BRINGING THE PARTY…
Just when you thought racing couldn’t get any wilder, send 10 paddlers + 1 drummer + a sprinting steerer into the water for Beach Sprints. Each dragon boat is a 10 person canoe complete with dragon head and tail, a drummer beating cadence and a steerer who’s navigating the course while belting out race strategy to the paddlers. Moving the beast of a boat through the water, around the buoys and then into a 180 degree spin takes all the athleticism, all the synchronization, all the power. Oh, and did we mention they bring the party wherever they go?!
See dragon boating in action and if you want, hop in a boat and try it. A tame version, not the chaotic race version. We’ll be offering mini sessions periodically during the day.
Want to register to race? Teams, sign up at the team link. And if you’re an individual who wants to be added to a composite boat for racing, sign up on the individual link.
ABOUT
Dragon Boating
Dragon boat racing has been popular for centuries in Asia and shares cultural parallels with Pacific Island outrigger canoeing – the OG of beach sports. In the U.S., you’ll find dragon boat racing from Boston to Tampa Bay, Seattle to Austin, and in Oklahoma City at RIVERSPORT.
The boats are decorated with elaborate dragon heads, colorful bodies and tails, and are fueled by 10 or more paddlers. A drummer perched on a tiny seat (hang on!) beats cadence while the steerer coaches and guides the boat through the water.
- Traditional races happen on flat water and are 250m to 2000m. The race begins with paddlers loading at a dock, then paddling to a start line on the water
- LeMans style dragon boat racing has paddlers starting on land and racing to the boat sitting dockside
- Beach sprints style racing amps it up further with the steerer racing across the beach to the fully loaded boat already on the water, jumping in the boat and then taking off on the 250m course. The race ends with the drummer bailing out and racing across the sand to the finish line buzzer.
Ready to give it a try? Come for a mini session at the Route 66 Beach Festival, then check out the team opportunities at RIVERSPORT!
