Members from Adelaide Survivors Abreast Dragon Boat Club, as well some partners, are heading off to participate in the 2013 Venice Vogalonga. We are also being joined by 4 members from Adelaide Waiwilta Dragon Boat Club. Members are not only located in Adelaide, as one member now lives in Darwin, another in Melbourne and 2 are located in the UK. Regular training sessions have been held over the past 6-8 months, with extra sessions arranged to suit interstate members. These have been held at West Lakes and on the Port River with the local dolphins.

Our club provides the opportunity to men and women breast cancer survivors, and their families and friends, to have fun whilst getting fit on the water in the totally addictive sport of dragon boating. Our focus is about participating in events outside of the racing arena, and to this end the decision to consider Venice has resulted in our running monthly Bunnings BBQs as a consistent way of fundraising. We have also received wonderful support from West Lakes Rotary as well as from the community through other fundraising events.

So, on 14th May the majority of our team will leave Adelaide, arriving in Venice on 15th May and participating in the Vogalonga on the 19th May.

Four of our members will also head down to Florence to compete in the International Breast Cancer Commission’s dragon boat regatta on 26th May. Included in these 4 will be 2 breast cancer survivors, one being male, and 2 supporters.

Members of our team to Venice are: Louise Smith, Julie Matson, Emma Przibilla, Barbara (survivor) and Paul O’Dea, Mary-Ann and Stephen (survivor) Holt, Mary Pearce (survivor) , Stephen Appenzeller, Helen Slater (survivor), Cathy Andrew, Rob Rea, Maggie Deverson (survivor), Carol Hoffmann, Sigrid and John Thompson, Pamela Howard, George Poniatowski, Stephen Daniels and Richard Lightfoot.

ASA is very thankful of the variety of opportunities this great sport offers.

The past week saw the Australian Dragonboat Championships down at the Sydney International Regatta Centre and a great example of the competitive and collaborative nature of the sport.

There is an overpowering sense of excitement as the drums beat away to the rhythm of the paddle strokes. Out on the waters there is so much adrenalin pumping that you can’t help feeling involved even from the stands.

There is an increasing number of Dragonboat clubs sprouting up across Australia and people are partaking for various different reasons.

There is Andrea from the Brisbane River Dragons, who I managed to catch briefly in her delight at taking home Silver for the 200m Mixed Masters. Andrea has been in the sport for 18 months and talks proudly of the BRD being one of the oldest clubs in Queensland and the largest team at the Games. Not surprisingly, the club picked up numerous trophies that day. Andrea was looking for a way to get fit and found out about the club through an advertisement. When asked what she liked most about the sport, she said it was fun and provided a good workout, but it was the comradeship that she particularly enjoyed.

Ray Curran of Northern Territory’s Arafura Dragons has been paddling for a lot longer. As an ex-Police Search and Rescue officer, Ray first took up the sport in November 2006 when knee injuries prevented him from participating in his usual sport of badmington. He started out with the Adelaide Blackdragons and competed in the World Police Fire Games before moving up to Darwin.

Ray describes dragonboating as exciting from a team level and a great way to meet people. It’s still a relatively small and tight community where you’ll easily bump into people you know at the next games. Besides having great fitness benefits, it’s also a fantastic sport for the older demographic. This has recently seen the introduction of the ‘Great Grand Masters’, a category for competitors of age 60+.

Cathy and Allan founded the Akuna Dragon Boat Club in Gold Coast 4 years ago. They describe the club as very community based and equate its member base (currently 35) to a large family. Initially established to encourage healthier ways of living, Cathy and Allan are passionate about changing lifestyles and equal participation for all, particularly those with disabilities or overweight.

In many sports individual performance, strength, agility etc. are the focus of attention. The first skill the coach worked with us on was to have the entire team row in time with the same technique. It is amazing that a team with less brute strength can outperform a stronger boat on timing alone. This is the

1+1 is >2 principle in action. This does not mean that individualism is lost, but that individualism serves the overall purpose of the team. Otherwise, you are a group of individual contributors in a working group, but not a team. When all the paddles stroke in time the boat moves faster than the boat with stronger rowers who are not in time; using their energy against each other rather than focusing on their timing and technique.

