Gung Haggis paddler, Dave Samis,  races in Australian National dragon boat races

Dave Samis, is one of the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team summer paddlers.   For the Alcan Festival he races with his work team, GVRD 44 Cheeks, then he joins Gung Haggis Fat Choy for the summer.  He is a staunch supporter of our Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner, and many of our extracurricular activities such as dragon boat head carving or our St. Patrick's Day dragon boat floats.

Dave has just finished racing with a pick-up Canadian dragon boat team, organized by Paul Boileau of the Ft. Langley Canoe Club.  Paddlers from across the Vancouver Lower Mainland joined for the chance to have an enjoyable vacation, and race against some of Australia's finest dragon boat teams.

Dave writes:

Hi Gung Haggis paddlers

Internet has been down at many places I've tried over last few days.

Report from Down Under

Another Clearly Canadian paddler was injured prior to the races. Lila was almost hit crossing in a  crosswalk in Sydney by a speeding car that didn't stop.  She dove for the sidewalk and just missed being hit.  It was so close passer-by’s thought she had been hit.  She bruised her right side hitting the sidewalk.  Hmmm, that's three paddlers hurt now.  Me in the scooter accident in Hawaii, Lorriane in a separate scooter accident in Hawaii, and then Lila in Sydney.  And we only have one spare.

The Australian Nationals April 6, 7 and 8th.

Although we had already been registered for quite a while, we reconcieved word that this competition is only for Australian teams not international teams, before we left.  Letters flew back and forth and the officials changed their minds and let us come....however we would be a demonstration team only...no medal round races.

April 6th 1000 m races

We moved into our tent right (closest one to the stands, podium etc.) and we felt that the Australian teams were not expecting to see us and that they were worried about us.

The teams competing were the state champions (of each Australian state) and they were competing to be the team(s) that would be Australian champions that would represent Australia internationally.

In our first races, our Women's Masters team paddled well but came in last against very tough competition.  Then something completely changed ....the Australians came over to greet us and to meet us.  It turned out that they thought we were a hot shot competitive Canadian team coming to trounce them at their own Nationals.  Once they found out that that wasn't the case they all wanted to be our friends and to trade team jerseys with us.  They couldn't do enough for us.

April 7th 500 m races

The day stated with the announcer introducing us and talking about us and then asking all the people to stand while O Canada was played over the loud speakers.  All the Aussies stood up and cheered (two of our team members that were standing beside me started crying) Quite touching.

Woman's Master's team came is last in the first race.

Our mixed team with only 9 male paddlers, including me with my hurt ribs, didn't expect to do well against Australia's best.  When the race started our drummer (Sheena Davidson) screamed at us and the steers (Paul Boileau) did also.  We put everything into the race and came in fourth amongst the best teams there - way better that we had expected we'd do.  Our time was 2:11  with only nine males and eleven women (the women were tired as they had recently races their own race).  So we did well.

One strong woman, paddler Elizabeth, hurt back paddling hard in the finish and had to be helped from the boat at the end of the race.  If you are keeping score that is four injured now.  I'm paddling right as my left chest is hurt, Lila is paddling left as her right side is hurt (diving out of the way of the speeder in Sydney) Lorriane's has her arm wrapped in a tensor bandage (from the scooter accident) and now Elizabeth is hurt.

After our woman's team raced our Clearly Canadian mixed team raced again with our spare replacing Elizabeth.  Our second 500 m was like the first.  We again were just a fraction of a second behind third in four place.  Our  time in this second 500 was 2:12.  Still doing well with only 9 men paddling.

We weren't allowed to race our mixed team in any finals (this meet was for the Australian State Champions only) but back at the tent we were quickly taking on celebrity status.  Paddlers from the Australian teams gathering around to talk to us and to exchange, hats, shirts, pins or what have you.

April 8th 200m races

I’ll send you the report on the April 7th , 200 m sprints, the ceremonies there and the party after in the next e-mail.  Also info on the country here.

Really gotta go now.

Dave