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Dragon Boat Canada


IDBF


Canoe Kayak Canada

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[Backward Rowing]

Hey, I replaced the crappy camera with another crappy camera.  But enjoy the pix from Saturday.


Salt Spring Dragon Boat Club versus Riptide


Salt Spring Dragon Boat Club


Ready, Jet, GO!


Ampco Grafix False Creek Mixed


Naluwan


Scaly Justice


Race Face

[Colossus]

are there rules about what kind of paddles you're allowed to use in the flag catching boats?

[Backward Rowing]

Blame it on the colour-blind Flag Catcher (by coming in last in a flag catching heat due to non-numbered flags) - Ampco Grafix False Creek Mixed


Catching peanuts is easier than catching flags - Elephant & Castle Booze Cruise


You have been shunned from the cult, Backward Rowing - Gung Haggis Fat Choy


Drinking is much easier than paddling - Splash Test Dragons


What!?! Two pieces of ID? - Synergy Rice Rockets


Where's the beer bong? We left it in Calgary? - Draco Stealth


My kind of fluid motion. - Fluid Motion

[chuieXX]

^that's synergy rice rockets not legacy

[Backward Rowing]

What!?! Two pieces of ID? - Synergy Rice Rockets

^that's synergy rice rockets not legacy

What's the difference, both teams didn't make it to the beer gardens today.   

[Backward Rowing]

are there rules about what kind of paddles you're allowed to use in the flag catching boats?

I made the assumption that the VITDBR (by CCCDBA - Chinese Cultural Centre Dragon Boat Association) were using modified IDBF and DBC rules.  The Race's paddles seem to be IDBF sized paddles, none being over 51".  No one was using outrigger canoe paddles, if that's what you are asking. 

The difference between this festival and others I have been to are:
a) crew members wearing PFD does not seem to be mandatory,
b) they allow traffic right in the races, for example, barrel races with Aquabuses nearly ramming into dragon boats,
c) race schedules are not posted on their website and
d) the VITDBR and Taiwan Fest 2007 don't seem to be associated with one another, with the exception of real estate.
Then again, this is a 29-boat festival with a rather low festival fee and free beer tickets to paddlers.

[glowing_ice]

anyone noticed the delays in racing today?!  i hated the boat/ship that was parked in the middle of the race course today.  what a jack a$$ to say the least...  of all the places he could have anchored his boat he had to pick the middle of the creek in front of science world!

the guy had his whole family sitting on deck eating lunch while all the boats lined up waiting for him to move boat.  very inconsiderate.  if this happens again tommorow i hope someone from DBA call the coast guard or police to have him/her removed.

[Backward Rowing]

of all the places he could have anchored his boat he had to pick the middle of the creek in front of science world!
. . .   if this happens again tommorow i hope someone from DBA call the coast guard or police to have him/her removed.

Not likely, though somebody in a dark zodiac did board his vessel, and was re-orientated.  All those other boats were moored on the north-east end of False Creek, which probably means that VITDBR organizers did not pay for those spots during the weekend.  Much like how construction companies pay for parking along a street so they can have it clear of cars.  Even in Victoria and Alcan, organizers are able to keep traffic away from the races.  A lot more hectic for safety boats, a few delays, but it keeps the festival fees low.

[Colossus]

re: paddles
i was thinking more along the lines of C1 paddles...

re: boat parked
I was out Friday afternoon and was wondering if that'd be moved...   you'd think the festival organizers (on the dragonboat side) would have scouted out the course and done something about that before hand/asked the guy politely to relocate off to the side a bit.

any footage from the races today?  specifically False Creek grabbing the wrong flag?  i'm sure i'll hear the full story tomorrow at practice, but i wouldn't mind seeing it.

[ian]

Not the footage your looking for , but i have splashtest dragons in the barrell race and gung haggiss missing the flag  on my u tube page ,, http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=piratepaddler

[Luke]

re: paddles
i was thinking more along the lines of C1 paddles...

you'd probably tear something pretty important if you used a c1 blade in a race, even a short one, they aren't meant to be used sitting down, nor at a typical dragonboat rate,

[Backward Rowing]

False Creek Mixed


Team Storm in Taiwanese Teak Dragon Boat


Synergy What the Fred? and Dr'Agonize


Team Storm with Scaly Justice and Dogwood Nothin Dragon Seniors


Team Storm and Dogwood Nothin Dragon Seniors


Eh! Team


Team Storm helps Draco Stealth

Curse of the flag.  Saturday, False Creek Mixed mistook Team Storm's flag which gave FCRCC a time penalty and Team Storm a first place finish.  Sunday, Team Storm missed the flag in a race-off with False Creek, placing TS in Consolation D Final.  I think the flags are hexed. 

[ian]

Great Festival!  This is one of the fun ones to look forward to next year, seeing paddlers wearing different shirts and guesing who they are paddling for ! Blending of teams and individuals makes for a great bonding experience for all .I loved  those Gung Haggiss hats i tried all w/end to plunder one but to no avale ,,
 Thanks also to Splash Test Dragons for their great friendship and hospitality. Next up Kelowna , see you all there.

[Backward Rowing]

After Ampco Graphix False Creek Mixed, I guess the real race is the battle for second place.

[Backward Rowing]

First time for me at this festival.  Ran well with the limited number of volunteers.  Too bad there was traffic in False Creek during the races. Near collisions with Aquabus makes for some harried races.  The safety boat, who doubled as starter official and marine traffic patrol boat, did a good job. The safety boat would ask if the boats were ready, which they were not a few times, and would quickly give the release teather command and go.  This left a few heats with boats pointed in the wrong direction.  Again, for the most part, it ran rather well.

What I really didn't like was the through traffic of paddlers' village to everyone in TaiwanFest.  I did not feel confident bringing anything to the festival, which included my wallet!

Which brings me to my second point.  Also I am hoping the beer garden was run by TaiwanFest rather than CCC Dragon Boat Association, because that place was bleeding cash.  3 security guards that did not let anyone in without two pieces of ID (cool, except they turned away a grand masters team and by my guesstimate, about 2/3 of all dragon boaters who were above the age of 30).  They also had 1 cashier and 3 bartenders.  Assuming they are making $10 per hour, that is $1,120 for both days.  Most beer served was that awful Taiwanese light beer.  On Saturday, I think they sold 30 beer tickets and on Sunday, I guess they sold 50 beer tickets . . . this is a very liberal of estimate.  So, they sold $480 worth of tickets.  I am hoping they made up for the lack of revenue during the day through audience members of the Saturday night headliners, the boy-band, JUMP!; however, I doubt it since most of the people lining up seemed to be way under 19.

For me, what made it particularly funny was on Saturday, I thought it was the VIP area.  It was only Sunday afternoon, they thought they would put up a beer garden sign, and even that was in English only (doesn't help if most people there were for TaiwanFest).

There wasn't an area where dragon boaters could congregate after the races.  In comparable festivals, this was usually the beer garden or entertainment stage area. I am not even sure if there was an awards ceremony held on the stage. 

As I said, overall, the race component worked well for the most part.  It was the land component I disliked greatly.  As a paddler, I felt like a red-headed stepchild to TaiwanFest.   Not enough room for tents of all the team.  Unsecured paddlers' village. Public toilets and loading zone when through paddlers' village.  Comparing to Nanaimo and Victoria, where they used pre-marshalling in the paddlers' village and escorted through the entertainment area to the docks, we had to go through the shops.  In future, I would only go back to this regatta if they keep their festival fees low ($550).