Vancouver’s Annual Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon boating first appeared in Vancouver two decades ago at Expo’86 as a demonstration sport. However, dragon boating originated long before Expo’86 in China over 2000 years ago.  This racing sport consists of 20 paddlers, a steerer and a drummer in a long canoe-styled boat.  The interest that generated from its initial appearance in Vancouver has grown into North America’s largest and most recognized Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival in Vancouver today.  The city has just celebrated its 21st annual anniversary of the festival this past weekend on June 20th and 21st on False Creek.

 For the past two decades, False Creek has been home to dragon boaters who paddle recreationally, competitively and most importantly - the festival.  From personal experience as a competitive paddler myself; False Creek became my home after many months of practices on the water.  Blood, sweat and tears came from the tough practices but it was worth it when the festival came along.  It is a joyous festival of food, music, and 180 teams racing in the waters with over 90,000 people coming out to watch the races every year.  At the end of my first season paddling, I learned winning the race was not what made my team a success, but the journey the team took to get to the end!  Aside from the excitement of watching the races, dragon boat team paddlers are able to build team skills, endurance, and confidence.  On the main Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival website at http://dragonboatbc.ca/, there are many opportunities for seniors, adults, young adults and children to learn for the first time.

As one of Vancouver’s most anticipated summer events that generates over 3 million dollars in economic benefits, it is a surprise to find out that the dragon boating community now faces the jeopardy of losing its home.  Current developments like the Olympic village, art gallery and towers along False Creek are leaving no space left for dragon boaters.  In response to this crisis, the Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Society has sent a letter to city council to plead for a permanent boathouse on False Creek.  If a permanent boathouse is built for the dragon boating community, the future of the Vancouver Annual Dragon Boat Festivals is secured.   It would be a shame for a festival that has grown into a tradition in our city for over twenty years be taken away for new developments.  We should fight to permanently anchor the fleet of dragons on False Creek to keep the tradition live.  It is safe to speak for my fellow dragon boat paddlers that it would be hard to fill the void in our hearts if we have to renounce paddling.

I was on boat #4, Alcan Dragon Boat Festival 2006

References

Cernetig, Miro. (2008, May 24).  Dragon boats about to set sail. The Vancouver Sun.
          Retrieved from
          http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news/weekendreview    
          /story.html?id=ae962876-267d-4d2e-a634-646d8ee72b85

Kieltyka, Matt. (2009, June 18). Concord committed to festival. 24 hours. Retrieved from
          http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/local/2009/06/18/9835626-sun.html

Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival.  (2009).  Our History.  Retrieved June 07th, 2009,
          from http://dragonboatbc.ca/our-history.html.