calls the race. Although dragon boat races are typically 500 metres, they can range from 100-metre sprints to 6-km tests of endurance. Competitive teams generally complete a 500-metre race in 2 to 2.5 minutes.
In North America, most crews compete in the mixed category where there is a minimum of 8 women and 8 men per team. Men's and women's teams are a small but increasingly competitive class in Canada and the U.S. Paddlers can compete for a mixed team and also be on a men's or women's team.
Competitions usually consist of two or three qualifying rounds and a final. Competitons with large numbers of teams registered take two days to complete, so a team usually paddles in two heats each day. It's not the racing that tires you out, but the waiting around.
Useful Links
Dragon Boat Canada - Canadian affiliate of the IDBF
International Dragon Boat Federation - world governing body organizes world championships (for national teams) and world club championships on alternating years.
Up to Top
|
