Dragon Boat West

Saturday Race Results and Sunday Placements (thanks Recoil!):
http://dragonboatbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/AlcanFestival2010-SundayGrid.pdf

Saturday Race Grid (June 18, 2010):
http://dragonboatbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/AlcanFestival2010-RaceGrid-V2.pdf

Wow... not as many teams as in the past.
Is that about 96 mixed teams?

I bet we will see many lower comp teams moving up the ladder...

Let the predictions begin!

there were only 95 mixed teams last year ... 1 heat of 7 and 11 heats of 8 teams ...this year ... 3 heats of 7 teams and 9 heats of 8 for 93 mixed teams

just curious...what is visiting team specialty race?  and what determines if you're eligible for it?

I dunno, but I would contact the race director/registrar for that 9th spot if you want it

This was the in an email from Leah Nagano.  It went out on 6/7.

Hi,

This year the Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival will be holding three additional races for teams that meet specific criteria:

- Visiting Team Race - open to teams from outside of the Lower Mainland area

- First Timers Race - open to teams entering the RTADBF for the first time

- Dragon Zone Teams Race - open to teams who practice out of the Dragon Zone venue

This is also a reminder that we are still taking registrations for the all of the age category races (39+, 49+ and 59+).

PLEASE NOTE:
1) Teams are limited to entering one of the additional races OR age category races.
2) These races will only run if a minimum number of teams is registered.
3) There is no cost for any of these races.
4) There are medals for the age category races, but not the additional races.

To register, please email me at [email protected]

Whoa... only 96? I remember one year we had around 240... how the times have changed.

I predict an epic fight between 2 giants.


[edit] nevermind, just noticed you meant 96 mixed teams. Still, wow.

Like do u mean IRON Giant? ;)

3

i predict 8 teams in the A finals  :wink:

Someone forgot about Ika.

It's going to be a tight top 4.

Forgot the Ika?  Don't forget the Ika!! One of my favourites, along with unagi, saba and toro.

From 2010 results I'm seeing, thus far, FCRCC and Dragonheart Team Magnum are the top contendars.

lolll


I'm sure Kai will also be one of the top contenders! ;)

It's going to be a fun weekend of racing. One year has past, but pretty much all the top contenders in each division are back for another year of racing. It'll be interesting to see how teams have grown within the last year and to see new faces in the competitive realm.  

JUST THREE MORE DAYS! RAAWWWRRRRR!

PS: I'm to actually shocked to see no predictions thrown down =P Where's good ol' Guido when you need him? I think we've seen him lurking around the creek again  :wink:

In no particular order:

Top 3:
FCRCC, DH Magnum and Kai Ikaika

Rest of the field for last 5 Comp A spots:
Dragon Warriors, Wasabi, DH Ultimate, Master of D'Zone, Pemberton, SI Black and LARD (just for good measure but maybe a long shot)

Most notable is Dragon Warriors being seeded so low as they are entirely capable of breaking into Comp A.

Edit: Error in bracket advancements.  Slowest 3rd in Heats 63, 65 and 67 are told to advance to Comp C finals when it should be Comp B finals.  Just a typo because the actual brackets have them listed correctly.

Where's your predictions?  Quit yapping and being friendly and tell the world what your brain is thinking.

My top 8.

1. Kai
2. FCRCC Mixed
3. Magnum (you guys better get this spot or better)
4. Masters
5. LARD Black (carrying on from strong 2009 Alcan and SF placing)
6. Ultimate
7. Pemberton (hoping they're bringing back some of the kids that graduated)
8. Houston / Abby / Dragon Warriors / Wasabi  .... basically one of the out of town teams

I'm pretty fixed on top 3.  Between 4 and 8 could be a toss-up.  What might be more interesting is the battle in Comp B/C/D.  There's a lot more depth in those divisions.

And of course, my predictions are in no way meant to jinx any teams.   :D

My predictions...

1 - FCRCC
2 - Kai Ikaika
3 - DH Magnum
4 - ABby Normal
5 - LARD Black
6 - Masters of D'Zone
7 - Pemberton (assuming they don't get penalized for wash riding, paddle movement before the start, etc...)
8 - DH Ultimate

Whats the scoop on Houston Heat and Abby Normal? I've only seen them at a handful of races and havent really known either of them to be an elite team (no offense). Have they had some recent notable performances that you guys are using to base your predictions? Just curious.

On either side of them is Eye of the Dragon, Absolut Sake, Phat Phish and Blu By U which historically are all comp teams. Not Comp A but B, C or D. So if Heat and ABby are decent then there's 3 comp teams in each of those heats and the placements will sort it out. That's what the seeding races do, separate comp from rec and into the hopefully right divisions.

There's 12 heats and 8 teams make it into Comp A so not every heat will have a Comp A team. But every heat should have 2 or 3 comp teams and it looks like they do.

I rated Abby Normal as Comp A material based on their placement at the GWN regatta last September.

