Dragon-boat racing, based on ancient Chinese lore, is gaining in popularity and might be included in the Olympics.
By TERRY TOMALIN
Published April 30, 2004
TAMPA - A man in a Hawaiian shirt on his way to the Jimmy Buffet concert hollered off the bridge at the people below.
"Are you guys lost?" he yelled, drink in hand. "I think China is that away."
The 22 men and women in the canoe never missed a beat.
"One, two, three, four," the drummer chanted. "Let's go."
With that the paddlers picked up their pace. A top team could put a wooden paddle in and out of the water in less than a second. But these novices were happy to keep the boat moving and not tip over.
"Pretty good," said Keith Greminger, the crew's impromptu coach. "I think you will do just fine."
None of the 20 employees from Canadian Pacific Ships (CPS) had paddled a 42-foot canoe before. But neither will have most of the 980 others they compete against May 1, when the first Tampa Bay Dragon Boat races start on Garrison Channel.
"This sport is huge in Asia and on the West Coast," said Greminger, co-chairman of the local organizing committee. "But we think that once people see it, dragon-boat racing will catch on here as well."
Dragon-boat racing, a possible exhibition sport at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, can be traced back several thousand years.
According to legend the patriot Qu Yuan, after hearing he had been exiled form his beloved land, threw himself into the Mi Lo River. The local fishermen, who plied the river's waters in long, sleek craft, paddled out and banged on drums to keep the dragons from eating Qu Yuan's body.
Today, dragon boat races in China and surrounding country typically draw thousands of athletes and hundreds of boats. But this team sport has caught on like wildfire in the United States. The U.S. National Men's crew from Philadelphia is the reigning World Champs.
Races typically are short and intense. The boats, which usually weigh about 800 pounds empty, hold 20 paddlers, a drummer and coxswain, who steers the canoe with a 9-foot wooden paddle.
Unlike competitive outrigger canoes (45 feet long), which are powered by six paddlers who switch sides every eight to 10 strokes, dragon-boat paddlers stroke on one side (port or starboard) for the entire race.
This may not seem that difficult to the uninitiated observer, but all you have to do is climb into the boat for a 10-minute training session to feel the burn.
"My triceps feels like they are about to explode," I told Greminger, as he told the drummer to pick up the pace. "How long do these races last."
A top crew should cover the 500-meter course, which stretches from the Beneficial Bridge near the St. Pete Times Forum to the lobby of the Tampa Marriott Waterside in 2 minutes, 25 seconds.
The typical dragon-boat crew is broken into three sections. The first six paddlers sit closest to the drummer, who sets the pace, and should have good, long strokes for the rest of the crews to follow. The middle eight paddlers, or the "engine room," usually weigh the most and give the boat its power. The last six are usually the strongest and can give the boat a push at the finish-line run.
"After a little practice anybody can really get the hang of it," said Greminger, who was introduced to the sport in Hong Kong. "When you see a crew that really knows what it is doing, it is really something else."
Greminger said he expects 50 to 75 teams to compete in Tampa's first dragon-boat race.
"When the city of Baltimore held its first dragon-boat race they expected 20 teams," he said. "Fifty showed up, and after three years that number had grown to 150."
Greminger said Tampa Bay, with it sheltered waters and year-round good weather, could easily become the "Dragon-Boat Capitol" of the United States.
"I think if people come down and watch, they'll be hooked," he said. "You get it going, the wet paddles just glistening in the sunlight, it looks just like a piston. It's beautiful."
Tampa Bay Dragon Boat Races.
Where: Garrison Channel behind the Tampa Marriott Waterside.
When: Saturday. Opening ceremonies at 8 a.m., racing 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 1.
Done in conjunction with Asia Fest, there will be music, dancing, food and family-oriented activities. Call 813 610-2023 or go to www.tampabaydragonboats.com
