Encyclopedia
A
Dragon boat is a very long and narrow
human powered boat used in the team paddling
sport of
Dragon boat racing, which may also be known as
Dragonboating.
For
racing events, dragon boats are always rigged with decorative
Chinese dragon heads and tails and are required to carry a large drum aboard. Many
Chinese people often use the term "
Descendants of the Dragon" as a sign of ethnic identity. At other times the decorative regalia is usually removed, although the drum often remains aboard for training purposes.
Dragon boat races are traditionally held to commemorate the death of
Qu Yuan, making dragonboating the only sport to be celebrated as a national holiday. The Chinese lunar calendar date is 5/5 which usually corresponds to a date in June.
The crew of the dragon boat
The standard crew complement of a contemporary dragon boat is around 22, comprising 20 paddlers in pairs facing toward the bow of the boat, 1 drummer or caller at the bow facing toward the paddlers, and 1 steerer or tiller at the rear of the boat, although for races it is common to have just 18 paddlers. Dragon boats vary in length and crew size will vary accordingly, from small dragon boats with 10 paddlers, up to the massive traditional boats which have upwards of 50 paddlers, plus drummer and steerer.
The drummer and drumming
The
drummer or
caller may be considered the "heartbeat" of the dragon boat, and leads the crew throughout a race with the rhythmic beating of a drum to indicate the timing and frequency of paddling strokes The caller may issue commands to the crew through a combination of hand signals and voice calls, and also generally exhorts the crew to perform at their peak. A caller/drummer is mandatory during racing events, but if he or she is not present during training, it is typical for the steerer to direct the crew..
Good callers should be able to synchronize the drumming cadence with the strokes of the leading pair of paddlers, rather than the other way around. As a tail
wind, head wind or cross wind, may affect the amount of power needed to move the boat at hull speed throughout a race, a caller should also be aware of the relative position of the dragon boat to other boats, and to the finish line, in order to correctly issue commands to the crew as to when to best surge ahead, when to hold steady and when to peak for the finish. An expert level caller will be able to gauge the power of the boat and the paddlers through the sensation of acceleration, deceleration, and inefficiencies which are transmitted through the hull .
Traditional dragonboats with 40 to 50 paddlers are so long that the drum is positioned amidships so that all paddlers can hear it amidst the noise of heated competition. However, for the smaller dragon boats of 20 paddlers which are most often used in competitive sporting events, the drum is located just aft of the dragon headed prow.
Some crews may also feature a
gong striker who strikes a ceremonial gong mounted aboard the dragon boat. A gong striker may sometimes used as an alternative to a drummer.
The paddlers
The
paddlers sit facing forwards, and use a specific type of
paddle. The leading pair of paddlers, or "pacers" or "strokers", set the pace for the team. It is critical that each paddler follow the paddle in front of them exactly, matching their stroke exactly. There are several components to a dragon boat or outrigger stroke: 1. The "catch" at the front of the stroke. The blade should enter the water at a 45 degree angle. 2. The "pull" begins when the blade reaches a vertical angle. A paddler's outside arm should remain straight through the pull, until the blade reaches a 45 degree negative angle, usually when the outside arm is at the mid-thigh. 3. The "release" or "return" is the final stage of the stroke. To release, the outside arm should slightly bend and the blade should release to the top of the stroke. It is important for the blade to return as vertically as possible, with the top hand staying outside the boat. Each of these components of the stroke are equally important and must be done in synchronization with the paddle directly in front of you which should, at the front, be in time with the lead strokes.
If paddlers are not synchronized, the result is a caterpillar or centipede effect whereby each successive pair of blades hits the water a fraction of a second behind the blades in front, with the collective stroke of the boat falling out of synchronisation. During a race the sounds of other drums may also make it confusing or unreliable to time off the
drum beat.
Very experienced paddlers will feel the response of the boat and its surge or resistance through the water via the blades of their paddles, and will adjust their reach, and the catch of their blade tips, in accordance with the power required to match the acceleration of the hull through the water at any given moment.
The steerer
The
steerer, also known as the coxswain, helm, steersman, sweep, or tiller, controls the dragon boat with a steering oar similar in function to a tiller which is mounted at the rear of the boat. The steerer may work with the drummer to call out commands during a race. The responses of the oar are opposite to the direction they take - if the steerer pulls the oar right, or into the boat, the boat will turn left, and if they push out, or left, the boat turns right. The steerer has the power to override the caller at any time during the race if the safety of the crew is threatened in any way.