It should be taken with a grain of salt though, it my understanding that the team is a "frankenstein" team that is put together from parts of many Florida teams.  The paddlers coming to Vancouver may be different than those that paddled in Toronto last year.

There looks to be some good visting teams in town for the weekend that I don't believe have paddled here before.  As well as Abby Normal, Houston Heat, Blew by U, and Ripple Effect Fast & Ripple Effect Furious could surprise as well.

Can't wait for a great weekend.

So this is not my predictions, but its a look at some of the tough competition coming up in Alcan ;)

Enjoy! lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBUROTjPat0

If the link to the race grid doesn't work for you anymore, that's because it's been revised!

http://dragonboatbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/RTADBF2010-RaceGrid-V1-5.pdf

WOW.. just wow... :shock: :shock: :shock:

I just woke up and was still drowsy so when I saw this I literally thought I was dreaming.  :eh:

HAHA. Awesome vid. Looking forward to racing you guys again!

Here's my prediction:  Awesomeness in the beer tent.  The SHOCKER v4.2 is heading west and will be present Sunday!

awesome vid! hahaha dance-off on the docks!!  :P

haha thanks guys  :D
Just remember to dust off those dance moves coz you never know when a magnum paddler is going to come up to you and say "Hey you! rematch!" lol

Are any of the Calgary people racing?  I don't see CRC on the race list  ...  unless you're only racing in the beer garden.   :D

And the video would be so much better if Ms. LARD gave Mr. Magnum a lap dance.    :shock:

I happen to have two Calgarians staying with me this weekend but they are paddling with LARD, another one of their teamates is paddling with FCRCC. Don't believe their crew is coming as a team but there will be a few of them lurking around this weekend.

Not sure if the bong is going to make an appearance, we can only hope.

LOL, thats a diff type of video altogether haha

I have visual confirmation that the bong is in Vancouver and ready for Alcan. Check with SI Black and LARD for its location for sampling. Ask for Bruce, Sharon or Casey (go Magic Dragons!!!).

Haha!!  Glad you are excited!  It's only coming out Sunday though, and if done right that should be enough!

Just testing for leaks :lol:

Saw this today on the internet and thought I'd post it. 
............................

Jun 18, 2010 21:00 ETGovernment of Canada Invests in Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - June 18, 2010) - The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, today announced funding for the Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Society.

This funding will support the 22nd annual Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival, which will take place on June 19 and 20, 2010. This event is free to the public and features boat races and diverse cultural entertainment. Planned activities include cooking demonstrations, live multicultural music and dance by a variety of artists, diverse children's entertainment, and a marketplace.

"Our Government is proud to partner with organizations to support activities that celebrate local arts and heritage, while strengthening community ties," said Minister Moore. "This event—as much a celebration of the arts as of athleticism—contributes to the vitality of the region's culture and economy."

"We are grateful to Canadian Heritage for its continued support of our multicultural, sporting, and community event featuring dragon boating," said Jas Kalsi, Chair of the Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Society. "Support from the Government of Canada will ensure that the annual Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival and its year-round activities will remain a permanent part of the Vancouver lifestyle and create a legacy for all to enjoy."

Last year's Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival attracted more than 90,000 people, and more than 180 dragon boat teams from across the Lower Mainland and around the world took part. Boat racers covered a broad spectrum of athletic skill levels, from amateur to professional, and age groups from junior to senior.

The Government of Canada has provided funding of $78,000 through the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage program of the Department of Canadian Heritage. This program provides Canadians with more opportunities to take part in activities that present local arts and culture and celebrate local history and heritage.

This news release is available on the Internet at www.canadianheritage.gc.caunder Newsroom.

Alright boys and girls, the Sunday race grid is out. Shall be a good day tomorrow!

http://dragonboatbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/AlcanFestival2010-SundayGrid.pdf

Based on the race grid, I predict the 8 teams in Comp. A will be (in no particular order).

Pemberton Bald Eagles
LARD
Masters of D'Zone
Sudden Impact Black
False Creek HP
Kai Ikaika
Dragon Hearts Magnum
Dragon Hearts Ultimate

I'm sticking with my top 3.  For the remainder, Pemberton, Lotus and Ultimate look pretty strong.  

1. Kai
2. FCRCC
3. Magnum
4. Pemberton
5. Ultimate
6. Lotus Mixed
7. LARD
8. Masters

Looking forward to some huge upsets tomorrow!   :shock:

Here are a few of my photos from this Saturday.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4715914333_6ca9ea0969.jpg)

