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Dragon Boat Canada


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Canoe Kayak Canada

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[sikamikanico]

I think Bernman has a valid argument. The boat that phat fish used in the final must have slowed a team down by at least 10 seconds. Zeus and vangroove probably didn't have to use that boat.. so they don't care.

[popcorn]

Bernman,

... and what were you doing (to help the situation) while Puppy volunteered his time to help fix the situation??????  By the sound of your message and others, it sounded like you were doing "nothing" to help except being busy criticizing and blaming others for lending a hand to fix the problem.

[ConfusedAsian]

The boat JDA use was extremely slimy could have slow them down 7sec
the outside lane SI had was more choppy could have slow them down 6sec
half the paddle from eye are blind I think that slow them down 10 sec

or how about swordfish racing 6 races that probably slow them down about 6 sec
not to mention E&C and redfusion paddling backward that probably slow them down alot too

All valid reasons, but next time talk to the race organizer about it. If the race is not up to your standard don't go to it (there is also richmond, vernon, kent all within a couple of weeks from each other to choose from). I've already consider not coming back to this venue next year (unless serious changes are made), or vote no when my team vote to go or not.

For someone to say something would have added 10sec to their race, well it's hard to say each races are different from each other, each race bring in new conditions and new factors. So please when you say a team should be 10sec faster than they should be consider the facts that every races are different.

[Siggy]

Puppy: Latest news I heard, around 10pm, about the CC's paddlers was that 2 were treated for minor injuries, and the person with the head injury was still hospitalized in serious condition. I don't know what the results of the CT scan were.

Manfred and the rest of the FV teams involved in the festival: You guys have always been a class act, and I hope you that you can take from the constructive criticisms from myself and others and use it to fix the issues that arouse from this year's races.

I for one would be more the happy to attend next year's Harrison Festival.

[blizzy]

My thoughts are that the organizers of the Harrison festival did not do enough risk mitigation.

1. Organizers did not have spare batteries for the radios, which caused at least one re-race.  The starter communicated the start of each race to the finish line tent via radio.  With the line of communication broken, there was no way for the finish line guys to accurately record times.  In fact, I would speculate that the reason why some good teams had very awful times (eg. 2:30ish) was because of human error and delay between the start call and the button pressing of the race recording software.  Add to the fact that advancement was based solely on TIMES and not PLACEMENT, it resulted in a non-sense semi-final race grid.  Times should never be used as the primary factor for advancement, given the effect of weather patterns, waves, wakes, and undertow currents.
2. There were also other issues with re-races.  I heard the first re-race was caused by someone forgetting to turn on the race computer??  Or crashing??  TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST ... BEFORE the event! 
3. There was no automation with devising the semi-final race grid.  You shouldn't have to manually crunch numbers yourself, since human error is a very real factor.  With a machine, you have 100% accurate results (assuming the algorithm is 100% correct) in a fraction of the time it would take to crunch numbers manually.

I know this sounds harsh, but if teams pay to participate at a festival, organizers should be responsible for ensuring that the event is run professionally.  With the Harrison festival, this was absolutely not the case... and especially when teams don't care about racing competitively anymore given the messed up race grids.  I wasn't around to see the comp finals, but I heard two teams raced backwards for their final race.

I have to disagree with enoki's comments:

"Before we complain about others, ask yourself... what did I do to make a difference yesterday? If you just bitch about the problems and do nothing, then you accept the situation.

How many experienced paddlers/coaches/team managers stepped forward yesterday to help with the scheduling nightmare? NONE"

As participants, we are entitled to "bitch".  We do not have festival/race organizing experience (like what you said, we're paddlers/coaches/team managers... not race organizers), so it's not in our place to give a helping hand.. in fact, if we all decided to go help out, we'd probably cause more issues.   The bitching goes a way into providing the organizers feedback for doing it right the next time.  That is, if they choose to listen to us.

[kryssee]

How many experienced paddlers/coaches/team managers stepped forward yesterday to help with the scheduling nightmare? NONE

Before the women's finals started, it was myself and our coach that pointed out to the officials that they had put Mana Wahine, Dragon Ladies, WOW and a team I can't remember the name of, into the Rec. B finals. The computer had figured out that the 4 fastest women's teams were the 4 slowest, so they seeded teams backwards. So, yes, there were many coaches/captains helping to refigure out the women's finals. I don't know about the mixed.

All in all, even though there were mistakes and unforseen problems and technical errors, hats off to all the volunteers who worked their buts off to try and get us on the water to race. And thank you for scaring away the rain! Well, until about 5pm anyhow! 

[Keen Man]

Puppy: Latest news I heard, around 10pm, about the CC's paddlers was that 2 were treated for minor injuries, and the person with the head injury was still hospitalized in serious condition. I don't know what the results of the CT scan were.

