Chinese History

Dragon Boat racing history has it's roots in China more than two thousand years ago . What began as an attempt to save a beloved statesman and poet from a river suicide has grown into a cultural celebration in cities around the globe.

Long narrow of fiberglass or teak hold 20-22 paddlers, a drummer, and a steersperson. The success of the team is highly dependant on the synchronicity of the paddlers strokes- even more so than the strength of the paddlers. The drummer shouts encouragement to the team while beating a rhythm on a large drum. The steersperson ensures the boat stays on course to avoid disqualification.

On Festival days the boats are decorated with colorful dragon heads and tails, which adds to the excitement of the event. Festivals are also a display of cultural diversity incorporating music, and dancing and martial art displays.

Canadian History
Dr. Don McKenzie, a sports medicine physician at the University of British Columbia, launched Abreast In A Boat in 1996 to test the myth that repetitive upper-body exercise in women treated for breast cancer encourages lymphedema. Dr McKenzie believed that by following a special exercise and training program, women could avoid lymphedema and enjoy active, full lives. As we followed his program, we were carefully monitored by a sports medicine physician, a physiotherapist and a nurse. Dr McKenzie's theory was proven correct. No new cases of lymphedema occurred and none of the existing cases became worse.

From a medical study involving one boat of 25 women in 1996, the organization has now grown to include five boats based in Vancouver and has inspired many other teams to form.

The Dragon Boat Crew
  

The drummer who is the heartbeat of the dragon (boat), sits at the front of the boat (bow) - behind the drum - and leads the team during a race. The Drummer is there to make all the calls necessary to react to
changes during a race
through a combination

of hand signals, voice calls or the beat of the drum.

A good drummer will synchronize their drumming cadence to the strokes, not the other way around. The paddlers can feel the response of the boat to their strokes through their paddles (if they are experienced) and will adjust their reach and catch of the blade tip to the acceleration of the hull through the water.

The drummer keeps aware of the position of the crew relative to other crews and to the approach of the finish line, and calls out tactical orders to the strokers and crew as to when to surge ahead, when to hold steady and when to peak for the finish in a tightly contested race. The athletes will be going anaerobically in a sprint and will "die" if the finish is called prematurely.

Tactics and strategies (race plan) differ for longer distance racing.

The steersperson or, also known as the helm , controls the dragon boat with a steering oar that is mounted at the rear of the boat. The steersperson stands at the back of the boat (stern) and will also usually relay the Drummer's calls for the back half of the boat during a race.

The 20 paddlers sit facing forwards, and use paddles. The leading pair of paddlers, or "strokes", set the pace for the team. All other paddlers synchronize their strokes to the strokes at the front and the drum beat which they can hear.