FCRCC Mixed race ahead to win Race 8.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Paddlers on Dragon Hearts Magnum celebrate after crossing the finish line first in today's Mixed Division Qualifiers, Race 9.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Absolut Sake nearly avoids a collision after holding the boat just after crossing the finish line in Race 13.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Dragon Hearts Ultimate power through to the finish line to come in first place in Race 15.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Lotus Mixed fends off other teams to finish second for Race 17.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Gung Haggis Fat Choy, Swordfish, "EDBRC - Got Pho?" inch up to the start line, focused and ready to hammer down at the first sound of the starting horn for Race 31.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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A team races ahead to finish in Race 31.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Ducks out for a wander in False Creek, curiously looking onward of the dragon boat races occurring around them.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Team Metro Vancouver's 44 Cheeks take a break after a brief warmup to get ready for Race 33.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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More boats paddle up to the starting area for Race 33.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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The caller for CC Riders making calls to her team in a warmup in preparation for Race 33.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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A caller looks onward while approaching the start line for Race 34.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Everyone that has paddled at the Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival over the many years is quite familiar with her voice. She calls out to those racing in Race 34 to approach the start line in this photo.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Teams line up, anxious to start Race 34.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Race officials look onward at teams paddling their hearts out to the finish line.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Spectators sitting on rocks at the Plaza of Nations look onward at teams taking part in Race 41. This shot was taken at about the 150m mark of the race course.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4715933605_d755239b50.jpg)

Teams look for their number at the dock to determine where they should park their dragon boat for disembarkation.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


Be sure to hit up my FB fan page if you like my photos.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frederick-Lin-Photography/94119499175

Cheers!

Decided to google "alcan dragon boat" on a sunday afternoon and I got this link that looked relatively new:

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/2010/06/20/14457351.html

Voila!  They actually had some prelim results on a pdf.  Now that's up to date news!

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/2010/06/20/DragonBoat2010_Results.pdf

Congratulations to all teams participating in the Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival.

Full results are available for viewing.

Alcan 2010 Final Results (http://dragonboatbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/AlcanFestival2010-Results.pdf)

Still slightly euphoric from yesterday's awesome racing, I'd like to shout out to the organizers for another well-run festival! Just about everything went smoothly.

Congratulation to FCRCC for taking it all in Mixed! You guys just keep on powering through years after years! I'd also like to shout out to the other teams in the finals for their determined effort.

I'm very proud of the U23 team for taking a bronze medal in Open division, showing that they can stay with the big guys and medalling by just 0.02 of a second! :D

Visit False Creek at 6:45 tomorrow. I heard Magnum is picking up two new female paddlers who are real lookers. :)

A HUGE!!!!  applause to Greg and his team.  The festival was run well and the changes made were nice.   The medals are OUTSTANDING!!!!  and the hand carved mini paddles that the Gut's and Glory winner's received was a nice added touch.  Way to "upgrade" the festival.   Looking forward to next year.

Is it not time now, finally, to retire the Geminis?

There must be 16 BuKs in the Lower Mainland.

Let me start this off with the paddleboy caveat... What I say is not representative of the teams or organizations I belong to and these are only my opinions and no one else's.

The weather wasn't all that bad. Sunny on Saturday and cloudy on Sunday. It was good that the weathermen were wrong since they were calling for rain on Sunday earlier in the week.

I can't say much about the festival since I usually don't really have time to see much of it. I did hear that BC Ferries was there doing free ferry fare giveaways on the hour. Not sure if that's true or not. Were there any good freebies like last year's Powerades or the Gillette shavers from several years ago?

There wasn't anything different from previous years for Racer's Village. It would be nice if it was closer to the marshaling area and not have to trek through the festival grounds. On the other hand, it does add to the festivities to see teams parade through the crowds. Security could have been better at Racer's Village since there were times that the rear gate was left unattended. It also doesn't help when paddlers open the fence instead of going around.

The races themselves were pretty much on schedule... plus/minus 10 minutes. It's great to see so many out of town teams during the festival and hope to see them and more again next year. For a traveling team made up of paddlers from around Tampa and Miami, ABby Normal showed us that there's some great paddlers in Florida, making it into Comp A Mixed. Maybe we should send a team down there next year to return the favor.  :D

Women were dominated by FCRCC Women as usual. Other than Pemberton Bald Eagles, they didn't have much competition.

Laoyam Eagles win the Junior Division again for the 12th year in a row. Eric Hamber came back from a disappointing 5th placement last year to come back with a silver.

In terms of this year's predictions, I think paddlecwazy beats both Garbage Miles and Recoil since 7/8 of his predicted teams made it to the Final8, compared to Recoil's 6/8 and Garbage Miles changing his predictions after Saturday's races... even though everyone's order was pretty wrong. As strange as it is to say... It's good to see FCRCC Mixed win gold again since they had lost a large contingent of their men after last year. Many of us weren't expecting them to defend their title against Kai. Throw in a stunning performance by Magnum and you had one of the best races of the day.

I really feel for the steers person of EDBRC - Got Pho? from Edmonton. It's a thankless job even during the best races... In Race 83, the Comp D Championship, EDBRC - Got Pho? pulled a great performance but finished in the wrong lane and was assessed a 2 second penalty. Unfortunately this bumped them from 1st to 6th. Hopefully the team just chalks it up to racing and leaves it at that. Even though it had it had a disappointing moment, Race 83 was also my "Race of the Festival" since it had one of the closest finishes I've ever seen. In this race you had Riptide, Team Vortex, Eye of the Dragon and Ripple Effect Fast come across the finish line 0.36 seconds apart. Then almost one second later Wasabi Grand Masters, Dragon Hearts Beat and RGL United come across the line 0.44 seconds apart.