Focus on ensuring that members of the team are working toward the same goal. Everyone on the team should be able to tell you how they contribute to the purpose and goals of the team.

Number 2: There is no replacement for a talented steersperson

With a good steersperson, whom the team trusts, each paddler is freed up to focus on their job. They are not worried about other boats, what direction this boat is going, how the boat will navigate the wake etc. In fact, the real job of the steersperson, beyond the technical ability to steer to boat, is to instill confidence in paddlers. The team does not lose energy distracted by problems that they cannot solve but on achieving the goals of the team.

Focus on team leadership that allows members of the team to perform their roles knowing that ‘things’ are being taken care of.

Number 3: One person out of time can cost the race for the whole team

This sounds like the inverse of number one. It is about what happens when even one person behaves in a way that compromises the performance of the team? This is where the steersperson and coach come in. Often the individual does not know that their performance is putting the team’s performance at risk. It is seldom about willingness or even the ability to perform but rather an understanding of the impact of their performance. Feedback is critical in ensuring that the members of the team move forward together.

Focus on providing data based performance feedback to the team including the impact of current performance both positive and corrective. Team members need to get objective feedback on their performance and what plan corrective measures to improve.

Number 4: You train long and hard for a short and intense race

Plans mean nothing if the team is not able to achieve its goal. Teams work hard, often on long term projects but realize that the measure of the value of the work is in implementation. Results are the measure of a team’s success.

Focus on the ability to achieve exceptional results.

Number 5: There is no “luggage” in the boat; everyone contributes

Boy, we all have bad days, but guess what, the team deserves your best even on those days. We all cover for each other when it is needed but everyone contributes..

Focus on helping team members understand their contribution and seek opportunities for them to apply their strengths more often.

Number 6: Treat other teams with respect but don’t get distracted

In the heat of a race it is easy to notice where the other teams are in the race and get distracted. But you can only control what happens in your boat not theirs. There is nothing you can do about what happens in their boat. You have all the control over what you do in your boat. A team with a strong start may not have the stamina to complete the race by continuing their opening speed. Focus your attention on your purpose and the results.

Focus on what the team can accomplish with the resources it has.

Number 7: There is always more to learn

No matter what your role or how long you have been with the team, or how many races you have been in, there are always things to learn. Not matter how good you are you can always be better. The coach would move us around to different positions so that we would learn new skills and perspective.

Focus on ensuring that everyone on the team is actively learning all the time.

Number 8: The lead paddlers (strokes) set the pace

There is incredible benefit from everyone on the team working in concert towards the same goal. Leaders in the team set the direction, provide visible support for the values of the team and hold themselves and others accountable for the performance of the team. Everyone is accountable to be in time with the strokes. It is not ones business but mine to watch and pay attention. Remember, one person out of time can cost a race.

Focus on leaders holding themselves and other accountable for success.

Number 9: You paddle as hard on a bad day as on a good day

A manager friend of mine said to her employees after being challenged about the lack of loyalty in the organization, “I do not want your loyalty, I want your commitment.” It is important the each member of the team is fully present all the time, whether in practice or in competition.

Focus on every individual on the team performing their best everyday.

Number 10:Teams win and teams lose, not individuals

In Dragon Boating, teams win, not individuals. The entire boat crosses the finish line or it does not. The people at the front of the boat or the steersperson do not get more of the ‘win’ that others. The team wins or the team loses. We are all one team.

Focus on being all one team. Individual skills, style, experience and knowledge all contribute to the work of the team. At the end of the day, we are all one team who achieve the results or not.

By ensuring that these top 10 success factors are implemented you can develop your team’s effectiveness. We hope that these 10 Success Factors helped you to reflect on the factors that need to be considered and planned a highly effective, high performing team.

