Here there be dragons

Dragon boat teams vie for supremacy during annual festival

The Wellington Dragon Boat Club celebrated its 10th festival in fine style this past Friday and Saturday. On Friday evening, visitors to the beachside dock could try their hand at various paddlecraft—including a tandem kayak, stand-up paddle boards and an outrigger canoe—and enjoy hot dogs and drinks, courtesy of the sponsoring Wellington District Lions Club. A dusk ceremony involving sparklers, noise-making and a symbolic offering of rice paid tribute to the origins of dragon boat racing in ancient China.

“Dragon boating originated in China about 2,500 years ago,” said Gail Lynch, coach of the Wellington club. “A lot of ceremonies, customs and rituals were developed in different areas. We thought we’d put our own touch on it in kind of a blessing ceremony, chasing away evil spirits and feeding the water gods, basically blessing the festival.”

The blessing ceremony appeared to be propitious, as the welcome Saturday morning rainstorm ended well before the start of the first race. Ten teams, including two breast cancer survivor teams, entered the festival and were guaranteed four races down the Wellington channel course. The first three sets of races were used to determine the pairings for the division finals.

One essential component of the festival is acknowledgement of the role played by the breast cancer survivor teams. Dragon boat racing gained popularity in the West after it was promoted as a way to help breast cancer survivors regain their strength. Eleanor Neilsen, founder of the Toronto-based Dragons Abreast, said her team has been in existence for 19 years.

“It’s an all-breast-cancer-survivor team. It was one of the first in the world when the whole movement of paddling for rehab after breast cancer was started,” she said. “And the evidence is that exercise is really important in the prevention of complications and many other things.”

On Saturday, visitors and race participants could purchase a pink carnation in memory of a loved one who had succumbed to cancer or who was battling the disease. The breast cancer survivor teams—with enough members to fill three boats—paddled to the centre of the Wellington channel for a remembrance ceremony led by Gayle Rotenberg of Dragons Abreast. Karen Smith, paddling with the club from Trenton and herself a survivor of breast cancer, sang I Will Remember You as paddlers and onlookers raised their carnations in tribute. It was a moving occasion, with many a silent tear shed. Proceeds from the sale of carnations are to be donated to a cancer organization in the County.

The division final races took place after the lunch break, and each one was a closely contested dash to the finish line by evenly matched teams. The Brighton Heatstrokes won the coveted Club Division, while the Wellington Lakers won the Community Award and the Family and Friends club took home the Spirit Award. The 10th anniversary awards were presented by Rob McCallum and Sandy Durosch. McCallum and Larry Brundage, late husband of Sandy, started the first Wellington dragon boat festival as a fundraiser for the Lions Club.

“It was one of our best festivals. It was awesome and it was really special to have Rob and Sandy here to present the awards,” said Janet Marissen, coordinator of the Wellington club.

The Wellington Top Dawgs chase away evil spirits on the evening before the festival.