The Paddler's Party was ok... doesn't compare to those of the past, but at least there is one again. It was good to see Calgary represented, even though only in the Beer Garden.

Great racing everyone!

i thought it was a great festival. probably the first rio tinto i've enjoyed in a very long time.  the weather was perfect (maybe just a tad bit cold on sunday) and the races were run very smoothly. i was very  impressed with the great sportsmanship from a lot of the teams. twice we got off the water and had other teams waiting in a procession to high five and congratulate  the racers. i actually got choked up b/c i felt so much love in the air. haha...

my only 'complaint' is that there was no plaque, bookmark, NOTHING for the dragonzone teams race winners. were we the only ones who got nada or are there other races like this too? we were joking that even a dollar store ribbon and a little recognition would have been nice....esp since our team started off with dragonzone and stuck with them for over 10 years. we went  from a rec E or F (whatever the lowest division was in 1999) to finishing in comp B this year. if we aren't the 'perfect poster kids' for dragonzone, i don't know who is! i think we deserve a little something, don't you?  :lol:

I completely agree. FCRCC has already promoted their community centre. DZ can't just stop at simply naming an Alcan race after its facilities. Rewarding prizes -> creates an incentive for the competitors to try hard -> faster races -> better promotion of DZ.

Any pics or videos of the comp finals & guts and glory? anyone? bueller?

Thanks to the Organizers for a great run weekend.  The medals are very nice and the mini paddle was a nice touch. We were aiming for Comp A finals but with over 8 new paddlers, a new steers, and aid from Casey (he of beer bong and CRC fame) our team did a fantastic job and we're only going to get stronger. 

Of those 8 new faces 5 just started paddling 5 months ago! 4 more have less than 1 years experience. 

Very Proud of SI Black and Silver this weekend.

To the Comp A and Comp B teams great job this weekend.  FCRCC your finish in the finals was awesome. Good job Magnum and Kia. 

Too busy running around this year but I was able to take some photos of the mixed G&G race.  These were taken at the first turn.

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 Someone say " Paddleboy "  :shock:

 From my years as a team member on the crew ( I took this yr off ) I can honestly say the FCRCC women are what make this team ...those women rock and over the last few years have been a huge part of why the team has had huge success .

 Just look at their womens time ,it says it all .....

LARD had such a blast this year!  Thanks to all the organizers and the Canadian (and non Canadian) paddlers that helped round out our rosters. 

The Shocker rules.

Much thanks to the Race organizers and the army of volunteers for another great race.  DW had a great time!  We also had a blast teaming up with AbbyNormal in the Gender races.  See you next year (or sooner for those of you heading down to San Francisco).

Hans

Sunday Pictures!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fredericklin/sets/72157624189381975/

I'll be announcing wallpapers of some of the final race finishes on my FB page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frederick-Lin-Photography/94119499175) and twitter (@fredericklin). If you're interested in getting them, be sure to follow one or the other.

(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1136/4722719015_defb9b10f1.jpg)

FCRCC Women finish with a commanding lead in the Women's Division Semi-Finals. Race 49.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Lotus Juniors finish third in Race 52. Junior Division C/D Semi Final 1.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Eric Hamber Eternal Dragons finish their semi final race with a dominating 9 second lead to take first in Race 53. Super Strokin' Dragonflies is in the background.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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MT Promises aren't so empty after all? They celebrate after finishing first in Race 57.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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BC Hydro Dragons rest up before approaching the start line for Race 61.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Banana Fusion powers through the start to take an early lead in Race 61. Houston Heat Dragon Boat Club trails in Boat 6. Foreground is Dragon Zone Dragon Fire.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Houston Heat Dragon Boat Club paddles hard with the race pack off the start. Foreground is Dragon Zone Dragon Fire.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Mental toughness is so important when competing in a dragon boat race. With numerous distractions around you, staying focused can be tough. The caller for Vancity Thunder tries her best to command her boat amidst a sea of chaos. Race 62.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Crowds gather at the docks of the Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival to watch the Eye of the Dragon win Race 62. This team is absolutely amazing in that they overcome blindness to compete in this sport.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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It's a crazy finish. Hot Sake's caller beats down on the drum to ensure all paddlers are in sync for the last 100 meters of the race. Race 65. Other boats that are identifiable in this photo are Absolut Sake (Boat 7) and Pemberton Bald Eagles (Boat 5).
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Lotus Mixed rest for only a moment after paddling away from the festival docks. They're in Race 67.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Teams warming up for Race 67 look on to Race 66. RGL United, with vertical paddles in the water, is ready for the start of their race.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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The caller for Ripple Effect Fast pushes the paddlers of her boat to sustain a strong finish. They come first in Race 66. Boat 2 is PwC Paddlers.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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You're bound to get wet when you're out racing in dragon boats. Lotus Mixed start one of many repetitions of synchronized paddling. Race 67.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