I just had it confirmed that the CC Rider paddler is ok and has been released from hospital today... in the end it was just a concussion.

I'm sure Columbia College (that's what CC stand's for) appreciate the concern shown by Puppy and all others in the DB community.

[Siggy]

Puppy: Latest news I heard, around 10pm, about the CC's paddlers was that 2 were treated for minor injuries, and the person with the head injury was still hospitalized in serious condition. I don't know what the results of the CT scan were.

I just had it confirmed that the CC Rider paddler is ok and has been released from hospital today... in the end it was just a concussion.

I'm sure Columbia College (that's what CC stand's for) appreciate the concern shown by Puppy and all others in the DB community.

Good to hear that he's OK.

[rtsdhvy]

I would like to thank all the race organizers and volunteers that were involved with the
Harrison Dragon Boat Festival.
You guys have the most picturesque race venue in the province IMHO.
I am sure that all of these posts have given the race organizers plenty of food for thought for next year, but I'm going to throw in my two cents worth anyway.
1) more reliable communication between the start and finish line.
2) perhaps an additional dock set-up to help in speedier loading and unloading
    of paddlers, something like Vernon or Kelowna.
3) perhaps part of the race commentators job could be to announce which teams are
    required at the marshalling area and which teams are currently being loaded onto
    boats etc. the only time i heard this kind of info was when puppy started making those
    announcements for the first 2 races after the lunch break. the PA was aimed right into
    the racers village so that kind of info would have been useful.
4) more volunteers so that shifts can be arranged to keep races running over lunch time.
My thanks to E&C for a most memorable comp.A consolation final!!  Cheers       

[~@ngel~]

Hopefully someone will remember to recharge the batteries for the radios next time!

[puppy]

At the end, BernMan and I agree, that the boats are not even and the lanes ar not even. Yes, in the semi final and final round, I did not place teams in the proper lanes due to time constraints.

I think what BernMan wanted was fair and equitable racing. I think that is what all of us want, anytime we race at any festival.

BernMan, thanks again for your feedback...we will always be friends.....

On to the next festival.....

[helan]

Wow, so much feedback.  I wasn't going to post on this regatta because our team wasn't racing but as many of us were out to support our Blue team I feel that I was a part of it (and did actually spare for several races on a team already registered).

I agree the day was a long one with many delays due to technical difficulties, re-races etc.  But...paddlers need to remember that this is only the 3rd year that the FVDC has run this event.  From what I've heard, the Harrison Village was not willing to accommodate a two day event - so one option (in my opinion) would be to cut off the registration at 25-30 teams or another would be, to hope that with all the volunteers and no glitches, the event could be run with more teams in a limited time frame.  Unfortunately, the best laid plans....!
Harrison is a wonderful place for an event such as this.  Even with rain threatening I saw paddlers playing volleyball, swimming in the Lagoon, eating ice-cream cones, wandering about the village looking for something special to take home...in other words, it was a holiday setting as well as being a dragon boat regatta.  The event was played over the radio for several weeks prior to the festival date, as well as being posted in the local newspapers - if one of our goals is to bring the sport of dragon boating to the forefront in our communities, it was a job well done.  One of my major concerns is that, we are a community in it's own right just as hockey, rugby, football etc is to many other athletes.  I know that many think that constructive criticism is okay, but some of these postings go beyond that.  I would like to turn the phrase 'constructive criticism' into 'constructive thought and suggestions'.  We may all learn from our mistakes, but positive input goes a heck of a long way further than 'verbal slamming' which is how some of these postings come across.  So many of the volunteers would rather have been paddling, but they gave it up to try and make this an enjoyable day for all the 'guests'.  As a guest, I felt that I was welcomed and that everywhere I turned I was seeing other 'paddling friend's' that I could only have met and appreciated through this sport.  This was not a major National or International Event - why not just take it as it was offered and admit, we do enjoy meeting up with each other, we do enjoy the competition (friendly of course), and so what...if the weather had been good, how many complaints would there have been - more chance to enjoy what is a regatta held in one of the more beautiful locations in the Valley.  Many teams use this venue as they do the other smaller ones, in order to prepare for other regattas.  We are a dragon boat community and in a sense a 'family', we need to behave as such and help each other out to the extent of our abilities.  After paddling for 7 years, I have yet to attend a regatta that does not have it's glitches or downfalls, it doesn't mean I'll boycott them, it just means that I'll be patient, enjoy what is offered and chalk it up to experience.  Regattas are similar to the water conditions, sometimes they're a bit choppy, sometimes too smooth to be believable, and sometimes it's the hidden variables that make them challenging.  I for one will attend Harrison next year (if I'm still paddling), either with my team or as a spare for another team.
Looking forward to seeing everyone at either Vernon, Victoria or Kelowna.
Thank you Fraser Valley Dragon Boat Club for putting on the event, I loved seeing you all and I do believe that under the circumstances you did an awesome job!!

