Dragonboat Racing
Taiwan DragonBoatTraining from Misty FahYing on Vimeo
Every year in June, teams of people vie for top honors in the Dragon boat races. The events in Taipei City and County are fierce, fielding teams from all the local universities and major corporations. Angelica's friend Andrew recruited us for his Dragonboat racing team citing low numbers of girls. "If you show up, you'll get to paddle" he promised. Thus we rose at the crack of dawn and ended up on the river bank to experience this Taiwanese tradition. When we showed up, there were a couple of teams churning by looking either energetic and paddling all in unison or looking exhausted and uncoordinated (more like a drunken caterpillar).
After some essential stretching each person collects a paddle and a puffy life jacket, and we head out onto the dock to load the boat. With 9 paddling positions of 2 people- one on each side of the boat, a helmsman who steers, a drummer and a flag catcher/navigator- there are 21 people in total. We start out with some warm up paddling, you're supposed to paddle with your back and legs and not with your arms. Easier said than done... I'm finding it difficult to bend in the middle considering the massively squishy life jacket. But we bend and paddle in earnest, splashing water and trying to achieve the desired "hydroplaning" effect, where you're going fast enough that the boat rises out of the water and becomes "easier" to row. We look more like a bunch of frenzied egg beaters than a smoothly functioning machine, and the boat lurches from side to side as the rhythm breaks down (we really didn't start in unison either). To top if off, we've got a rookie helmsman, who sends us around in circles for about half an hour, before we swap him out for someone else.
We're part of a mixed group of locals and expats, and a fair number of the team is bilingual, which means that you may get instructions in either Chinese or English. What this really means is that you still don't understand what's going but you can use the language hurdle as your excuse for not immediately complying. After another 20 minutes of wetly thrashing around on the water, another team issues a challenge to a "friendly race".
Bring it on.
We muscle the boats into approximate alignment, paddles in the ready position and then when the shout "paddles up. GO!" start with the 20 "quick" strokes. The boat heaves and judders and then suddenly feels magically "lighter". We've achieved the desired hydroplane and it IS easier. We rock back and forth, watching the oar in front, straining to keep time and stroke correctly. Snatching a quick glance over to the other boat, we're rapidly pulling ahead, their prow still buried in the water- they failed to "rise" to the occasion. We continue up river to the marker and then break, resting our burning backs and legs and waiting for the other boat to struggle to the end. We cheer them as they approach with shouts of "Jai You, Jai You!" They grin sportingly and promise another time. I want, I need to switch sides- my back is starting to seize up, but there's no chance since we're stuck out in the middle of the water in a wobbly boat. Turning downstream we paddle against the incoming tide. This time it's a tough slog, and we're all grateful when someone needs to get dropped off, ending the session. Still I'm hooked and I'll be back on Wednesday, really at the crack of dawn- got to be at school/work by 9am.
Date:
1677
intransitive verb: to go on or through water by or as if by means of a paddle or paddle wheel
transitive verb1 a: to propel by a paddle b: to transport in a paddled craft "paddled us to shore in his canoe" 2 a: to beat or stir with or as if with a paddle (as in washing or dyeing) b: to punish by or as if by beating with a paddle
paddle[verb]
Text: to move a boat by means of oars "I like to paddle on the river for exercise and relaxation" — see row
