Browsing the Dragon Boat Photography category...


5921395414 e2c36e2d09 b 2011 Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival Photos Online

Ladies, thank you so much for that spectacular entrance – alas, you didn’t tell me what your team name was, so I can’t tag it here. Can someone sell me a clue? (I got a clue: These are the ladies of Vancouver’s The 7th Wave.)

Photographs taken during the 2011 Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival are available in two places online. The sets can be found on Facebook in the BC Dragon Boat Paddlers group and on Flickr. Sunday’s images have been uploaded to FaceBook,
and the Flickr upload is now complete.

It was great to renew acquaintences with old paddling friends while we promoted our Champion dragon boats and the upcoming VCKC “Guts and Glory” event on August 27th.

All the best,
Ken

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Race the River 005 On Reflection: 2011 Race the River Dragon Boat Festival

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:

5900270842 1b3f292056 b On Reflection: 2011 Race the River Dragon Boat Festival
(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:

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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.

 

5900771904 4b15e44f36 z On Reflection: 2011 Race the River Dragon Boat Festival

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:

5902522604 1a41d6a5db z On Reflection: 2011 Race the River Dragon Boat Festival

Afterthoughts:

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  • 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 icon smile On Reflection: 2011 Race the River Dragon Boat Festival 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.

 

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5870284109 065631d4ae z 2011 Nanaimo Paddlefest photos online

I have uploaded 160 images from 2011 Nanaimo Paddlefest. Most of them are my routine fare – people – but this one intrigues me:
5870301623 cf1940ec1e b 2011 Nanaimo Paddlefest photos online

I don’t remember who was drumming for the TD team, but she’s either recovering from a near-dunking, or invoking a hitherto-unseen maneuver to spook the opposition. As a friend recently said, “You can do anything in a Millenium and nothing will happen.”

What are the most likely choices here?

1. She decided to walk back to the Crab Dock?

2. She felt a sudden urge to take a dip?

3. She decided to change horses in mid-stream?

(I thought she fallen off the seat – as it turned out, she was balancing a 17-paddler crew load. Way to go, Leslie!)

Let’s hear your suggestions, folks – anything’s possible in a dragon boat icon smile 2011 Nanaimo Paddlefest photos online

[Click on either image to see the full photo set on Flickr.]

 
GoRow has posted summary results here and full results here.
 

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5940160195 5110f563cd VCKCs Guts & Glory: 1250 meter racing on the Gorge
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4940892362 dac8c76f95 b VCKCs Guts & Glory: 1250 meter racing on the Gorge

The Victoria Canoe and Kayak Club (VCKC) knows how to put on a party! From the boats to the BBQ, this year’s Guts & Glory event was a rocker. The innovative 2500m race offered paddlers a change from the usual 500m event. Teams raced in two 1250m heats, and the combined time for both was used to determine final placement. This was a great event, and I am hoping VCKC will be able to expand Guts & Glory next year with involvement from more Island teams.

4940203241 c72f356a7b z VCKCs Guts & Glory: 1250 meter racing on the Gorge

VCKC team putting a Champion 912 through its paces 

 

Two Champion 912′s added to the fun when they were raced by anyone wanting to try a smaller, lighter boat. The highlight of the 10-paddler racing was the “Over 50 – Under 50 Challenge,” which saw the youngsters beaten by their elders in a very close finish.

4942308313 367edbffce z VCKCs Guts & Glory: 1250 meter racing on the Gorge

Paddlers of the Fifth Moon on the last leg of a 1250m heat 

4942297501 9a12422d80 z VCKCs Guts & Glory: 1250 meter racing on the Gorge

VCKC team rounding the first bouy during a 1250m heat 

VCKC hasn’t set a date for next year’s Guts & Glory, but when they do, make sure to mark your calendar and get your team involved. Good people, good food, outstanding venue…what more can you ask for?

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4800291518 a213f61140 2010 Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival Photos
Doing the Macarena at the best dawgone Beer Garden on the Festival Circuit!



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All the best,
Ken

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