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Dragon Boat Canada


IDBF


Canoe Kayak Canada

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[sweet heat]

Comments and thoughts about this festival.  I thought it was a great weekend!!  Even though the festival size was cut in half I felt the level of competition was just as strong, if not more than last year. I look forward to next year!!

[Vet Paddler]

I also thought it was a fun festival, reminiscent of years past... right down to the bad karaoke, which I strangely enjoyed (chinese version of Material Girl - you can't beat that!!!)

The races ran very well too - kudos to the Edmonton guys for running a good show.

How about those Canoe Club Kids making it into the A final?  Impressive job!!!

[RagingDragons]

It was definitely a great festival.  I agree about the Karaoke, just terrible but yet so good at the same time.

Great job to EDBRC for running a great festival and koodos to the Calgary Canoe Club for taking the Gold in the top division.

[Stroke It]

Good effort by the teams...some great times. 1:57 for the men's is pretty impressive. 2:05 for the mixed is respectable as well. A lot of teams have made some good grounds considering the shortened season.

EDBRC did a good job running the races. It's unfortunate there were no seats or drums for the Saturday morning for the drummers.

Smart move to shrink the beer gardens this year...not many who were willing to not come in without their families to celabrate after or pay $6.50 at beer.

Much easier to bring your own...

 

[Bolero]

The festival organizers did a good job, especially considering the short amount of time they had to get it all together. They have a few things they need to work on, but I'm sure they'll improve on those next year. It was refreshing to see the return of more Chinese cultural stuff, including the oh-so-bad-yet-so-good karaoke!  It was impressive that they were able to run the races more or less on time, even with only one fleet of boats.  The races were exciting and competitive.  I think next year will be even better!  Hopefully, we'll see the return of some of you B.C. teams!   

[Row 2]

Yes it was a well run festival and the weather was great.  I know that I missed having some more out of town boats.  Hopefully the word will get out that Calgary still has a festival.
I really liked how the paddlers village was set up this year.  I felt the way they had the Beer Gardens separated from the stage made for a dull time.

[sweet heat]

I have to agree and say EDBRC did a great  job, a little slow to start but by the end they were rollin'.

Yes very bad kareoke... haha plus the food was blah,  but I enjoyed the endless supply of propell! ( I could be a minority on that one )

I am truely excited to see this festival grow next year... I think it wil be awesome!!!

[Founder]

I am also very enthused by the result of this past weekends races and festival.  For lack of a better description, I felt that the "Feng Shui" of the event was very positive, and it felt to me like the event was getting back to some very good roots.  No egos running around, everyone "paddling" in the same direction, and very prominent participation and support from the Chinese community.  The organizing groups pulled together despite what can sometimes be competing interests and priorities, the EDBRC was awesome and ran a great race, and Kevin Kwan was a great "roving reporter" amongst the teams for the debut of DragonFM 91.5 on the FM dial!

Kudos to so many people...too many to mention, but the big thanks go to the City of Calgary for their encouragement, support and resources dedicated to ensuring the continuation of Dragon Boating in Calgary; Topmade Dragon Boat Club, SisterShip, Calgary Canoe Club, Calgary Chinese Merchants Association for their herculean efforts, Topmade Enterprises, Plastics and Neon Signs, Trico Homes and Marquis Communities for their sponsorship and perhaps most important of all was the presentation of the "Albert Wong Memorial Cup" (Albert Wong, who passed away last year, is without question the father of dragon boating in Calgary) by his widow and 2 daughters.

Please keep posting your feedback, as I am sure that the organizers will be waiting and watching for ways to improve in the years ahead.  OK...bad karaoke can be fun, but improvements in the Paddlers Village, Festival Tent and Beer Gardens, F & B services etc will all be coming with your support.

Please spread the word that the "re-birth" of Dragon Boating in Calgary is in its healthy infancy, and that all paddlers both local and from afar will be welcomed to what should once again become a premiere event in dragon boating in Western Canada in the years to come.   All with a focus on what is best for the dragon boating community AND the community at large!

Paddles up! 

[Bolero]

  For lack of a better description, I felt that the "Feng Shui" of the event was very positive, and it felt to me like the event was getting back to some very good roots.  No egos running around

Wow, Founder, you're back!  There were "egos" running around before this year?  What could you possibly be talking about??  And now they have all gone!  What a relief!

[Founder]

Bolero, nice of you to turn such a great weekend into a controversy.  I think the real community-spirited paddlers and supporters will rally behind this refreshing "re-birth" and build the Calgary Races and Festival into what it should and can be.

Nice of your ego to make another appearance.  Do I detect some jealousy or animosity?

I for one will only be too happy to volunteer, support and assist from the sidelines while a new community-spirited organization re-forms itself.  One with integrity, ethics, lack of conflict of interest and other traits that make an organization accountable to its constituents...and much unlike the last 4 years of a past, now dis-enfranchised group...good riddance I say.

RG (and by the way, which "ego" are you in real life!?)

[Founder]

Ooops..sorry Bolero, I may have mis-read your facetious approach as an intentional detraction from this years races, but after having read your original post, I think an apology may be in order.

Long day.....in the depths of another large community event that is pulling 14 hour shifts...

Apologies where apologies may be due...

[Bolero]

Apology accepted!  I really did enjoy the festival, and I thought the organizers did a great job!  I'm very happy!  I'm glad you are proud of them too.  And if you are one of them, good for you!  I just like to tease you, and you take the bait so easily!  Maybe you should take a break and lighten up! 

[ROAD//RASH]

The karaoke was awesome (not kidding as a karaoke enthusiast). 

Good on the race officials tracking down the A-final team captains to explain the results, whether it affected them or not.  Starter was good and consistent from race to race.  No other problems that I'm aware of regarding officiating.

However I'm going to have to open a high yield savings account, get a landscaping job on the side, and have a garage sale in order to prepare for $6.50 beers next year.

{edit - spelling}

[Viking Paddler]

What I'd like to see for next year is one organizing body organize and run the festival, while another (unrelated) run the practices.  From what I'm hearing the Calgary festival was run fairly well, so it would make sense to have the Calgary Community Dragonboat organizing body handle that side of things, while the Calgary Canoe Club (CCC) could run the practices.  Just makes sense.

[sweet heat]

Who owns the boats??  Why would you need a separate group just for practices?? Was there something wrong with how it was handled this year??  I think it went pretty smoothly considering everything that went down this year.