DragonBoatPaddlers.net

Ok. I’ve downed my second cup of coffee, and I’m ready to face the world…and think about what I am hoping was but the first of many Race the River dragon boat festivals in Campbell River.

Organized by local teams Bravehearts and River Spirit, “Race the River” was an outstanding example of what can be accomplished if your hearts are in the right place.

The venue wasn’t perfect, lacking only better loading and unloading facilities, but everything else was outstanding. The event was held in the Campbell River Estuary, which provided nearly ideal racing conditions and spectacular scenery, as this image of the starting line 350 meters away, attests:

(Click on the photograph for the spectacular full-sized version of this picture.)

Where to begin? At the beginning, of course.

When we arrived in the area, on Campbell River’s Spit Road near Dick Murphy Park on Tyee Spit, we were greeted by a smiling traffic control lady who explained that there was an unloading area at the Park, plus free, day-long, parking in a nearby paved lot. She also pointed out that the festival offered  free shuttle service to and from the aforesaid parking area, complete with a gorgeous vintage Cadillac to make paddlers feel special! (Would that Nanaimo would do that!)

Locations for paddlers’ tents were clearly marked by plainly labeled stakes, and most of the team tents were already set up by the time we arrived. All the facilities needed were clustered around the parking area, including porta-potties, a stage for the live entertainment, a Serious Coffee area for folks like me who appreciate real coffee (would love to see this implemented in every festival I attend…there’s nothing worse than the wretched coffee served up by most vending trailers at festivals, made, I suspect, with the cheapest floor sweepings imaginable and boiled for hours to insure that it’s properly disgusting), a Marine Harvest kitchen offering immense slabs of grilled salmon for a paltry five bucks, and the registration and staging tents. It was immediately apparent that these folks were looking after their guests in grand fashion. There wasn’t an overpriced, second-rate vending trailer in sight, and I loved it.

The breezy morning air was shattered at precisely 8:30 by the call to warmup led by an energized woman who was probably an ex-Marine Corps drill sergeant:

Here we can insert, “A hearty good time was had by all!”

Then, of course, it was on to the racing… Most of the photographs in the Flickr collection were taken from near the finish line, where a multitude of great viewing spots were available. Thanks to the friendly and cooperative festival staff, I was also able to hitch a ride to the Start line, where I spent an hour or so taking pictures and getting sunburned.

Click here to see the entire Race the River collection

Bravehearts and River Spirit earned a resounding “A+” for this event, and everyone should be looking forward to next year, when I’m hoping they will find the time to add another day to the festival for 200m Champion Sprints, which are near and dear to my heart.

Cheers,

Ken

PS: One final image, lest we forget what brought many of us to this wonderful sport:

Afterthoughts:

• This enthusiastic volunteer had a ball while encouraging staging teams to chant their chants and sing their songs, and Wow! was she effective at raising the Fun Bar! (I can still hear a rousing version of “What do ya do with an Aquaholic?” ringing in my ears This was an effective moral booster, and I’d love to see more of this enthusiasm during other festivals. In retrospect, I realize that the mood for the festival was set by the organizers. As paddlers themselves, they understood and embraced the festival atmosphere and augmented it with humour and class.
• The Carnations used for the traditional ceremony weren’t pink; the colours were mixed, and provided a rainbow of colour which I, being a dedicated “pink-o-phobe,” deeply appreciated.