Dragon Boat West

Might as well get this one started now since there's only a couple weeks left.

My tea leaves tell me my guesses for the Platinum Division are...

Gorging (Even Vegas wouldn't bet against these guys)
Koi Dragonauts(A very safe second bet)
Links Team Success (won the Taiwanese Festival hands down...)
Pacfic Reach (I'm gonna guess they're not gonna like an re-enactment of Victoria with Echo)
Pac Reach Echo
Specialty Subaru
Absolute Pogue (better known as Absolute Adrenaline from the Island races)
Roli.com
Fresh off the Dragon Boat
ScotiaBank Dragons
Capital Iron Dragons (strong team.. as long as they stay away from the beer garden)
Acme
Alpha Dragons (I can't remember which Alpha team is which...)
Hampton Woods

Not Bad guesses!
Though I think the beer tent may be the downfall of a few teams on that list!
The only way Gorging will lose is if we spike their beers!
They paddle hard and drink harder!
Don't forget the beer holders for the boats!
Bring it on! :lol:

You sure Capital Iron is going..... I looked at the Kelowna website last nite and did not see their name and I looked 2 times.... am I blind  :shock:

:doh:
You're correct... Capital Iron isn't going... for some reason I was thinking they were... Guess my coffee was wearing off when I posted that prediction...

Since they aren't going... I'll throw in the CC Dragons as the other team to reach the Platinum...

Yeah Absolut Mayhem is a good name for them!
It is a mixed bag of paddlers from the original Absolut team with a few Vancouverites and paddlers from other Victoria teams. If they can't beat you in the race they'll kick your butt in the beer garden!
 :lol:

Not sure how many boats in the final.  Last chance for PR to reach the podium this yr...

1.  Gorging
2.  Koi
3.  PR 1
4.  Links
5.  Fresh
6.  PR 2

Pacific Reach to me is one of those teams where they are building, building, getting faster, and faster, till one day they'll be stuck at the top.  I think we may see the day where it's always PR and Gorging fighting it out for the top spot.

Any predictions for Diamond Division?

wow, acme's going to kick ass in their first heat.  :wink:

Acme is so focused on the women's team...the mixed team will fail....along with Roli's!!!!!!!

Anyone heard of Sistership Synergy and Sistership Dragonhearts?

im going with ..  

1: LINKS Success
2: Gorging
3: Pacific Echo
4: Team Synergy
5: Yellow Sub

Says Whom?!?!?!?!  Acme aren't trying to win The Canadian National Title here!!  Kelowna is a fun festival. So what, if they are working a bit harder on the womens crew then the mixed.. Trying making a crew up out of 5 different crews, whom are at different levels of competing.

What about Roli?  

Guido, The only way any team/paddler is going to "fail" at a regatta/festival is :

~ is if you don't give your 110% when racing (if your able to talk/scream seconds in/after a race you barely paddled. You shouldn't be able to talk at least a minute after the race .. You should be trying to catching your breath .. until you reached the dock again)

~ not thinking possitive about the/any race (ie. you made your mind up on where your gonna place in the race.. died last)  

~ Not showing up to 95% of your crews practices![/b]

Why do you say we're so focused on our women's crew? - we only had 2 practices together, and we've got a couple of girls coming out from Absolut Adrenaline in Victoria that have a completely different stroke than us.  I think it takes a lot more than 2 practicesd for a team to "gel", but we do have a very strong group of ladies.

to all the teams going to kelowna's fest:

GoOOoD LUCK
                     PADDLE HARD
                                          HAVE FUN
                                                         DON'T DRINK & PADDLE(you might drown)

EVERYONE IS A WINNER

 8)  :rofl: 8)

A lot of teams will be supplementing their teams with other paddlers to fill their rosters. Obviously not everyone can make Kelowna (last race, long season) but the teams that show up will give it there all and party like hell!
I really don't think teams train all year to win Kelowna! Thats the time for good friends, good paddling and good times!  Its a great place to paddle with new people and recruit for next year??!?!?!?!

Bring it on!

meowzers: ummm... doesn't the alcohol numb the pain while paddling?   That's why we drink before paddling!

