Beyond this Place There Be Dragons
Dragon boat racing sounds a bit like an amusement park ride, but it is a real sport practiced by passionate people. Its origins are based on the 2,300-year-old legend of Qu Yuan, who is considered the first prominent Chinese poet. He committed suicide in the Mei Lo River protesting the political corruption of the era. Local fishermen quickly paddled their boats into the river and thrashed the water to prevent fish from eating his body. Sounds a bit gruesome but the act of thrashing has evolved into dragon boating.
The “official” Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday which occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar (June 22 in 2023). But the sport has spawned regattas and festivals in communities large and small in many parts of the world. Organizers include clubs, non-profit organizations, and cultural exchange groups who stage competitive races, fundraisers for various charities, and entertainment. Major festivals are attended by hundreds of spectators, and non-festival racing takes place throughout the year.
Dragon boat racing is being introduced as part of the Gay Games held in Hong Kong in November 2023. Hong Kong claims the title “world capital for Dragon Boating,” so Games organizers felt it was fitting to include the sport. The annual Tuen Ng Festival (Dragon Boat Festival) was first celebrated in China during the Ming dynasty.
Lewes, Delaware no longer organizes its dragon boat event, but plenty of people who visit Sussex County from Washington DC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Annapolis, and New York City are familiar with the sport. All five have active Dragon Boat Clubs.
Catholic Charities hosts its Festival to raise funds for its various programs and has raised more than $5 million dollars since the event’s inception in 1998. The organization celebrates its 100th anniversary this year during its September 9 event in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. They partner with the Baltimore Dragon Boat Club on logistics and training paddlers. It relies heavily on teams from local corporations, many of whom have not previously been involved with dragon boat racing so training is important.
Training is also a priority for the 80-member DC Dragon Boat Club. “It’s neat to see the skills start to click in,” said member Katherine Norton, a member of its coaching staff. The club’s festival celebrated its 20th anniversary on May 20 on the Potomac River, with a backdrop of monuments, the Kennedy Center, and The Wharf. Running a Dragon Boat Club is costly so the non-profit focuses much of its energy on raising money to keep the operation going.
Norton, who has travelled all over the world for work, notes that dragon boat racing is a great way to meet new people and network. “It’s easy to drop down anywhere and find a club,” she says. She claims that being a club member opens the door to new friends in various parts of the world.
Although they did not compete this year, the Out2Paddle Dragon Boat team in the DC area caters to the LGBTQ community and won a gold medal during the DC Festival in 2022. They have a Facebook page.
The Philadelphia Dragon Boat Association (PDBA) hosts the annual Independence Dragon Boat Regatta (IDBR). According to the association’s Team Coordinator, Bob Mina, the group was established in 1983—the first dragon boat team in the United States—and now boasts an active membership of about 200 men and women ranging in ages from their 20s to 60s.
Their “elite” team won the 2021 US Club Crew Championships. “We ‘get’ racing because it’s what we do at the highest level,” Mina said. “Bringing someone new into the sport is always fantastic!” Mina works full time for Christiana Care. Their regatta, held this year on June 3, helps fund the US National Team (men and women).
Members of the Annapolis club competed in the New Zealand Festival this past April.
Most people discover dragon boat racing as adults. Not Katrielle Byland, who now lives in France but grew up in the Philly area. “I got interested in dragon boat racing through my mom and family,” she said. “It made sense to me once I was old enough to try it. I enjoyed it and I stuck with it, and now I help run a youth team called The Lonely Dragons. Dragon boating is a wonderful sport, that I always enjoyed because it was a chance to get away from reality and school.”
There are many ways to learn the sport. Stephanie Harmelin, who was Camp Director at Lewes’s Children’s Beach House from 2016-18 (and performed in two CAMP Rehoboth Theatre productions—Stop Kiss and Last Summer at Bluefish Cove) was introduced to it last year. Having moved back to Philly, she came to dragon boat racing through Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park Conservancy programs.
The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York claims to be the oldest, largest, most traditional Dragon Boat Festival in the US. Dragons, multicultural performers, traditional arts and crafts, and international foods highlight the 31st celebration in Flushing Meadows Corona Park August 12 and 13 during the Year of the Rabbit. The event gets substantial support from several Hong Kong economic, trade, and tourism offices.
Dragon boat clubs welcome newcomers, according to DC Club member Francis Lira. Many clubs offer beginners free lessons in hopes that they will join. Teams are determined according to gender and age groups ranging from 20s to 70s and even beyond.
And here is a parting tip for those still working, according to Lira: Many of the skills you learn—such as building community and synchronized alignment—are transferable to the office. ▼
Mary Jo Tarallo is a former journalist and public relations professional for various non-profits including a ski industry trade association. She won a Gold Award for a United Way TV program starring Oprah Winfrey.
Photos, opposite page: DC Dragon Boat Club members, Photo: Josh Rubenstein.
Above, clockwise: Dragon boaters at NY Dragon Boat Festival 2021, photo: Rick Ho, Sing Tao. DC DBC - Team Out2Paddle Club members. Boater at NY Dragon Boat Festival 2021. Photo: Rick Ho, Sing Tao.