[harshness]

We all knew from the get go that this would be like this when no one cared that they would be using Barney and his sister.When your running late from the first race on your in trouble I was surprised they never tried to get things back on schedule when thing were behind .I didn't know a one day festival meant 24 hours. Harrison has to be one of the best scenic venues I've seen around but when the racing is bad your going to get this. Who knows where the finish line is??? You come first in a heat you place third, you come last and you win the heat,your not in the heat and you win a medal what next. No ones complaing about the volunteers that spend tome own their own to help out I would be the first one to say Thank You!!! but you do have to listen to racers because their the one's on the front lines racing.Would you send troops to the front line with no bullets and say sorry no bullets they don't fly straight and think they have a chance to protect you.Their always going to be problems yes but when you have unfair equipment you can't expect someone not to complain.As long as you use the 6/16's the event will be what it is just fun.Teams will leave teams will come the 6/16's will go eventually and then the Gemini's next then what? All we ask as racers is that it's all fair for everyone. it's funny that the home team never complains about the boats when they never race in them, funny how that works.Over all I knew the Gong ShowII was going to happen but let it all go to have a fun weekend and I did, Never saw so many laughable results in my life but that's what everyone has to do.Laugh.

[mary rowles]

Yep there were problems, but many thanks to the volunteers who worked really hard and were still in good spirits at the end of the day.
The SaltSpring team had a good time--we would have had an even better time of course if we didn't have to sit around in the rain waiting and waiting and waiting, but that's dragon-boat racing. 

We thought the race marshalls were just a bit too tolerant of boats that veered off course and crowded into other lanes--maybe this was just our experience. Also, four races in the day!--seems too ambitious. And more effort is needed lining up back up just in case the race results and scheduling systems don't function

But we enjoyed the festival overall--and thanks for the medal. (we have no idea if we got it in Rec C or Rec B because of the end of day confusion, but  we like it. ) If the sun had been shining, and the temperature above 19 degrees the general crankiness level would probably have been down a few notches.

[BernMan]

Bernman,

... and what were you doing (to help the situation) while Puppy volunteered his time to help fix the situation??????  By the sound of your message and others, it sounded like you were doing "nothing" to help except being busy criticizing and blaming others for lending a hand to fix the problem.

Hey Popcorn. What did I do? Well actually since my crew was involved in the 2nd race of the day I noticed that the dock volunteers were bringing back the boats in numerical order. This of course takes quite a bit more time to get the boats to the docks, unload them, then load them back for the next heat. So I actually offered a suggestion which I believe they appreciated. I told them it did not matter where the boats were tied to the dock so long as the crew getting into them were the correct ones. If crew so and so were to be in lane 3 make sure they get into boat 3. That kind of stuff. But obviously there was more to the delays than just loading and unloading so I did try to help to a small degree.

As for my comments directed at Kerry, it did come out as a dig at him but to be honest it was supposed to be a sarcastic one. Kerry (aka Puppy) and I go back quite a few years. He and I have been avid ambassadors of the sport of dragon boat racing especially during the 1990's! He continued full speed ever since but I did not as life changed for me due to career and family obligations. But I am still involved a fair deal, just not as much as back in the 1990's. Anyway also the tone obviously did not come out as it was meant to be. Kerry and I have worked together for many years in DB racing. We are a part of a good race management crew. We are also very competitive as coaches and I continue to paddle as well. We both enjoy the competitive nature of the sport as well as the camaraderie that comes with it. I read each and every one of the previous posts and I have no issue with anything anyone said. I too am a big fan of Kerry because he never thinks twice about lending a hand. He even does it at other cities where the only people who know of him is us who also attend to those festivals too. But then those other city folks know of him as well because he shines right through and they will remember him.

Kerry and I have spoken since my original post and he did agree an error was made. In the end I just let out some steam and those that know me I usually only do that when I truly feel undone by something. The bottom line is it was a build up of the day's events culminating into the end that resulted and I just lost it! So I too made an error obviously because most of you took my comment to be a big slap in the face to Kerry but honestly it had sarcastic undertones to it. Its just that most of you probably never spoke with me before to realize it. Its just the words that I used that should have given that away but obviously it did not come across that way. That is the only negative I have when trying to say something in words rather than speaking them in person to someone. The tone sometimes gets missed. 

Puppy you have a lot of people who are obvious fans of yours and for good reason! Hell I am one too.