How to (try to) become a dragon boat paddler…
First a thing or two about me:
I am a 51-year old, Dutch born bloke, who has been a couch potato for quite a few years now.
I used to play football and then rugby in my younger days, liked going jogging after the “active” days until knee problems stopped me short and turned me into the slouch, who used his knees as a way out of being active.
All that stopped when I showed up for my first training session with the SunDragons for my first time in a dragon boat.
My wife had already been pestering me to get back in shape, even though I actually always thought that round was a lovely shape as well! I had mentioned that maybe rowing would be a nice idea, and so SHE started looking for options for ME…
She then found the possibility to go and join up with a dragon boat team, for a practice trial on meet-up. She then hesitated no longer, and signed me up. Happily, she rang me at work and told me that I would be joining the SunDragons for the Wednesday evening training session.
I tried to protest that I was at work and had no spare/training clothes with me, nothing to wear for training! This, she said, was not a problem at all, she would more than gladly drive there as well, to meet me and bring me some clothes to train!
That meant, no more excuses, I was going to train that evening…
I showed up on time and was met by a friendly bloke, who, it turned out later, had nothing to do with the Suns, but showed me around anyway. He explained where everything was, showed me the boathouse, gym and told me all about the club, WSAP, itself. Then he introduced me to a few of the Suns who had started to arrive for training. I quickly changed and was shown the first basics on how to paddle properly in a dragon boat.
Seeing how I own a canoe, I thought it would be relatively easy to paddle along here as well.
Well, that turned out to be a mistake!
For one, the technique is completely different and the speed with which we were expected to paddle as well!
My luck was also that I joined the week before the club had its own house regatta that was to take place the next weekend. This meant that the team was preparing for the upcoming race. So, I needed to buckle down and bite the dust and paddle like I had never paddled before. Exhausted, muscle aches already starting, I got out the boat after practice, feeling great! After so many years of doing nothing sporty at all, I had found what I was looking for. A team sport I could actually participate in, without any problems after all of my knee surgeries…
Happy and tired I went home, where my wife was as happy as I was, as I would now finally (try to) get back into (a different) shape.
Training sessions are Monday and Wednesday evenings, with the possibility to get extra work in, in the clubs own little gym, on Friday mornings (early bird training) or Sunday afternoon.
I trained with the SunDragons the following week as well and was invited to come to the IseCup 2025, ~as a visitor~, with maybe the chance to participate in one or two of the races.
These races at the IseCup are short sprint races, over a distance of 200 m, directly in front of the clubhouse. So, I obviously had to go! I ended up participating in two out of four of the races as well, that was a great feeling!
As the weeks progressed, the muscle aches lessened, skills improved (very slowly…), my enthusiasm growing by the day, I started to enjoy it more and more.
I was helped a lot by some of the more experienced people in our team. Regularly changing the seating arraignment, so that different team members where sitting either next or behind me, who would then give me tips and advice (or abuse) to help me improve my technique and motivate at the moments where tiredness and fatigue would set in, to not give up and to keep going. This was of great help!
I then heard that there was to be another regatta, the last of the year for the Suns, in Neubrandenburg. This was to be the Lichterpaddeln, held for the fifth time. I asked if I could be part of that as well, as it sounded like a cool event. 32 Teams lining up for a race over 1500m in the dark, with the track and boats all lighted up.
Being still so new to the sport, and the races happening, not with the “normal” 20-paddler boats, but in a smaller 10-person, race boat, I was told that this might come too early for me. The smaller race boats are less steady and more prone to capsizing! I would need to train more, visit the gym and prove that I would not be a liability in the boat first.
A few weeks later, I seemed to have passed this test (either that, or they just were simply short another person…?) I was told the week before the event, that if I still wanted to go, I would be able to come and participate!
This came as a bit of a surprise, but I was in! Happy days…!
So, of course, I said yes, I want to be part of this and signed up straight away.
We made small car pools, for the drive to Neubrandenburg. A hostel was booked for the overnight stay, so all was planned and organized.
As I was told that these racers are small, and not as steady as the boats I have been training in.
I was becoming rather nervous, especially when a different team decided that it might be fun to capsize in the freezing water, directly at the deck where the teams entered the boats. As it was our turn for the practice run, we were told we had boat 1, which was not tied down at the deck (!), but was tied down alongside another boat!
So now I needed to step into boat 2 and climb over into our boat…! And this after I had just witnessed another team capsizing just before … Luckily I managed to climb in without keeling the boat over, nearly sh@*#ting myself, sweating and worrying all the way.
We had a practice run of the track, with the last of the daylight and an experienced steerspersons at the helm, who give some tips on the way. This was very helpful as no-one had raced here before and the waters are very shallow there. The rules are quite simple; you race roughly 750m downstream to where the stream opens into a lake. At the opening of the lake a turn is made around turn buoys (floating markers) and then you race the same way back.
The races are run with four boats who follow each other in 30-second intervals. No finals, just one timed run, so you have to make it count and make sure you are not being overtaken.
By nightfall, the weather had turned quite cold, so it was good to finally be up for our race. I managed again to not tip the boat over while finding my seat and was ready and rearing to go. We had a reasonable start, followed by a good run, even though at the end for the last 50 meters I thought I would never be able to lift my arms again. The end was hard, very very hard …
We ended up coming in 10th, which I was told was a good result, considering some of the teams we were up against. We received our certificate and (which was even better) a case of the local brew! This we drank together as the night grew colder.
The event was a great success and made me look forward to the new season! I hope to be able to continue to improve with the help of the experienced people in the team and that we may enter plenty of regattas in the year(s) to come!
All in all, I am very happy that my wife made me go to the first training session, as I have enjoyed the last two months immensely! I believe I have found the right sport for me!
A sport you can enjoy, be competitive in and have a great team around you, even as a novice…
So, anyone looking for a cool sport, with a great team full of fantastic teammates, come and have a look for yourself and have a practice run with the SunDragons!!!
