Arlene Chan
and
Susan Humphries
We have been fortunate to have paddled and worked with exceptionally dedicated and talented people, not only paddlers and coaches, but also medical and nutritional supporters who all share the same desire to see paddlers realize their full potential and achieve outstanding performances locally, nationally, and on the world stage. They have challenged us.
Whether you are a coach, club member, elite crew hopeful, or simply enjoy a recreational paddle, we hope to challenge you too. Our objectives in assembling this book are to move you closer to the level of paddling to which you aspire and to increase your enjoyment of the sport. You will find many important topics that will expand your knowledge of dragon boating and propel you and your team more efficiently to the finish line.
We have gathered top experts from across the country to explain the world of dragon boating and provide paddling concepts and principles. Mike Haslam was the first to give his enthusiastic support for this book and we give him our deepest thanks. Albert McDonald, national level coach, and elite sprint canoer and paddler, signed on with Suzanne McKenzie, a member of Dragon Beasts and the Canadian Premier Women’s Crew, to present the technical elements of the dragon boat stroke. Albert is also the “Voice of the Beast” in chapter 7 that features three postings from Beast Blog. Jim Farintosh’s stellar reputation as coach of the Canadian National Crew and Mayfair Predators made him a top choice for penning the chapter on “The Making of an A-Team.” Bringing her extensive experience as an Olympian kayaker and dragon boat coach for national teams and the False Creek Racing Canoe Club, Kamini Jain graciously accepted the chapter on coaching. Dr. David Levy, founder of the sports medicine program at McMaster University in Hamilton, contributed the piece on preventing injuries most commonly seen in the sport. As the Strength and Conditioning Director, Athletic Training Professionals, Jamie Hollins — kinesiologist, flatwater paddler, dragon boater, and coach — was a natural choice to cover the topic of dry land training. Eleanor Nielsen brings to life the pioneering work of Dr. Don McKenzie who introduced dragon boating to breast cancer survivors as a therapy that has been embraced by hundreds of teams around the world. Kathy Levy shows how one survivor team has developed into a competitive crew of dedicated paddlers. Pam Collett, with years of experience as a professional coach and national judging official, tackles the topic of nutrition with relish. Mike Kerkmann, who was instrumental in the development of Dragon Boat Canada, is a pioneering service provider, his company, GWN, being the largest in North America. Matt Robert, a former national crew paddler and coach of numerous winning crews, shares his expertise in steering and drumming. Andrew Fox, who is a coach and paddler who has won medals internationally with national crews and the Mayfair Predators, tackles the topic of teams and teamwork. Gerry Kavanagh, as founder of Apex Paddles, represents the new generation of dragon boaters whose entrepreneurial and innovative endeavours have contributed to the sport. And who better than Matt Smith, president of Dragon Boat Canada, could have provided the closing chapter, which tells the story of Canada and its development and prominence on the international scene.
Many thanks are extended to the photographers who graciously granted permission to include their works. Their stunning photographs capture the excitement of our sport and bring words to life with their close-ups of the paddling action from across the country. Thank you to William Ng, Gabe Toth, Laurie Wierzbicki, Fay Wu, Edward Lumb, Albert McDonald, Barry Wojciechowski, VFK, Heather Maclaren, John Valentini, Terry Hewitson, Brent Lessard, Chris Edwards, Normand Beaulieu, Ben Lee, Derek Griffiths, Steven Ercolani, and, particularly, Jan Oakley and Jens Ronneberger. Our gratitude to Kim Ercolani and Suzanne McKenzie for being the fitness and paddling models.
The testimonials that we received were over–whelmingly heartfelt and merit a book of their own.
We could only include a few and thank everyone who took the time to send us their thoughts on what the sport means to them.
The pinyin Romanization system, the standard to spell the sounds of Mandarin Chinese, is used throughout this book.
Finally, as paddlers, we remember our first time in a dragon boat, our first coach, our first team, our first race. We all started as beginners. The dragon boat community has given so much to us. We thank all the paddlers, coaches, sponsors, friends, and family to whom we owe so much for the love of dragon boating.
This book is dedicated to our friends and family who have supported our maniacal passion for dragon boating. Richard and Leo, our spouses, deserve our special thanks for their encouragement and understanding … being awakened before sunrise as we fumbled for our paddling gear in the dark to take to the 6:00 a.m. morning practices; putting up with stinky paddling clothes and shoes; spending weeks and weekends alone while we crossed town, province, country, continent, and oceans for race regattas and training camps. We have tested the limits of their tolerance and patience without fail.
Paddles Up!
Arlene Chan
Daredevil manoeuvres. Capsized boats. Fierce rivalry. Fighting spectators. So frequent were these incidents that dragon boat races were outlawed in China at the beginning of the twentieth century.1 The ban was lifted and dragon boating is flourishing as one of the fastest-growing team sports around the world. On the fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar falls the Dragon Boat Festival, one of the most popular Chinese festivals. Celebrated on and off as an unofficial holiday in the People’s Republic of China, it became an official state holiday in 2008.
The origins of the dragon boats and the Dragon Boat Festival are buried deep in Chinese history, and many versions abound, all of which share common traditions and rituals, and themes of superstitions, suicides, ghosts, and, most significantly, the dragon.
The Chinese dragon is an ancient mythical creature that has been venerated and honoured as the sacred ruler of the rivers, seas, clouds, and rain. Unlike the fire-breathing and sinister dragon in Western mythology, the Chinese dragon, also known as the River Dragon or Dragon King, was rarely considered malevolent. Although fearsome and powerful, the dragon was worshipped as a benefactor capable of providing enough rainfall for bountiful rice harvests. The dragon’s importance throughout Chinese history is evident everywhere — in paintings, literature, sculpture, dance, clothing, architecture, and music. The earliest dragon figure was unearthed in Inner Mongolia on a jar dating back 6,500 years.2 Later regarded as the official symbol of the emperor during the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368 A.D.), the dragon has come to represent China and its people. But nowhere is the presence of this mythical creature more strongly felt than during the annual Dragon Boat Festival when its heartbeat pulses wildly through millions of dragon boat paddlers around the world.
The story of Qu Yuan is the most popular and recognized account of the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival. Qu Yuan was a respected and well-loved patriot, poet, and statesman who lived during the Warring States Period, a turbulent time in China’s history when seven feudal states battled for supremacy. The state of Qin, determined to take over its last major adversary, the state of Chu, offered a truce under the guise of a peace treaty. Qu Yuan advised the king of Chu not to sign any such agreement. Not only did the king sign it but he also banished Qu Yuan for what was perceived as advice from a traitor. Wandering aimlessly and proclaiming his love for the state of Chu, Qu Yuan spent his final years writing what was to become some of China’s greatest poetry. When he learned about the fall of Chu to the enemy state of Qin,3 he clutched a rock to his chest and threw himself into the Miluo River. It was the fifth day of the