• Land & Ocean _ Carbon Fibre
• ZRE_Dragon Z
• ZRE_XL
• Chinook Sundowner
• Apex Durablade

I also like the handle of the paddle. It’s a combination of T & palm grip – Oval handle! Additionally, the IDBF License Number is print on the paddle – NO more cost on replacement stickers! 

Cloth

Some paddlers take spare clothes in a waterproof pack. If they get wet, they go to land to change into dry clothes. Avoid clothes that are highly absorbent and slow drying. Cotton is poor, wool is better, but many synthetic materials absorb little water and are fast drying. Polyester or polypropylene clothing is popular because it is effective in moving moisture away from skin and into outer layers of clothing, where it can evaporate. It is fabricated into both thin materials and fleece-like piles. Dress in layers to allow for adjusting to variable weather. Waterproof shells are important as an outer layer to add protection from the cooling effect of wind and evaporation. Breathable shells allow water vapor to escape but keep wind and water out.   

Proper Footwear

Weather and condition appropriate closed-toe footwear should be worn. Neoprene socks and booties are great for cold water paddling.

Sun Protection

Sunglasses, sunscreen, and lip balm should be worn even on cold days when the sun is out. It’s amazing how exposure to the sun while out on the water can really have damaging effects on your body even when it isn’t that hot out. The lip balm will also help protect you from unnecessary discomfort caused by the wind.

Water and Snack

Even if you are only going to paddling for a short period of time it is essential to bring a full water bottle with you. It is quite common for paddlers to become dehydrated due to the combined effect that the sun and wind have on the body even during the winter periods. Also, you will be expending a lot of energy even if you don’t realize it so be sure to bring a snack so you don’t get light-headed from hunger.

Paddling is indeed great exercise, providing fantastic aerobic and cardiovascular effects as well as upper body strength. Enjoy paddling in winter!

IDBF is the international governing body for the team water sport of dragon boat racing. The IDBF was founded by representatives from Australia, China, Chinese Taipei, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Norway, Philippines, Singapore and the USA.  

In Australia, due to the Southern Hemisphere seasons, the dragon boating season generally runs between late August to mid April. Around Australia, there are regular regattas held for dragon boat clubs to race each other, as well as annual competitions held for state representative crews to compete. Clubs who outperform others in their state also compete against other state’s top crews at the National Titles. The 2010 Australian National Titles will be held in Adelaide, South Australia.

The IDBF has organized World Nations Dragon Boat Racing Championships (WDBRC) for Representative National or Territorial teams every two years since 1995. In between world championship years, IDBF Club Crew World Championships (CCWC) is held for the world’s top club-based crews.

IDBF Championships

San Francisco’s Rainbow Koi Team- a wide ranging team consisting of many colors, encompasses of homosexuals, transgender and the straight alike. As it appears, the team is as unique as its name, harbouring still the same strong bond of a dragon boating team. The team was put together with Gay Asian Pacific Alliance along with the Asian Pacific Islander Queer Women and Transgender Community last 2004. Michael Ellis was its first coach, along with Jean Danao as its first captain.

Rainbow Koi became San Francisco’s Rainbow Koi dragon boat team last 2004 when they were discovered by a 10 year veteran coach Jeniffer Eng at their novice race at Lake Merced, San Francisco. On its second season, the team became a part of the Recreational Division. With it’s motto: “Fierce and Fabulous!” the team was able to bring home a silver medal in 2006 at the first out games in Montreal, Canada. They later snatched a gold medal at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival in the Rec C Division.

On its 4th season as a dragon boat team, the team’s goal this year: ‘to have fun’ later evolved into ‘to win’. Of course, now that they have paddled hard and got the gold, the team is reportedly saying that they would still aim for gold all the way.
The team’s mission is also almost close with its motto. With the goal to liven up and increase the involvement of LGBT athletes in this fast-growing sport: dragon boating. This only proves that the team’s fighting spirit could not get dampened by anything. Apart from having fun, the team is letting their ‘fellow brothers and sisters’ have the opportunity to be their selves once in a while without gaining the occasional ‘raised eyebrows’ from other people.