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Almost done! OWLS Dragonflies paddle their hearts out to finish Race 69.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1419/4723165079_8e76d6ba72.jpg)

FCRCC Women's caller look onward to the starting referee while paddlers are focused, ready to race in the Women's Division Rio Tinto Alcan Competitive A Championship Race. Race 70.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1402/4723150071_95b6a6de58.jpg)

FRCC Women's steers stares down her race lane to plot a straight path to the finish line. The crowd stares back, anticipating the start of an exciting race. Race 70.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1366/4723162511_14232057aa.jpg)

After placing first in the Heritage Education D Championship, the West End Youth paddle back exhausted but proud of what they accomplished today. Race 71.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1021/4723837522_c05b23c55a.jpg)

The Galileo Celestial Dragons compete in a tight Junior Division Rogers A Championship. Laoyam Eagles (Boat 4) leads ahead of the pack to finish first. Foreground is PW Hornets. Race 74.
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.


(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1105/4723199265_68c69d9667.jpg)

I'm glad there are boat numbers. Without them, I wouldn't be able to identify a good number of teams in these photos. Boat 7, Kwantlen Student Association. Boat 8, Ledcor. Race 76. :)
© Frederick Lin. All rights reserved.

Amazing as always, Blizz.

Great Job Everyone!  Let's do it again soon!

Guts & Glory Race Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70PwXDi5dIs

Thank you Brian Boatman for making the video.

That's one of the best videos ever.


Lifescan, you're a great team. Congrats on winning the DZ race.

Love how you surged between the two boats.  Dangit, you're making me miss paddling!

Thank you, Amanda!

looks like LARD that hit you, they didn't seem pleased

Hmm, If anyone bothered to check the presentation schedule the would have seen the time for that there were awards for the medalists in that division.. :?
The Race Registar will be contacting teams so they can collect their Swag at where else.. The DZ trailer later this week

Nice Pics Blizzy and Superduper
The Lethal Weapon is temporarily retired and too tired until after Nationals (I may bring the big boy up to Whistler if its fixed by then... :( ) to take some pics
I managed to take 20 photos all weekend....so sad
Here are some of the Women's GG and one of a bird (my latest hobby)


(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/Lethal_Weapon/alcan20108.jpg)
Its nice to be recognized....
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/Lethal_Weapon/alcan20107.jpg)
Turn action
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/Lethal_Weapon/alcan20106.jpg)
Abby Normal Steers, I wonder where his Videos are?
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/Lethal_Weapon/alcan20105.jpg)
What ball?....
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/Lethal_Weapon/alcan20104.jpg)
Hmmm, So which one is the fuel line for the engine
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/Lethal_Weapon/alcan20102.jpg)
They start them Young in Pemberton, Great job!
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/Lethal_Weapon/alcan20101.jpg)
Blue Heron under the stands..i could not resist

Lethal, I was surprised to not see you shoot as much as you usually do! :(

Great pics as always Lethal Weapon and Blizzy/Frederick. As paddlers we don't get to see get to see what everyone else sees but through your eyes and lens, so it's much appreciated that you're willing to put your time and effort into being there. Thank you.

Thanks to everyone involved with running the weekend.

Congrats to everyone, but especially to the teams that I know most even if you don't know me. Congrats to ultimate who made amazing use of their training time and managed to do almost what magnum did last year, and did it with what looks like much less effort.

Congrats to Masters who pulled it back in the final, I'm always astonished (last year sometimes annoyed! :) ) by how they'd always come back and kick us in the ass when we thought we'd have a chance :) There's no such thing as overestimating them...

Congrats to Kai Ikaika for winning Guts and Glory and being one of the main two teams we were worried about before the weekend ever started. I can only speak for myself, but I'm still scared of you guys. You're monsters to me, giants, and I hope I have the pleasure of racing you again over the next few years.

And finally congrats to FCRCC for taking the Comp A final by exactly 2 seconds over us. I don't think anything more needs to be said about that. The race said it all....

For once, I'll have to agree with Paddlebaby.   :shock:  Not that I like to agree with him, but his comment makes sense.  FCRCC women did dominate the field in both the womens and the womens G&G.  

Regarding my predictions, well, that's exactly what they were, and I was wrong.  I didn't think FCRCC could do it, but they proved me wrong.  There's something about those red jerseys that really elevates their paddling to another level.    :D

It's good to see Magnum take 2nd spot.  You did one better than I had anticipated.  

Although Kai dropped to 3rd, they still killed it in the Open final and the G&G.  It looked like they were just 1 second short of passing Lifescan in the G&G, which would mean they would have passed 12 teams that started ahead of them.  Very nice video as well.  I'd like to see LARD's version of events as you overtook them.   :D

The most surprising result of the weekend was the Masters team edging out Ultimate.  All season, Ultimate was faster.  I guess Masters have a bag of tricks that they only pull out for the final race.

