Yes, you really did see a pink dragon rearing its head on Spa Creek last Tuesday. And a red one, too. Every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m., members of the Annapolis Dragon Boat Club unleash their dragons on Annapolis waters for a few hours of paddling that touch on two millennia of human history and kindle healing, fitness, and friendship.
Though it may come as a surprise in Chesapeake country, dragon boating ranks as the most popular team sport in the world according to its devotees—even more popular than beer can racing and soccer. This partly reflects the age of the sport; its origin in China more than 2500 years ago is still commemorated in the annual Duanwu Festival, and last June, 30 million dragon boaters took to the water in China alone. It also reflects its accessibility.
“It is the ultimate team sport,” says Peter Van de Castle, coach of the Annapolis Dragon Boat Club and member of the Baltimore Dragon Boat Club. Twenty people paddle; one person steers, and one person drums a 42-foot-long boat. All combine their efforts to make their dragon boat go fast. All ages and abilities can participate and excel in the sport. Van de Castle notes that team members range from teenagers to octogenarians. Women make up a significant number of the athletes who compete.
Dragon boating came to the Chesapeake a decade or so ago. Catholic Charities started its biannual Dragon Boat races as a corporate charity event. Some of the racers enjoyed the sport so much that they founded the Baltimore Dragon Boat Club in 2008. The Annapolis Dragon Boat Club followed in 2010. A half dozen or so dragon boat clubs also practice on the Potomac near Washington, DC.
Van de Castle describes dragon boating as simple, but not easy. A typical practice involves a minimum of 1000 paddle strokes and a race practice at least twice that. Annapolis Dragon Boat Club member Louise Kirk describes the full-body workout, which hones trunk and shoulder muscles, as something fun to do out in the open air with friends. “It is so much better than a gym,” she says, and then quips, “Women get their waist back.”
Developing friendships and a strong support network plays a key role in dragon boating. Many dragon boat clubs count a lot of breast cancer survivors, or warriors as Van de Castle and Kirk prefer, as their members. In the 1990s, a doctor in Canada challenged the prevailing post-cancer therapy of the time that suggested patients not exercise their upper bodies by encouraging breast cancer survivors to take up dragon boating and recording the results. The exercise and development of core body strength not only physically improved their post-cancer healing, but it also greatly lifted morale. Many dragon boat clubs for breast cancer warriors, including the Annapolis Dragon Boat Club, have since been established.
Kirk describes dragon boating as an amazing team builder and spirit lifter. As one of 22 people paddling a 42-foot long vessel, she said there’s a sense of mutual encouragement that strengthens each individual and the team as a whole. For her, paddling on the water offers a sense of serenity and fulfillment not easily found elsewhere. Van de Castle notes that some team members describe practices as exhilarating.
Dragon boating encompasses more than fitness, camaraderie, and support—quite frankly, there are races to win. Both the Baltimore and Annapolis Dragon Boat Clubs field race teams that compete in a half dozen events a year. In addition, the Annapolis team has qualified to compete in the 2018 IBCPC Dragon Boat Festival to be held in Florence, Italy. More than 100 teams, all composed of breast cancer warriors, will compete, making the competition one of the largest gatherings of athletes in the world.
Closer to home, the Baltimore Dragon Boat Club will host its ninth annual BDBC Challenge on Saturday, June 24, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Waterfront at Under Armour’s headquarters in Locust Point, MD. A mix of corporate, city, breast cancer survivor, and club dragon boat teams will compete in a series of 500-meter races.
Susan Troupe, one of the founders of the Baltimore Dragon Boat Club, says teams will come from as far away as Canada and New York to compete. Around 15 teams are expected to race. As another nod to dragon boating’s accessibility, one of the teams from Washington, DC, is crewed by athletes who are blind or visually impaired.
Troupe says, “It is a high-energy event with lots of festivities and a DJ.” Racing will take place in heats of four teams throughout the day. Spectators are welcome to take it all in.
Think dragon boating might be for you? Both clubs welcome new paddlers of all ages and experience levels to join their ranks at no charge at an open practice or two. The Annapolis Dragon Boat Club holds open practices out of South Annapolis Yacht Center (808 Boucher Ave in Eastport) on Spa Creek every Tuesday evening. Those who become hooked can then join for $125 a year.
The Baltimore Dragon Boat Club holds open practices at the Under Armour headquarters (1010 Hull St in Baltimore) on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. For those who want more, the club offers annual memberships as well as “pay as you go” paddling. Both clubs provide PFDs and paddles. Those interested in paddling should consult the club web sites for practice schedules and procedures and wear athletic clothing that can get wet and water shoes.
by Tracy Leonard
