Dragon Boat West

Kudos to the Chilliwack Progress newspaper for not only sponsoring the Harrison Dragon Boat festival, but doing a series of articles introducing the sport of Dragon Boating to the Fraser Valley.  The Progress even sent a reporter and had her join the FVDBC "novice" team.  Katie Robsinson has written three articles, in the first one she talked about what it was like to come out for our open house, the second was on drumming, and the third was: Dragon Boating not just for women ... written on May 19, 2006

The Progress
May 19 2006

There’s sweat; there’s adrenaline; there’s a full-body workout even. And yet, nary a man in sight.

What’s the deal?

When “DiggerPig” decided to give dragon boating a shot six years ago, he had no idea what to expect. Like most men, he thought it was strictly a women’s sport. And he didn’t think it would challenge his muscles the way he – an active man that hits the gym at least five times a week – likes them to be.

But, boy oh boy, was he ever in for a surprise.

“It’s a full-body sport,” he said, following Sudden Impact’s exhausting, two-hour practice.

“It incorporates a lot of different muscle groups – way more than working out at the gym does. And it’s a great back workout. I seriously lost 10 pounds that first year, and my back got ripped.

“It just boggles my mind that we can’t find more guys to come out and dragon boat.”

That being said however, he understands the misperception of it being a female sport.
Although dragon boating has been around for centuries, it didn’t start gaining popularity in the Fraser Valley until the mid ‘90s when an influx of breast cancer survivor teams started popping up. And it was the Water Warriors, a women’s-only team, that competitively brought the sport to Chilliwack.

“Basically it comes down to a lack of understanding or education,” DiggerPig said. “Guys assume that it’s easy, but even our practices are hard. It’s not like swinging a bat – you always walk away tired, and knowing that you got a great workout.”

But it’s more than just a good workout. It’s a team sport, a true team sport.

“This is the most team sport I’ve ever been a part of,” said fellow paddler “Animal”, who’s competitively played on softball and football teams.

“It’s like, I’m in this boat with a bunch of men next to me, and we’re all feeding off each others energy. It’s testosterone driven, and it motivates you to keep digging hard, to keep giving it your all.”

And DiggerPig adds: “It doesn’t matter how much I bench press, or how many goals I can score, my paddle is only as strong as the person next to me.

“It’s like a piston in an engine. Everything works in unison, otherwise the boat won’t go anywhere. And to me, that’s the ultimate rush.”

And a man’s strength can greatly advance a team’s success.

Men are usually put to the back of the boat – the engine room, or meat locker, as they like to call it – because that’s where the power and strength to push through the already-moving water is needed.