Dragon Boat West

Has dragonboating peaked around false creek?

Who is excited about the upcoming season of races and festivals?

Will outrigger ever overtake dragonboating in popularity?

I just wanted a guage on how the locals feel where the sport is going.


 :think:


HnK

From everything I've seen and heard so far, this year looks to be a year of BIG change, with teams folding and paddlers taking a break, paddlers shuffling around to new teams...  A lot of the lower Comp and higher Rec teams from the previous years have seen a lot of change in rostering, and will probably surprise those who have been around for a while with their placing. 

It may be my work schedule/when I'm able to swing by the creek, but it seems to me that there are a lot fewer teams out on the water than there were last year at the same time of the year.  I mean, there is only a month and a half until Alcan.  Last year, no matter what time of the day I was out, I'd see at least a couple of small boats (mornings) or a handful of dragon boats (early evenings).

I too have seen fewer DB teams out there and yet we are about 1.5 months away from the BIG race! If there are fewer teams on the water I think a combinatination of factors might explain why: 1) annual costs associated with practice, entry and coaching fees, 2) burnout and 3) more interest in OC maybe? Or maybe we just had way too many teams out there that were "watered down" so to speak that maybe they decided to merge the best of the various teams into 1. But I agree it seems less crews are out there these days.

Perhaps the unusually cold weather has something to do with it.

Not only  are there fewer teams but the boats you do see out there are most times manned with 8, 10 or 12 paddlers. Less teams, fewer paddlers. The cold weather has something to do with it, but there is not the enthusiasm out on the creek. Fcrcc had 40 teams in their early regatta last year and have had to scramble to get 32 this year. Injuries, babies, family pressures, burn out etc, have taken their toll. I tend to agree with the thought that dragonboat has peaked, but there is also less interest in flat water and OC6 this year than there was in the past. Maybe just an off year. We'll see... 

At False Creek, I think we have pretty much the same number of people joining up to try outrigger, in fact more than in the past couple of years (I also have the impression Pogue's OC program has grown quite a bit). Can't really judge flatwater until the summer. Club membership is down overall so far this year, but what seems to have happened is that a larger than usual number of "veterans" have dropped out. Some will come back after a bit of time off, others will take up golf or bridge.

Don't hate.  I stay warm and dry this way!

Perhaps other commitments take over lives - marriage, children...children...children????  And then there's aging bodies that don't want to cooperate any more...Who knows what else!!

maybe people just want to let the perma-bruises on their ass cheeks heal a bit ;)

i think there are a number of things at play here.  Perhaps the sport has peaked, but what causes that?  Perhaps its that a significant portion of the paddling population in vancouver has outgrown the sport and moved on to other disciplines.  But it doesn't sound like that so... Perhaps its that there is a shortage of truly qualified coaches available to keep the interest of those who want to progress.  I definitely believe this may be a factor.  Add that to the grind of trying to find at least 20 dedicated bodies of relatively similar skill level and goals, and someone to steer the boat, AND another person to shout at all those paddlers in races... it just feels like its getting harder and harder to keep a team together like that.  Its no surprise to me that so many mid-range (high end rec / lower comp) teams dropped out this year.  I'm sure many of us faced the same issues, possibly even last year; while i can't speak for those other teams, i know mine was one of the teams that went by the wayside and I can definitely say it was due to all of the above. 

What else? it could be a sign of the times.  Physical activity is the buzz word right now and there is a lot of health promotion from local and provincial governments... however, paddling is not exactly an easily accessible sport in the big scheme of things... it can be expensive, has a small selection of venues, is weather limited (except for the hardcores)... people are being fed imagery of all the great things they can do to be healthy and stay active, and paddling... may or may not be high on one's list of ways to accomplish this.

Add that to the $ squeeze.  Living in the lower mainland is expensive, we all know that.  I think most of us can relate to having to pick and choose where we spend our discretionary funds.  If one is stuck between choosing $240 for a paddling membership or $240 for some other activity which may be more easily accessed, the other activity is likely to win.  Most of us who use this forum probably can't relate to this as if you're on a dragonboat forum, you're likely a die-hard and would sell your first born to pay those fees.  But only a small portion of the paddling community is represented by this group.