Best race to watch.  It had to be Competitive D.  8 teams crossing the finish line at nearly the same time.  Now that is racing.

Thank you Lethal, superduper and blizzy for posting the pics.  I hope others have more photos and videos to share.   Anything happen in the beer garden?  

Is Magnum U23?  Which paddlers were on the U23 team for the Open?

About half a boat's worth of Magnum paddles for U23 as well, yours truly included. The other half of the boat's loaded with Eric Hamber, RaceFace, and Red Fusion paddlers.

I actually feel that there should be two dragonzone races.  One for more competitive teams who practice 2 or more times a week and one for teams that practice once a week or less.  As a paddler on a mid rec team, I felt that two races per day just was not enough.  More chances at hardware would be great.  It was disappointing for us that for two years in a row we did not get to compete in a championship race despite making some improvements from the prior year whereas entry level and competitive teams are pretty much guaranteed a race for the medals.  Tanking races just to get into a lower level is not an option for our team (and never will be).

That said, the festival was well run as always.  Kudos to all the volunteers that made the weekend a great success.  Weather was great for paddling.  The comradarie amongst fellow paddlers was evident throughout the whole weekend, the very thing that keeps me coming back every year.

 :) How many years have you suffered Fisherguy? It's been 14 years for me and I have medalled twice at Alcan. I'm all for more medals but it's always a crapshoot as to which division you end up in anyway, unless you are FCRCC and then you are almost guaranteed to end up in Comp A. But increasing the number of medals dilutes the value of the competitiion. That's why I think a medal at Alcan is the most coveted around and has annually attracted so many visiting teams: it has the highest level of competition, and medals (which I thought looked awesome BTW) are really hard to come by because you have to good AND end up in the right division.

I do feel, however, that the higher divisions SHOULD have better chances competing in a championship race because they have invested the most in the sport. The fact that the same medals are awarded for all divisions is somewhat puzzling because the winners of Comp A put in water time almost 7 days a week + dry land training, whereas a Rec team put in 2 practices or less a week. My team competed was in the Comp B division at RTA and did not win anything and I must admit I felt some feelings of inequity and jealousy that Rec teams were sporting medals whereas my team which put in a lot more time had nothing to show for the weekend. BTW...4 races for the weekend is pretty good - I remember back in the day when if you didn't qualify for a final, you went home early on Sunday with only 3 total races.

I think you raise good questions as to whether a team races their utmost and ends up where they end up, or races strategically to place them in position to medal. A question I think that can only be answered in the deepest, darkest corners because it brings up the other question of sandbagging. Although the feeling of disappointment sucks, it fuels the fire to be better next year, or better yet at the next festival. I know how you feel because I'm sure all you want, like myself, is to have a CHANCE at winning something.

Good luck at future festivals, and good racing!

Coming soon...

I believe there were 2 dedicated cameras on shore and 4 head cams in the boat...

This was my 6th festival, 2nd with my current team.  I've never even had a chance to race in a championship final let alone win any medals.  I realize that there are many who have suffered way longer than I have so I don't feel too bad about it.  I just think its a bit disappointing to go all out and finish 3rd or 4th in your Sunday morning race only to be satisfied with a consolation race in the afternoon while teams that you know are competitive with you, are 8 seconds slower just to make to the C medal race.  Look at the gap between 4th and 5th in a few of the Sunday races and its enough to make you go hmm..).  I do agree with you that Comp teams do deserve the best chance to compete in championship races

Don't get me wrong, I'm not bitter or mad about it.  I had a lot of fun just being part of the whole weekend.  They added more specialty races to accomodate 49+ and 59+ and first timers but maybe they can add a couple more to accomodate paddlers like me who are stuck where they are.

My Rec B team medaled, and so did my Comp A team. The look of the medal was the same, except for maybe the color. When I look at them and hold them, I feel different about both of them. On one hand I put in hours and hours of h2o/land training for myself. On the other hand I put in hours and hours of planning, managing, coaching. Both of these teams worked their butts off in their own way to get to where they were, neither one did more or less than the other.

Everything is relative - I finish a Comp A final and I am ready to black out. We continue panting for minutes after we cross the line. I tap my teammates around me and say good job. They do the same. My teammate beside me says "I was with you the whole time" and I say it back.
I'm on the drum for the Rec B final and we just finish 2nd. First Alcan ever. I look at my paddlers and they are soaking wet, too tired to move, muscles seizing, and confused as to what just happened. I say good job... and they nod in approval. Thanks, coach.

Both of those moments felt like Gold to me.

I don't care how long I wait for a medal, because medals are just happy fringe benefits of the real experiences of racing. Sure, I have a medal or two, but what I really take home is the fact that I raced with the most awesome people in the world and we just went through a whirlwind of pain together for the love of the sport.

Well said 'manda.

