Gung Haggis dragon boat team.... 200m sprints with a German TV cameraman in seat 1

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Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team in action, being filmed by ZDF television crew from Germany, Stephen Mirowski is steering, Deb Martin is drummer. - photo Ray Shum

Today... we had a GREAT 200m. regatta race.  And we were filmed for a European travel show for ZDF, a German public television station - sort of their equivalent of the CBC.  The show will be aired later this year, and focussed on multicultural Vancouver, and how dragon boats represent the cultural and ethnic fusion in Vancouver.


Sound technician George and camerman Tal film the pre-race warm-up for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team. - photo Deb Martin


Steven Wong leads the warm-up, while the camera gets into the middle of the action.  Paddlers from the UA Powere Dragons join us.

We supplemented the team with:

Craig Brown - my 10 year paddling buddy who is now doing outrigger
Stuart Higginson and his wife Sarah from Scaly Justice (Rec E) who are doing outrigger
Linda Pleece from Scaly Justice, 
Kristine Shum from Scaly Justice, and ex-Gung Haggis, she was on the Civil Serpents comp team from 2001.  
Ian Paul and Cory from the Chilliwack Pirates (Rec E)

All friends.... and some of the best paddlers from their own teams.
We had 3 rookies on our boat + our 4, 3, and 2 year veterans.
Dan Seto, Stephen Mirowski, Ernest Wu, Steven Wong, Joe Easton, Tzhe Lam, Wendy Lee, Georgia Thornton, Keng Graal, Gerarad Graal and their daughter Melissa + rookies Stuart Mackinnon, Cindy and Alex.... and myself + drummer Deb Martin.  Steering was rotated between Steven W. and Stephen M.

We improved performance with each race.  It is challenging with a group that hasn't paddled together before together... but Stuart and Sarah did voyageur canoe with us last year.  Ian and Cory have done some practices with us over the years...  Craig and Kristine have raced with us in the past.

We almost matched Rec A and B teams...   out of 15 mixed teams including lots of high end teams such as False Creek Mixed and DWW (Dangerous When Wet), Scotiabank, Swordfish, Synergy...  there were 3 finals, and we made the B final.

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Here's a good pictures series with the cameraman in seat 1.  They wanted to get shots of our drummer calling the start, then pictures of our paddlers in action during an actual race.  We did a demo-race in the Division C final.  With only 18 paddlers saving themselves for the next B Final race, and a camera man with his camera man weighing down seat 1.  We did pretty good in the C Final - still coming in 3rd, a second just about 3 seconds behind the almost even 1st and 2nd place teams. photo - Ray Shum.

We also paddled in the C final as a demonstration with 18 paddlers and a tv camera in seat 1, filming the drummer, then the lead strokes, then the team....  At one point, the cameraman stood up and drummer Deb, was leaning across the drum, grabbing him to help steady him as the boat surged forward.

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Drummer Deb holds on to help steady Tal the cameraman as he stands to get an overhead view of the team paddling. - photo Ray Shum

I also coached a corporate team UA Power Dragons... They came 2nd in the Rec C final for 4 teams.  They beat a more experienced team with only 19 paddlers!

I am proud of them.  They were skittish and nervous in the first race... but we told them to focus on the process... focus on what they have control of... heads up... reach out.... lean out... rotate....  good exit... 

And they improved every race!

After the race we went to the house of a rookie paddler, who had just bought a kilt which arrived in the mail from Scotland.... two days ago!!!!   We had a Scotch tasting... we made deep fried haggis won-ton... we ordered in pizza.   The German film crew joined us and filmed us... making the won ton, and I made a toast.  "May our hearts be strong, and our paddles deep!"   Everybody liked it...  then we all started adding things...  "May the wind always be at our back.... and not in our face.... or from somebody's bum..."    May the men on our team always be strong, and the women pretty"... "and the men be pretty... and the women strong...."


Scotch tasting with haggis won-ton for the television cameras.  Todd Wong, Stuart Mackinnon, Steven Wong and Stephen Mirowski all say "Slainte!"


The post-regatta party with ZDF tv crew Susanne, George and Tal + (front) Deb, Todd, Cindy, Joe, Julie, Steven (kneeling) and Stuart (standing), (back) Dan, Georgia, Wendy, Stephen, Gee (standing).

We have a team where everybody likes each other, does their best, enjoys the process, wants to improve.... and loves to eat.  What more can you ask for?