I know for me personally i'm about to move to port coquitlam, and me making a trek the creek more than once or twice a week won't be feasible.  Of course there are paddle clubs closer, but then again, maybe that's where lots of people are ending up?  Perhaps the reason we don't see so many teams on the creek is that lots of paddlers have moved to the burbs and paddle with teams out there now?


spring has sprung, the grass is ris, I wonder where all the paddlers is???

It doesn't cost just $240 to dragonboat, depending on the team that would be the entry fee - I typically have paid $500.  Then you have your in town race costs and your out of town race costs.  Depending on how many races you enter you can be looking at a couple thousand dollars once you hit Calgary, Nanaimo, Victoria, Kelowna......

That kind of cuts into your normal vacation money - unless of course, you are wealthy.   Which I am not.

$240 is the cost of a full club membership at False Creek. If you want to participate in the men's training program (db or oc) and get coached by Kamini, it costs another $200. Throw in regatta and travel costs and it can add up.

yes yes, i'm very much aware dragonboating costs more than $240... TRUST ME, been there done that.  the point i was trying to make was that is about the cheapest way for one to get involved in paddlesport, whatever the discipline... and yet as i said when choices have to be made, perhaps more and more people are choosing to spend their dollars pursuing other passtimes

I made the decision to get involved in motor sports instead...   cause of course thats MUCH cheaper than paddling...  :roll: :?

Thanks for all the replies. If the sport has peaked, is the sport cyclical? What can the local community do to grow the sport other than the acquring more resources in the form of coaches, facilities,  and developing new talent? What made the sport grow in the past and can that be replicated?

happy paddling

HnK

To grow the sport, you need to make it easier for people to get into, especially kids, and you need to market it. This requires a level of organization I think is missing, at least around the creek.

I'm guessing there are roughly 100 teams paddling out of VOS (Pogue), FC, DBA, or DZ. Each of these teams operates like a mini club, doing its own recruiting and management. The "club" the team belongs to is really just a db rental facility. Wouldn't it be far more efficient to have the clubs do the recruiting and management instead of a each team?

Note that False Creek operates both as a DB rental facility and a "true club". The true club side has lasted for over 20 years. How many individual DB teams have similar longevity?

I don't think its reached THE peak, but it has reached A peak.  Like was mentioned before, in some of the more competitive teams, there have been a lot of really big races to train for in the past few years, and life just can not be put off forever.  I for one got burnt out after paddling every day (sometimes for as much as 4hrs/day) for 3 years.  I was able to participate in some awesome races in that time, but life was being put off.  As much as I'd liked to have been involved in the World Sprints this year in Sacramento, even if life hadn't taken a higher priority, I don't think I'd have it in me to go for a 4th year non-stop.  
Some of the guys I've talked to that are taking a break this year as well are saying the same thing: They've been training so hard for so long, they just want to relax and enjoy paddling for paddling for a bit.  Another common theme is attendance.  Its mentally draining when you show up to practice and only half the crew is there.  

I think that in a year or two, all the people taking a break will take another look at paddling again.  perhaps not at the same level as they were before, but probably take another look.  Some might decide to step it up a bit, others might decide that they want to be a little more recreational with it, and have more fun.  I don't see myself being away from the water for too long.  

Has the sport peaked? Yes.  Is it cyclical? Maybe.

I had written a long reply on why the sport is turning down but Brainiac summed it up well in a lot fewer words. I would add that sponsorships are diminishing, getting to and parking for practices at False Creek is tougher, some racing events are poorly managed turning many paddlers 'off', we are losing ambassadors as many of the original racing fraternity  (outrigger, marathon and kayak etc)that started FRCCC moved on to other things.

If we don't want to see our sport diminish further then then perhaps its time to organize, at a level beyond individual teams, clubs or festival organizations, to ensure promotion, accessibility, affordibility, induction of new (and younger) paddlers, quality racing venues etc etc.  Its time for more of us to get involved in this aspect....maybe a Vancouver Area Dragonboat Racing Society?

I agree that there needs to be more promotion to youth.  Its a GREAT social sport, a great way to meet new/more people, and to build current friendships.  I think someone (clubs, whoever) needs to promote paddle sports to highschools more.  And then within the schools, have more publicity.  I was only barely aware of dragonboating back in highschool.  Didn't know anything about k1 or c1 or oc1.  More awareness can only benefit the sport.

I believe you will be back before too long, but it might take a few days.

Damn, did somebody see me there the other day?  I hope they didn't see me huli.  haha  I couldn't stay away, but I'm not on any teams this year.