Vancouver Dragonboating

False Creek in Vancouver is the home of several dragon boating teams.

A dragon boat or "dragonboat" is a very long and narrow human-powered boat now used in the team paddling sport of dragon boat racing which originated in China in pre-Christian times.

While competition has taken place annually for more than 20 centuries as part of folk ritual, it emerged in modern times as an international "sport" in Hong Kong in 1976. Like running, horse racing and marksmanship, the racing of dragon boats is among mankind's oldest organized competitions.

For competition events, dragon boats are generally rigged with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails. At other times the decorative regalia is usually removed, although the drum often remains aboard for training purposes. In some areas of China, the boats are raced without dragon adornments.

Dragon boat races are traditionally held as part of the annual Duanwu Jie festival observance in China. 19th century European observers of the racing ritual, not understanding the significance of Duan Wu, referred to the spectacle as a "dragon boat festival" (literally, "long zhou jie". The date of "duan wu" is reckoned annually according to the solar-lunar calendrical system (rather than the Gregorian system).

Duan Wu is observed and celebrated in many areas of east Asia with significant populations of ethnic Chinese living there e.g. Singapore, Malaysia, Greater China (Hongkong, Macau, Taiwan, the mainland provinces of China). The date is referred to as the "double fifth" since Duan Wu is reckoned as the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, which often falls on the Gregorian calendar month of June, but also rarely May or July.

In December of 2007, the Chinese government added Duan Wu, Qing Ming and Mid-Autumn festivals to the schedule of national holidays observed in the People's Republic of China.

PADDLING & MANEUVERING COMMANDS:

PADDLES UP.  Prepare to paddle by reaching arm forward and tilting shoulder down, blade just above the water.

TAKE IT AWAY.  Begin to paddle, following the stroke called or set by the stroke person up front.

LET IT RIDE.  Stop paddling.

HOLD THE BOAT.  Hold the paddle fully in the water straight up and down .

BRACE THE BOAT.  Hold the paddle horizontally in the water to stabilize the boat.

BACK PADDLE.  Paddle in reverse, again, in unison with the stroke.

DRAW LEFT or DRAW RIGHT.  To move the boat sideways produce side thrust by reaching out and paddling in the direction called. Paddlers on the opposite side lean out to help balance.

PADDLES ON THE KNEE.  A position of rest or listening for instructions.  Hold  the paddle horizontal resting on the knee and edge of the boat with the blade out.

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