As all above have stated, the weekend of racing was great, well run, agreeable weather, good beer, and most important of all lot's of great people to paddle with & against.

It was great to see all the out of town teams come in compete hard and make the difference between a good festival of racing and a great festival of racing.

Well done to the organisers for moving Lightwave, one of the out of town teams, up into the Rec B division, even though their DNF on Saturday morning meant they were instantly relegated to Rec D/E.

As for medals, they looked awesome (from afar  :( ) but apart from the Comp A medalists the likelihood of winning one is pretty random, so I'm never overly concerned if I win one or not.  Its far more important to measure your teams success relative to the teams you consider your peers or teams that you've historically been chasing at other regattas.

Though I wouldn't say no to a medal for the best predictor of Alcan results :)

PS

The above comment, "the likelihood of winning one is pretty random" is not meant to detract from the efforts of the medalists in Comp B and below, it's just a reflection of the closeness of so many of the teams competing.  If the regatta were to be rerun again and again, the top 3 in Comp A probably wouldn't change, though the order might, however it's highly likely that the makeup of the rest of the teams in the A final and other finals would.  There's pretty much nothing separating SI Black and LARD Black with the 4th - 8th in the Comp A.  Likewise, there's only a second or two separating the 20 or so teams from the middle of Comp B to the bottom of Comp D.  This parity is what makes the racing at RTADBF so much fun and intense.  Getting the chance to race down the course with boats either side of you, pushing you, then crossing the line at seemingly the same time as all the boats in your semi and/or final is why I train and race. The experience and memories are worth way more than a medal.

this was my first year dragon boating and my first ALCAN festival. it was an amazing experience. My team, KSA (placed 4th BC Hydro final) didnt have a full roster(both days) and what made it better was that the whole dragon boat community was kind enough to paddle for us, as I also returned the favor for both teams. Thanks to Dragon Zone Dragon Fire and Water Striders.  We wouldn't have been able to race any of our races without them. i very much enjoyed paddling with them.

oh and i forgot to thank the few paddlers from Eric Hamber who helped us out at the final... mad love for the DB community..

I hear yah manda.  I was very proud at what our team accomplished.  We gave it everything we had in each of our 4 races.

Actually I was mistaken, I did race in a championship final once.  Way back in 1990 I was on a men's division team (sponsored by my Dad's company).  There weren't many teams back then so everyone made it to the finals.  It was funny how out classed we were competing with the likes of the Blazing paddles and Lotus.  The only team we managed to beat was Team Success (I wonder what happened to them?) The race started out at the Cambie Bridge (650 meters) and we were still racing in Teak boats.  The winning team got to compete in Hong Kong, paid for by Cathay I believe.  It was only for one year but the memories will last a lifetime.

Sorry, didn't mean to go off topic.

i had tears in my eyes reading this. this is sooooo true. thanks for putting things into perspective. as for my original post about feeling a bit gypped about not getting anything for winning a specialty race, i was told that our team will be getting something from the organization--not sure what it will be.  i certainly don't expect a medal as i do feel they should be reserved for the races that involve qualifying via the regular routes (eg. semi finals, finals). however, i still wish we had been given a chance to stand on the podium after this win as we raced hard but apparently, they only decided to add these races on at the last moment, well after the order for the awards went in. perhaps next year a few changes can be made so that every team that places 1st in something can have their moment of glory in front of their cheering friends and family.

all in all, i have to say, RT was awesome! thank you organizers, volunteers, cheering fans...but most importantly thank you to my team (lifescan) for working your butts off the entire weekend; i love the sport as much as do b/c of you.

well said SkyGal

your team did great!
and you show great sportsmanship

our team did great too, and are winners in mine and my coaches eyes.
we paddled thru and together _ thats what counts.
unfortunately, someone(s) tried to bring us down, but it didnt work!!

medals and awarded, glory is earned
-but sportsmanship and pride for oneself (and team) is cultivated together as a team, and no one can take that away.

kudos Lifescan

from your fellow DB team
the Rogers Rebels

What was the purpose of the visitors race? This year 8eight teams signed up and all but two team dropped out. Absolut Sake (my team) and What the Pho? had a good time racing but it was a lark race. There was lotsa talking and joking in  boat prior to the race so it was a good tension reliever before the Comp series.

The race organizers need to make something out of this race (trophy, prize money, medal) so it is not an after thought race.

Senna

Kai was signed up for the visitors cup race and participated last year but decided not to race because of a variety of factors.  It did not help that the race was the first thing in the morning...

Another good thing happened at Rio Tinto this year: The Senior's Cup returned home after an absence of four years.

FC Grandragons (59+) beat out Wasabi Grand Masters in a very close race.

