LITMIR.BIZ

      Zongzi from Beijing are filled with sweet ingredients, like bean paste, walnuts, and dates. In southern China, they are made with salty fillings, like roast duck, chicken, peanuts or salted duck eggs. The third type is preserved in a strong alkaline solution.

      We wear kilts and have lucky Chinese coins on our team jersey. We eat Asian foods and Scottish haggis — sometimes combined. It’s become more than just being social…. It’s become a family.

      — Todd Wong, Vancouver, British Columbia

      Dragon boat races, rooted in the ancient past of gods, ghosts, and superstitions, treaded unfamiliar waters in Western communities for thousands of years. Only recently have they become sporting events that promise fanfare, drums, and excitement. Traditions and rituals are re-enacted in ceremonies to awaken and dot the eye of the dragon, and in dragon boat racing itself. The Dragon Boat Festival, the most international of all festivals from China, is the only one embraced by Chinese and non-Chinese alike. The lure of dragon boating arouses deep passion in the hearts of men and women, young and old.

      NOTES

      1. Carol Stephanchuk and Charles Wong, Mooncakes and Hungry Ghosts: Festivals of China (San Francisco: China Books, 1992).

      2. Bian Yi, China Daily, November 29, 1999.

      3. With the fall of the last independent state of Chu, the Qin kingdom unified all other states into the first Chinese empire to be ruled by Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. The English word for China is considered to be derived from Qin (pronounced “Cheen”).

      4. International Dragon Boat Federation Handbook, 4th edition (IDBF, 2004).

      5. Ibid.

      6. Henning Wiekhorst, Hong Kong: Mother of Dragons (Hong Kong: Creative-Dragon-Works, 2006).

      7. Another translation of “Duan Wu” is “maximum sun” or “upright sun.” On the fifth day of the fifth month, the male forces (yang) are at maximum intensity and the sun reaches it highest position in the sky.

      SOURCES

      Barker, Pat. Dragon Boats: A Celebration. Vancouver:

      Raincoast Books, 1996.

      Bodde, Derk. Festivals in Classical China. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1975.

      Chan, Arlene. Awakening the Dragon: The Dragon Boat Festival. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2004.

      Eberhard, Wolfram. Chinese Festivals. New York:

      Abelard-Schuman, 1958.

      Huxley, Francis. The Dragon: Nature of Spirit, Spirit of Nature. London: Thames and Hudson, 1989.

      Jones, Meg. Chinese New Year and the Dragon Boat Festival. London: Scholastic, 2004.

      Law, Joan, and Barbara Ward. Chinese Festivals in Hong Kong. Hong Kong: South China Morning Post, 1982.

      Vasu, Suchitthra. Dragon Boat Festival. Singapore:

      National Library of Singapore, 1997.

      Stepanchuk, Carol. Red Eggs and Dragon Boats.

      Berkeley, CA: Pacific View Press, 1994.

      Stepanchuk, Carol, and Charles Wong. Mooncakes and Hungry Ghosts: Festivals in China. San Francisco:

      China Books, 1992.

      Wiekhorst, Henning. Hong Kong: Mother of Dragons.

      Hong Kong: Creative-Dragon-Works, 2006.

       2

       Basic Dragon Boat

Paddling Technique

      Albert McDonald

      and

       Suzanne McKenzie

      Efficient paddling technique, which engages the body’s core muscle groups, promotes the following: first, maximum “glide” or boat run; second, reduced stress on smaller muscle groups, thereby reducing the chance of sport injury; third, the burning of more calories by engaging and utilizing large, versus small, muscle groups; fourth, the contribution to increased boat speed.

      Though some crews may not be interested in boat speed, most crews are. Often, coaches will offer increased boat speed as the sole reason to make technical changes and to paddle efficiently; however, boat speed is not the sole reason to paddle efficiently.

      Several key elements of the proper paddling technique are listed and described below. Many different styles and perspectives on technique are prevalent. In general, style refers to sequencing of body movements and movement of the paddle when the paddle is out of the water. Dragon boat attracts many experienced, world-class paddlers from other paddling disciplines, such as flatwater, marathon, outrigger, et cetera. These paddlers have developed different stroke aspects, even bad habits, but can maintain extremely powerful connection with the water. Their high fitness level, built over many years and combined with their water connection, enables them to paddle extremely effectively in dragon boat. Through a different “style” they are still able to achieve boat efficiency — when the paddle is in the water, the blade angle is optimal and they are engaging core muscles. Therefore, there are different ways to be successful and achieve boat efficiency, particularly when the paddle is out of the water.

      DRAGON BOAT STROKE FOR BASIC

      BEGINNER TO MID-COMPETITIVE

      LEVEL PADDLERS