Taiwanese flag catchers
Another dragon boat crew position which was first popularized on the island of Taiwan and which remains very popular there is the
flag puller or
flag catcher, who is tasked with grabbing a lane flag as the boat crosses the finish line. The first boat to pull their flag wins the race, while any boats which miss their flag are disqualified. The flag catcher normally sits behind the drummer, but as the boat approachers the finish line the flag catcher moves into position onto the top of the dragon head .
In historical times before the introduction of photo finishes and digital timing, or simply where such facilities are not available, flag catching is useful for distinguishing very close finishes . A
Song Dynasty landscape painting on silk records a dragon boat festival race on an imperial lake featuring flag pulling dragon boat races.
Dragon boats versus canoes and rowboats
Although a dragon boat is not a type of
canoe, they are both paddle-craft rather than rowing-craft, and crew members paddle rather than "row". Dragon boat paddlers sit, crouch or stand facing forward in the direction of travel, ie. facing the prow of the boat, similar to crews in other paddling craft, whereas rowers sit facing backwards. Furthermore, the oars and sweeps manned by rowers are connected to their shells, whereas dragon boat paddles are freely held. The large sweep oar of the dragon boat located in the stern for steering is often connected to the hull as well, with Taiwan again being the exception; there, the steerer will often use his oar to propel the boat forward in addition to using it to steer. People who paddle dragon boats may also be involved with
outrigger canoe racing or
War Canoe, due to some similarities in training regimes and sporting ethos.
Canoes are derived from hollowed out tree trunks ; or from birch and other deciduous tree bark shells stretched over wooden frames. Traditional wooden dragon boats, however, derive from rafts of three lashed-together logs which have been hollowed out and are like bamboo rafts consisting of lashed, hollow bamboo stalks which can still be seen in China today. It is the three large, lashed, rafted logs of old that give the Hongkong style of dragon boats its characteristic hull form cross section underwater seen today, which is like a "W". The keel is higher than the two outboard chines formed by the rail planks, so a kind of tunnel effect running down the centreline of the boat is present due to this construction and design. The traditional wooden boats are wide and heavy, typically weighing in at approximately 1,750 pounds, and the head and tail are all part of the boat itself. As the sport of dragon boating has increased in popularity and spread to countries outside of Asia, many countries have switched to using the newer fiberglass dragon boats, which are cheaper, narrower, significantly lighter, and usually have a separate, detachable piece for the dragon's head and tail.
History and culture of dragon boat racing
The use of dragon boats for racing and dragons are believed by modern scholars, sinologists and anthropologists to have originated in southern central
China more than 2,500 years ago, along the banks of such iconic rivers as the
Chang Jiang, also known as
Yangtze . Dragon boat racing as the basis for annual water rituals and festival celebrations, and for the traditional veneration of the Asian dragon water deity, has been practiced continuously since this period.
The Heavenly or Celestial Dragon
The dragon plays the most venerated role within the Chinese mythological tradition. For example, of the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac the only mythical creature is the dragon. The rest are not mythical Dragons are traditionally believed to be the
rulers of rivers and seas and dominate the clouds and the rains of heaven. There are earth dragons, mountain dragons and sky or celestial dragons in Chinese tradition.
Sacrifices, sometimes
human, were involved in the earliest boat racing
rituals it is believed. During these ancient times violent clashes between the crew members of the competing boats involved throwing stones and striking each other with bamboo stalks. Originally, paddlers or even an entire team falling into the water could receive no assistance from the onlookers as their misfortune was considered to be the will of the Dragon Deity which could not be interfered with. Those boaters who drowned were thought to have been sacrificed. That Qu Yuan sacrificed himself in protest through drowning speaks to this early notion.
Dragon boat racing traditionally coincides with the
5th day of the 5th Chinese lunar month . The Summer Solstice occurs around June 21 and is the reason why Chinese refer to their festival as "Duan Wu". Both the sun and the dragon are considered to be male. The sun and the dragon are at their most potent during this time of the year, so cause for observing this through ritual celebrations such as dragon boat racing. It is also the time of farming year when rice seedlings must be transplanted in their paddy fields, for wet rice cultivation to take place.