Here is a video of the race

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B7AxnsRzjo

The purpose of the Visitor's race is to give the visiting teams more races so that they will be tired for their final race.  If the visiting teams are tired, then local teams will have a higher probability of winning.  It's a bit of a conspiracy.  The San Francisco festival does the same, but Canadian teams always find a way to win.   :D

As the captain and a paddler of Dragon Hearts Beat team in Alcan, I feel very proud having raced the best race in my 3 years of paddling. We set our goal to be in Comp division (whichever will it be). However we ended up in REC A/ COMP D Semi Final – same as last year’s. Though a bit disappointed, the team didn’t falter, we gave it all in the semi final and managed to go in COMP D final against teams much stronger than us. Again, we had faith in ourselves, in our team mates, and had fun. We tried our best and we raced the best race ever. All boats within 1.5 seconds difference …. Wow. The coach who was watching from the side line couldn’t tell who won. The steerer said, he had to close his mouth all the time due to the intense atmosphere. The paddlers, they are just dead exhausted but content. I can tell from my team mates’ faces. This is the best race we have ever given in this Alcan and we gave it all from the start to finish. Though no bling no regret whatsoever. Racing the best race, against the best of the best, adrenaline pumping, this is the true joy of dragon boating.

Thanks to RGL united who reciprocate our singing “everybody” by backstreet boys.

Make the Visitor's Race a 200m race and I guarantee you will get more participation.  :)

And not first thing in the morning... had some grumbling about that when I told them about it especially when other teams started to drop out... we were the ones to race with you guys Absolut Sake from Got Pho? Hehehe... it was a fun race!

I feel compelled to get in on the dragon boat love fest band wagon.  Even though I have no clue who most of you are, we are all bonded by the love of this sport.  I thank you for all your stories of motivation.  As an 11-year paddler, it’s incredible to hear how others motivate themselves and what keeps them coming back year after year.  To one, it’s the elusive search for medals.  To another, it’s gunning for a higher division than the previous year and yet to another, it’s just about having the best race possible and leaving it all out on the water, no matter what the result.  Regardless of the reasons, we all know that the sport of dragon boat is something truly amazing and special and those that participate breed a culture of inspiration and sportsmanship.  This thread proves it undeniably. 

On an individual level, dragon boat allows an average joe/jane (or in my case, a portly, un-athletic klutz) to experience the exhilaration of competition and triumph in sport (whatever your definition of triumph is).  I’m not sure any other sport would allow someone like me this incredible honour.  2 days a week and a few weekends a year, I get to call myself a competitive athlete.  I put on my uniform and instantly feel the windmills under my arms turning to unstoppable muscle.  I carry my paddle proudly like a badge of honour.  I put on my black gloves at the marshalling area and suddenly I’m ready for business.  I love these little things about dragonboating.  Unfortunately, then I put on one of the wet Dzone lifejackets and a waft of musty air and B.O. brings me back to reality but only for a few brief seconds and then I pull it together again.  I have a 2 minute-something job to do.

On a team level, there’s an undeniable crazy glue-like bond that forms when 22 people come together in mind and stroke for one common goal, a bond strengthened by the knowledge that each and every paddler, drummer and steersperson contributes to the success or failure of a race and that YOU do not want to be in any way, shape or form potentially responsible for the devastation your team would feel if they landed on the wrong side of a .001 second photo finish and ended up in a Consulation race instead of a Final race.  That is the epitome of TEAM WORK.

What I am most proud of is the culture of sportsmanship.  What happens on the water stays on the water.  The beer garden heals all wounds. We embrace all paddlers, evidenced by the fact that we are one of the few team sports to attract as many inspirational teams as we have.  Just look at teams like the Grand Dragons, Eye of the Dragon, Gift of Life, the Abreast in a Boat teams.  It’s an impressive and growing list.   My deepest respect and hats off to all members of the aforementioned teams.

To me the Rio Tinto Festival is the pinnacle of my dragon boat season.  A phenomenal job was done this year, especially in keeping all the races on track.  Pat yourselves on the back for a job super duper well done.  Ditto to all paddlers and teams and especially to our past and present nemeses: Grand Dragons, TD Lightning, Ready Jet Go, Eye of the Dragon, RGL, Starbucks, Riptide, Anniemaniacs, VO2Max and more.  You might not know us but we’ve been watching you all so next we meet, you better bring it cuz we will!  Year 1, Team Lifescan – 150ish place, Rec F.  Year 12, Team LifeScan – 16th place, Comp B.  Year 24 – beat FCRCC???  Who knows.  Stick around to find out.  You know we will!     

It was a fun race. You guys did a great job for just starting to practice in May. Go back and kick ass in Edmonton.


Senna

wow..didnt have time to read the last 10-15 posts at work haha

here's a link I was sent:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn8t-_XRqnk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJjlYqoDcxw

gave me goosebumps when i watched it lol

now if only LARD's famous guts and glory vid would be posted already! ;)

the video would just consist of us getting passed by every boat :P

#8 in geminis puts us in a tough spot with all the buks chasing us! :(

so then maybe next year you guys should aim to finish 8th in comp B. haha...  :P

we were boat 2 (gemini) so most of us had no clue that there was all this action going on behind us until we watched the videos.