Hi there,
This is an early call for Victoria paddlers for 2012. I have 2 strong teams that may need a couple more bodies next season so if there is anyone looking for a solid training option with a very experienced coach and great teammates, I have a couple options for you. Likewise, if you're happy with the crew you're with but would like to get in some cross-training in through the winter I can hook you up with outrigger or running. Don't worry, if you're happy with your dragon boat crew, I'm not interested in recruiting you! Several dragon boat crews funnel into our outrigger and running groups!
Paddlers of the Fifth Moon will likely need a couple more guys (we're all full on girls right now) due to some folk moving out of town for work and school and some being posted various places. Practices will be Tues/Thurs starting in April and running to Sept. We are a high level rec crew focussed on hard work, technique, and injury prevention, 2012 will be our 12th year and we have minimal turnover from year to year. We're lucky to have a drama-free crew, everyone's on the same page and determined to make next year even stronger. We're typically near the top of the rec crews despite commonly racing with about 7 guys in the boat. If you can help with some power and fit what we're looking for, I look forward to hearing from you!
We may also have space for a few more women on Snappin' Dragons womens crew, also practicing Tues/Thurs hopefully starting in April and running to Aug or Sep. 2011 was the first year for this crew and it was a good one. We had a mix of 50:50 brand new paddlers to those from other crews and placed 15th out of 38 in our first ever race at Nanaimo, 4th at the Women's Island Classic, 2nd at Gorge and 7th overall at Victoria. Looking to go even further next year! The aim is to be a competitively-minded high level rec crew like Fifth Moon.
Both Fifth Moon and Snappin' Dragons came in top 2 at the Navy Chicken Run at the end of the year which requires strong teamwork to get through all the challenges, this demonstrates the strength of each crew. Both are good options for people who like to show up to a full boat, work hard and go home tired while enjoying spending time with their teammates at festivals and avoiding some of the nonsense that can happen when you confine a large group to a small space! Both crews raised a combined $34K for cancer research this season also demonstrating their commitment to the community at large.
For both crews we're looking for the following attributes:
Must be hard-working, fit (cross-training in the off-season is a must, we have outrigger and running options to help), reliable, committed, strong personal drive to want to improve and push the team, good personality, no drama.
We have outriggers currently out on the water (about 30-40 members at the moment) if you'd like to come and cross-train and get to know some of our paddlers. We'll also have the free run groups starting up in January.
Anyway, if you think you're a good fit for either crew, shoot me an e-mail at
[email protected] for more info.