This season is also associated with pestilence and disease, so is considered as a period of evil due to the high summer temperatures which can lead to rot and putrification in primitive societies lacking modern refrigeration and sanitation facilities. One custom involves cutting shapes of the
five poisonous or venomous animals out of red paper, so as to ward off these evils. The paper snakes, centipedes, scorpions, lizards and toads - those that supposedly lured "evil spirits" - where sometimes placed in the mouths of the carved wooden dragons.
Venerating the Dragon deity was meant to avert misfortune and calamity and encourage
rainfall which is needed for the fertility of the crops and thus for the prosperity of an agrarian way of life. Celestial dragons were the controllers of the rain, the Monsoon winds and the clouds. The Emperor was "The Dragon" or the "Son of Heaven", and Chinese people refer to themselves as "dragons" because of its spirit of strength and vitality. Unlike the dragons in European mythology which are considered to be evil and demonic, Asian dragons are regarded as wholesome and beneficent, and thus worthy of veneration, not slaying.
Another ritual called
Awakening of the Dragon involves a
Daoist priest dotting the bulging eyes of the carved dragon head attached to the boat, in the sense of ending its slumber and re-energizing its spirit or
qi . At festivals
today, a VIP can be invited to step forward to touch the eyes on a dragon boat head with a brush dipped in red paint in order to reanimate the creature's bold spirit for hearty racing.
Qu Yuan
The other main legend concerns the poignant of a famous Chinese
patriot poet named Qu Yuan, also known as Ch'u Yuen. It is said that he lived in the pre-imperial
Warring States period . During this time the area today known as central China was divided into seven main states or kingdoms battling among themselves for supremacy with unprecedented heights of
military intrigue. This was at the conclusion of the Zhou Dynasty period, which is regarded as China's classical age during which Kongzi lived. Also, the author
Sunzi is said to have written his famous classic on military strategy
The Art of War is a Chinese [i] military [i] treatise [i] written during the ...
during this era.
Qu Yuan is popularly regarded as a minister in one of the Warring State governments, the southern state of Chu , a champion of political loyalty and integrity, and eager to maintain the Chu state's autonomy and hegenomy. The Chu king, however, fell under the influence of other corrupt, jealous ministers who slandered Qu Yuan as 'a sting in flesh'. So the fooled king banished Qu, his most loyal counselor.
In Qu's exile, so goes the legend, he supposedly produced some of the greatest early
poetry in Chinese literature expressing his fervent love for his state and his deepest concern for its future. The collection of odes are known as the
Chuci or "Songs of the South ". His most well known verses are the rhapsodic
Li Sao or "Lament" and the fantastic
Tien Wen or "Heavenly Questions".
In the year 278 B.C., upon learning of the upcoming devastation of his state from invasion by a neighbouring Warring State , Qu is said to have waded into the Miluo river in today's
Hunan Province holding a great rock in order to commit ritual suicide as a form of protest against the corruption of the era. The Qin or Chin kingdom eventually conquered all of the other states and unified them into the first Chinese empire. The word China derives from Chin.
The common people, upon learning of his suicide, rushed out on the water in their fishing boats to the middle of the river and tried desperatedly to save Qu Yuan. They beat drums and splashed the water with their paddles in order to keep the fish and evil spirits from his body. Later on, they scattered rice into the water to prevent him from suffering hunger. Another belief is that the people scattered rice to feed the fish, in order to prevent the fishes from devouring the poet's body.
However, late one night, the spirit of Qu Yuan appeared before his friends and told them that the rice meant for him was being intercepted by a huge river dragon. He asked his friends to wrap their rice into three-cornered silk packages to ward off the dragon. This has been a traditional food ever since known as
zongzi or sticky rice wrapped in leaves, although they are wrapped in leaves instead of
silk. In commemoration of Qu Yuan it is said, people hold dragon boat races annually on the day of his death.
Today, dragon boat festivals continue to be celebrated around the world with dragon boat racing, although such events are still culturally associated with the traditional Chinese Tuen Ng Festival in Hong Kong or
Duan Wu festival in south central mainland China .
Dragon boat racing as a modern sport
Modern dragon boat racing is organised at an international level by the International Dragon Boat Federation . The IDBF recognises two types of Dragon Boat Racing activities, namely Sport racing, as practised by IDBF member organisations; and Festival racing, which are the more traditional and informal types of races, organised around the world, where racing rules vary from event to event.
- Sport racing distances are normally over 200m or 250m, 500m, 1000m and 2000m, with formal Rules of Racing.