To clm10k

You may want to re-think your prediction.  Have you ever seen Gorging Dragons race?  Are you aware they went to the World's this year and won some medals?  Also what about their sister team the Dragonauts who sometimes beat them.

kathln, I believe both these teams are Breast Cancer survivor teams from Calgary.

I'll go with:

1. Gorging Dragons
2. Koi Dragonauts
3. Success
4. PR Echo
5. PR
6. Subaru

PR and PR Echo are gonna fight it out to the end...but I'll take a gamble and say Echo will come out on top...   :o

Best of luck to all teams in Kelowna! :)

Here's my shot at predictions

1. Gorging
2. Koi
3. Team Success
4. PR Echo
5. Alpha (the "A" team)
6. PR Reach
7. Subaru
8. Scotia
Then A dog fight with , Fresh (not all going I heard), ACME (alway tough), ROLI (Experience pays off), Absolut Mayhem (Could be a suprise finisher)

Should be a great final!
I hope I'm on my feet to enjoy it!  :D
But I'd rather be in the boat fighting it out!  :twisted:

Bring it on!

What are you smoking?  :wtf:  Is there something the rest of the db community doesn’t know that you know? Did those teams throw races in the Taiwanese Festival just to get some beer?

With all do respect to TS, and YS, but unless you totally changed your personnel on the team to a bunch of ringers, or the rest of the field somehow can not compete...fat chance those two teams will be in platinum.  

Hmm...I'm surprised your not predicting them to finish 1, 2 in their opening heat on Sat in Kelowna. :roll:

Okay.....my stab at it......I've had a few coffee's and beer over the weekend....

1) Gorging....former Paddler of mine on the team...say's this is it, last one then all will pack it in.
2) Links Success....if they can build on the TW weekend...should be in better shape than in Vancouver.
3) Koi Dragonauts....haven't seen them...but friend says they have gotten better and stronger since the two (Gorging and Koi) have been training together.
4) PR/PR Echo...depends who Robbie wants to put on which team.
5) Subaru...should depend which lane they get....got shafted on the outside last year...looks like they have a better ranking this year and should put them in a better lane.
6) PR/PR Echo...the one that didn't come in 4th.
7) Scotia...a couple of the boys and girl are off to Montreal...and picked up a few Mercedes Benz girls...
8) FODB....last I heard...an injury on the team has forced their coach to paddle...PLUS are missing their fearless well cut and defined leader...
9) Xtreme Reach...may be the dark horse in this heap
10) Roli....merger of both teams...more from the rec team...may lack strength on the female side
11) Alpha....still looking for a few male paddlers to paddle for them.
12) Acme...women will be racing TOO many races...8 in total..along with Roli's women too.....Roli's fortunate to have more spares....Acme is still looking for male paddlers as well.
13) Topmade Dragoneers.....all the way from Calgary...posted a 2:05 time on the Glenmore....should do pretty good if they all come.
14) This one I'm leaving open....thought and thought about it...but couldn't give it to anyone....

Honorable mentions....
Team Storm....using 6/16's ...they'll find some complaint.
VO2Max.....If they're steersperson don't get DQ'd.
Team Ruckus....may still be riding a high from Vancouver...they did beat Team Storm!!!!


Anyhooooooowwwww....ya'll have fun and hey....
shut the !$@# up and paddle hard....

Guido,

Looks like you did your homework as usual.  Good update on each of the the teams.

Good luck to all teams and paddles up!

F.Y.I. to Guido

Pacific Reach and Pacific Reach Echo have and never will swap paddlers from either teams.  It is a set roster.  Why not check out the website and see which paddlers belong to which team, then eat your words.  Two paddlers from Echo stepped up to Reach only because two spots opened up, and that's it.  Some teams that consist of two teams do swap paddlers, not Pacific Reach.

I think Pond Scum should go up there somewhere.  Possibly in the Platnium Final.  Weren't they the team from Sask that went to WCC with Gorging?  Here is my prediction for Platnium Final

1) Gorging
2) Koi Dragonauts
3) Links Success
4) Pond Scum
5) PR/PR Echo
6) Subaru
7) PR/PR Echo

My predicition is ......alot of you should never go to Vegas and place bets unless you want to go broke  :wink:

 Now just all get out there and paddle hard ............

