It was our last practice before the 200m sprint regatta set for Saturday April 14th at Dragon Zone. Normally our team never hits the water before April, but this year we have a core of 3rd year paddlers who really want to take our team to another level. While I was in Vernon on Easter Weekend, our senior paddlers Stephen Mirowski, Dan Seto and Ernest Wu took over the instruction reigns and pushed the team to build strength and endurance. I heard from one of the new paddlers that it was a tough workout.
We have now been on the water for 10 practices since March 4th. Only on March 11th, a cold rainy wet day, we didn't have enough people to take out a dragon boat.... so we took 6 people out in 2 person Marathon canoes and had a great time, having little races.
For tonight's practice we had 19 paddlers on the boat... including 4 paddlers from the UA Power Dragons which I coach on Saturday. Two of the paddlers I knew. Two of the paddlers I had never seen before. It was the first time on a dragon boat for Dan, and the 2nd time for Kiel. I really don't like putting people into a race with only 1 or 2 practices. There are injury concerns and technique concerns.... But I told the guys to just watch the techniques, focus on timing. I didn't want any power from them. They are strong atheletes who play other sports. Try to hold them back, eh?
We focused on race prep, and our race day routine. We did a race piece with myself
and Wendy as lead strokes. Then I coached with Wendy and Marlene as lead strokes.
We worked on our 6-18 start. Six slow strokes + 3 sets of six ups (up, up, up, 4, 5, 6) followed by two counts of "Reach with Power." For a 200 m. race, we have enough time for starts + 2 power series or start, power series, and finish. It's very short. A normal dragon boat race is 500m, and usually takes us 2:30 to 2:50.
We had a full race piece with GVRD 44 Cheeks, then a race starts Saints Preserve Us. GVRD is coached by my friend James Yu. Saints are coached by another friend Susan. We have friendly pre-race chatter between the boats, introducing the teams, making jokes about each other... trying to psych each other out. Then we move the boats apart and tell the paddlers to put their paddles in the water for a race start.
Darn those Gemini boats... we are sitting heavier, and plowing the water. They are lighter than the fibreglass 6-16 locally made dragon boats - but they are narrower, shorter and less buoyant. The races were still pretty close, and we had a number of beginners in the boats, and a few people who were only on their 1st or 2nd time paddling this season.
Looking forward to Saturday, and having everybody out. We will rotate new rookie paddlers into the lineup, and we will run the final boat with veterans. This serves to help rookies learn the ropes, and have the multi-year veterans give the 2nd and 3rd year paddlers a better quality experience.
We are fortunate to have veteran paddlers Kristine and Craig join us for the race. They both raced on the 2001 Civil Serpents team that won Comp B silver - which I coached and steered. They are two of my favorite paddlers friends. Craig first paddled on the Celebration team in 1997, which changed its name in 2002 to Gung Haggis Fat Choy.
We are glad to have Ian and Cory from the Pirates - whom we consider dear friends. Ian paddled on the GHFC '05 team for Alcan, and Cory joined us for regatta that year. Last year, GHFC joined Pirates for Victoria '06.
Stuart has joined GHFC and Tacoma DBA for Day of the Long Boats for 2005 and 2006. He and Linda are from the Scaly Justice Team, which Dan joined for some practices in the fall.
Our core team members include Peggy, Marlene, Keng, Ernest, Joe, Dan, Steven W., Gerard, and Stephen M. + drummer Deb. Jonas and Wendy joined us as rookies last year, as did Richard, Queenie and Tzhe. Georgia paddled on Burnaby Tsunami last year, and has joined us for 2007. Joining us this spring as rookies are Stuart, Cindy, Jim and Alex. Pash is really a Pirate paddler and joins us for Tuesday practices. Julie joined us last year too, but has Polynesian dance classes on Sunday, and will drop in on Tuesdays too!
So.... friends all around - that's the way we like it!
Cheers, Todd