- A festival race is typically a sprint event of several hundred metres, with 500 metres being a standard distance in many international festival races.
There are also some very long endurance events, such as the
Three Gorges Dam Rally along the
Yangtze River near
Yichang, Hubei province, China, which covers up to 100 kilometres and the Ord River marathon in Australia which covers over 50 kilometers
Popularity
Due to the long history of dragon boat racing in China, participants in cultural and racing events there number some 50 million people . Over the past 25 years, and especially since the formation of the IDBF and its Continental Federations for Asia and Europe , the sport of dragon boating has gradually spread beyond Asia to Europe, North America, Australia and Africa, becoming a popular international sport with a growing number of participants.
The Hong Kong Tourism Bureau helped move dragon boat racing into the modern era by donating teak dragon boats to countries around the world. In 1986, the Hong Kong Pavillion at
Expo 86 donated 4 teak dragon boats to the city of
Vancouver,
British Columbia,
Canada. Community leaders in Vancouver quickly saw the potential in creating a multicultual event that would bring together the Chinese and non-Chinese citizens for a fun event and festival, giving birth to the Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival, now known as the . The original boats were loaned/rented to Toronto, Victoria, Seattle and Los Angeles and quickly helped spread the seeds for modern dragon boat racing throughout North America. Taiwanese style dragon boats have also been donated to sister cities in North America to help found the Portland Kaoshung Dragon Boat races in Portland Oregon, USA.
Today, dragon boat racing is among the fastest growing of team water sports, with tens of thousands of participants in various organisations and clubs in around 60 countries - most of which are IDBF members or applicants for Membership. The sport is recognised for the camaraderie, strength and endurance fostered amongst participants, and it has also become a very popular corporate and charitable sport.
Three of the biggest events outside
Asia are the Toronto International Dragon Boat Festival held in
Toronto, Ontario, the held in
Vancouver, British Columbia and the held in
Ottawa, Ontario. Each Festival features 180 teams and are held on the weekend nearest the Summer Solstice in accordance with traditional Chinese dragon boat traditions.
Organisations
The established dragon boat sporting organisations are the IDBF, the international governing body, and its continental federations, the European Dragon Boat Federation and the Asian Dragon Boat Federation . IDBF member associations or federations have been established in over 50 countries, since 1991 .
The IDBF is not acknowledged as a member federation by the International Olympic Committee or the General Association of International Sports Federations .
The ADBF is recognised by the Olympic Council of Asia as the Asian Continental Governing Body for Dragon Boat Racing.
Racing events
The IDBF has organised World Dragon Boat Racing Championships for Representative National or Territorial teams every two years since 1995. In between world championship years, IDBF Club Crew World Championships are held for the world's top club-based crews.
will take place at the brand new , just off scenic Marilyn Bell Park in Toronto’s west end. A 10-minute drive or 30 to 40-minute walk from downtown Toronto, the site is also easily accessible by Toronto’s public transit system .
Not only will the event offer four days of exciting competition, cultural entertainment, activities for kids, and more, admission is FREE for all. Spectators and dragon boat fans from across North America – and the world – are expected to come out and spend the day on Toronto’s beautiful waterfront and cheer on their favourite Dragon Boat crews.
In 2005 the IDBF introduced a Corporate and Community World Championships designed for crews that normally race in Festival Races and aimed at the 'weekend warrior' type of competitor and not the elite International standard or serious Club Crew competitor.
Both the ADBF and EDBF also hold National Team Championships on alternate years to the IDBF WDBRC and the EDBF have held Club Crew Championships since 1992.
World 'Nations' Dragon Boat Racing Championships- Yueyang, Hunan province, China, 1995
- Hong Kong, 1997
- Nottingham, United Kingdom, 1999
- Philadelphia, USA, 2001
- Poznan, Poland, 2003
- Shanghai, China, 2004
- Berlin, Germany, 2005
- Sydney, Australia, 2007 - dates 19-23 September 2007
- Moscow, Russia, 2009
Club Crew World Dragon Boat Championships- Vancouver, Canada, 1996
- Wellington, New Zealand, 1998
- Rome, Italy, 2002
- Cape Town South Africa, 2004
-
- Welland, Niagara, Canada, 2007
- Penang, Malaysia, 2008
- World Corporate and Community Dragon Boat Championships
- International 'Festival' Dragon Boat Races.