As the team glides in the waters of Bay Area, San Francisco Rainbow Koi is looking forward on a much stronger team while being fierce and fabulous all the way with recruiting more members.

Kirby Mark who has been paddling for a few years made some compilation of guidelines and pointers to the dragon boat strokes to improve your technique. Lots of paddlers give thanks to Kirby Mark for assembling this useful information for them.

This comprehensive information has been based on the many aspects of Dragon Boat and Outrigger training and racing with documentation readily available for sports like canoeing, kayaking and for general fitness. This post is a bit focused on Outrigger Canoeing or Dragon Boating. The overall objective is to define the general training principles for similar sports that you can relate to a precise scheme to efficiently improve and enhance paddling performance.

The optimum paddling style creates a big controversy circulating around Hong Kong which implied more ambiguity. Dragon Boat technique usually originates from the most forms of paddling like kayaking, marathon canoeing, outrigger or rowing. The C1 canoeing is most closely related to dragon boating or outrigger canoeing which contains similar pattern of movement according to the large amount of research data which made available on this particular stroke for useful comparison.

A good paddling technique is base on the emphasis on the forward stroke wherein you apply power in the water in front of your body. Though this technique may sound so simple, you still need to learn complex series of movements to effectively execute the required movements for this kind of stroke. You basically need to understand the components of different stroke technique to analyze accurately your paddling style.

Here are the four phases in the forward stroke:

• The Catch means anchoring the blade
• The Compression which is the power phase
• The Finish means of getting out of the water
• The Recovery means of getting forward to a ready position

Variations in one or in every phase of stroke are resulted from the characteristics on the different style or from person to person depending on his body size and stature which can give the team an advantage on the different physical curbs of each sit position. It is also important that one must understands that as the stroke rating increases and stroke length decreases, the style changes.

To achieve a perfect and complete stroke one must be seen as a cooperative product of its parts performed in unified motion. Understanding the components of each stroke intimately and how it will affect your performance is what the paddlers must possess. It will be easier to analyze the different technique if you isolate yourself from the disposition of the paddle in relation to the boat and tracking key reference points on your body such as wrist, elbow and the shoulder.

There are a lot of things to see in Dragon Boat races and the most thrilling part of the festival is the crowd of people that are there to witness and participate in the event. Generally, Dragon Boats are brilliantly painted and decorated with some shades of Chinese old ancient tradition. It varies from 40 to 100 feet in length, including their heads which shaped-like a hearty dragons, while the firm end has a flaking tail. It has the capability to handle 80 powered rowers including drummer and a flag-catcher. Before the start of the festival, a dragon goes through a certain ritual called “brought to life”. This is done by painting the eyes in a sanctified ceremony. Races have no definite numbers of boats that wants to participate and compete, with the winner being the first team to grab a flag at the end of the course. Once a year, dragon races are held all over China, Macao, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other countries around the globe.

Zong zi is a glutinous rice ball, wrapped in corn leaves with fillings which are the traditional food for the Dragon Boat Festival. The fillings can be steamed beans, egg, fruits, dates, sweet potato, mushrooms, walnuts, meat, or a combination of them.
Another part of the Double Fifth Day is the timing: at the beginning of summer, when infections are possible to strike, talisman is being worn by the people to dissuade evil spirits. At the doorsteps, you can find Zhong Kui’s picture, an evil spirits protector. During these days, adults can taste Xiong Huang Wine, while children can bring scented silk pouches, because they believe that these acts can avert evil. Some people believe that balancing a rare egg on its end at exactly noon on Double Fifth Day will bring you prosperity for the whole year.

Indeed, Dragon Boat Festival is filled with excitement and thrill. Not to mention the reflection of Chinese traditions and cultures that are so wealthy and interesting revealed through this festival.

Be sure to continue to checkout my dragonboat blog regularily for the latest Dragonboat news.