I was thinking a lot about it........but they have been getting weaker each year.  They came in 4th in that final against Gorging and PR and posted some pretty poor times which happened to be a year ago.  I tried to find out how they did this year but they didn't race in Calgary and I couldn't find any results from the Saskatoon races.....they didn't attend Edmonton either.  I still have them posted as top 13 though.....

Nice to see you're still alive and reading the forum Special K  msn(;))

Wow....Paddleboy....sounds like you've been around the creek a long long time....... know something the rest of us don't.....indulge us with YOUR predictions!!!!!!

I'm always hovering Guido, someone has to make sure you behave  :roll: .  Regarding predictions I'll cast my vote for the top 5, but in no particular order.  It will be a very exciting final regardless.

Gorging
Dragonauts
Pacific Reach
Pacific Reach Echo
Alcan Success

I agree w/ special K's post  for the top 5

Steamroller Moaner quote:

" I think Pond Scum should go up there somewhere. Possibly in the Platnium Final. Weren't they the team from Sask that went to WCC with Gorging? Here is my prediction for Platnium Final

1) Gorging
2) Koi Dragonauts
3) Links Success
4) Pond Scum
5) PR/PR Echo
6) Subaru
7) PR/PR Echo "

--------------------------



Hmm, not a good sign when guys on the team don't think they will make the A final.  I think I'll turf FODB from my top 6.  Not sure who to replace them with - theres a big drop-off after the obvious top 5 & no-one else jumps out.  I'll take a long shot with Calgary Dragoneers (assuming they bring their A team).

1.  Gorging
2.  Koi
3.  PR1
4.  Links
5.  PR 2
6.  Scoobie Doo
7.  Dragoneers


Pond scum was a masters team in Capt Town, and was well off Gorging's times.

might want to re-think your prediction re:pond scum ............... :wink:

 2003 results in Western Canadaclub crew race off

Race 1
 250m Seeding Race
 
1  Gorging Dragons   58.13    lane  4
 
2  Pacific Reach    58.41   lane 2
 
3  X-Paddling Collective  58.83  lane 3
 
4  Pond Scum  59.84  lane 1
 
       
Race 2
 250m Final
 
1 Gorging Dragons  55.78    lane 3
 
2  Pacific Reach  56.09   lane 4
 
3  X-Paddling Collective  57.27  lane2
 
4  Pond Scum   59.91   lane1
 
       
Race 3
 500m Seeding Race
 
1  Pacific Reach   2.01.13   lane 4

2  Gorging Dragons   2.01.32  lane3
 
3  X-Paddling Collective   2.01.82   lane 2
 
4  Pond Scum    2.06.30    lane 1
 
       
Race 4
 500m Final
 
1  Gorging Dragons  1.58.49   lane 4
 
2  Pacific Reach  2.02.2   lane 3
 
3   X-Paddling Collective   2.02.32    lane2
 
4  Pond Scum   2.07.92    lane 1

Slight Disagreement with Guido's predictions
Predictions for ! -7 looks good but thats where it ends
Yes Pond Scum should rate up there but knows who they will bring
If you checked any of the Victoria results (and times) you will see that Absolut kicked most of the other teams butts!
I would think thought that ACME and Alpha should be higher but I do not know of their team members status
Otherwise everyone seems to agree on the top 5
Let the races begin for 6 - ???

bring it on MF

I Think that we had some D2 boats in Regina. The guy that was taking them out of the water said that they were going to Kelowna. If they are the same boats that I'm thinking of then the hull is a lot like a 6-16 but the seats are lower. They don't have a board running from the front to back (sorry if I'm not using the right terms here) so they tend to flex a whole lot more. You have to make sure to balance the left and right sides because these boats are tippier than 6-16's.

A D2 is a Gemini in disguise.  Hope Fisher is not going  :wink:

I'm new here but I think I know my stuff, so here goes my take on this weekend.  

1) Gorging Dragons
2) Dragonauts
3) Pacific Reach
4) Alcan Success
5) Pacific Reach Echo
6) Subaru

I see a fight for first place between sister teams Gorging and Dragonauts and another fight for third between Pacific Reach and Alcan, but I believe Pac Reach will take third.
I don't think the beer garden will run out of beer, but I do think the toilets will run out of toilet paper.  I just hope it doesn't rain Saturday night  :( .