The oldest International Festival Races are those held in
Hong Kong annually. The HKIR have been held since 1976 and are acknowledged as starting the modern era of the dragon boat sport.
The biggest dragon boat festival racing events outside of Asia are in Europe, particularly in Malmo, Sweden and in the USA and
Canada.
Ottawa,
Vancouver,
Toronto and
Montreal each host races featuring more than 180 25-person crews. These races take place over two days in mid-to-late June in correspondence with the 5th Day of the 5th Month custom.
See also
...
External links
Dragon Boat Teams and Clubs
- San Francisco Bay Area Dragons
- One of Australia's Largest Dragon Boat Clubs - 2006 Australian National Champions
- Montreal based Non-Profit Dragon Boat Organization
- Chinese Youth League
- 2006 Australian National Champions. Based in the heart of Sydney.
- New York City Based competitive dragon boat racing team since 1994. Racing Divisions Juniors, Women, Men & Mix.
- San Francisco Bay Area dragon boat racing team.
- Manila, Philippines- A member of the Philippine DragonBoat Federation
- Dragon boat team based out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Our teams that race in the include Stealth , She-Devils & Alberta Beef .
- Boston's oldest incorporated dragon boat club with multiple teams and two boats practicing on the beautiful Charles River.
- San Francisco Dragon Boat Racing Team
- Berkeley and San Francisco Bay Area dragon boat racing team.
- Tempe, Arizona dragon boat racing team.
- Vancouver, B.C. Dedicated to fun and multiculturalism - hosts of the annual and infamous in Vancouver and annually put a dragon boat in the Vancouver St. Patrick's Day Parade.
- Seattle, WA USA dragon boat crew.
- The first year-round Dragon Boat Club in Houston, TX, comprised of competitive and recreational paddlers training to compete in local, national, and international races.
- Los Angeles dragon boat racing team.
- London based dragon boat racing team affiliated to the BDA .
- A Thunder Bay, Canada Dragon Boat Team that loves to have fun!
- A San Francisco Bay Area Dragon Boat team comprised of competitive and food loving professionals.
- Based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, Living Root Dragon Boat is a 501 non-profit dragon boat club whose mission is to promote the sport of dragon boat. Home to Max Advantage, a competitive Boston dragon boat club. Dragon boat links and pictures of team jerseys wanted for our website! Add yours today! Paddlers always wanted! No experience necessary! Inquire today!
- Los Angeles, CA USA dragon boat crew.
- Toronto's most notorious fit, fast and fun crew.
- Mandarin Training Center Dragon Boat Team, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
- Canberra, Australia, the National Capital's racing team.
- NJ's first and most active racing club, runs and helps others to organize races.
- New York's founding team...since 1991. From youth teams to Grand Masters, beginners to World Class competitors, we combine competition and fun!
- Dragon boat club situated in Manly on the northern beaches of Sydney.
- Toronto, Canada dragon boat crew.
- A fun and competitive community dragonboat club located in Toronto, ON
- Dragonboat club located in Manila, Philippines. See also the
- Harrison, BC The newest member of the Fraser Valley Dragon Boat Club - Fun and enthusiastic... Watch out! Pirates About! Arrrrrrrr!
- Pittsburgh, PA. See also !
- Adelaide, South Australia.
- Ripple Effect Dragon Boat racing team
- San Diego Dragon Boat Team, United States
- Suen Feng Loong Dragonboat Team- College Champs based in San Francisco!
- Vancouver, B.C. based dragon boat racing team.
- One of Sydney Australia's oldest and most successful dragon boat clubs.
- Training on Sydney Harbour, one of Australia's longest established clubs, living up to our motto "SERIOUS FUN".
- Vancouver, B.C. A community dragon boat club that strives to improve with each and every race.
- The best BDA club in the UK, winners of the 2005 Colenorton Trophy at the National Finals.
- UCLA Dragon Boat Team
- University of Southern California Dragonboat Team
- One of the US's oldest and most experienced dragon boat clubs. Comprised of recreational and competitive teams including internationally-acclaimed women's team and breast cancer survivors.
- New York City based women dragon boat team.
Governing organisations
Annual races
Miscellaneous organizations and sites
- Email Discussion List. All paddlers, clubs, teams, equipment suppliers, apparel manufacturers and race organizers from across the globe who are interested in communicating with each other and who seek advice and assistance are invited to join this site so that we may help each other and help our sport develop and grow.
