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22 September 2010  – San Francisco, CA: If you row it, they will come. And row they do and come they will  – by the thousands – to the 15th Annual Kaiser Permanente San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival (www.sfdragonboat.com) Saturday & Sunday, September 25 & 26, 2010 on Treasure Island in the middle of San Francisco Bay.  Both days feature racing from 8am – 5pm, and an on land Festival of Dragon Boat Cultural and related activities from 10am – 5pm. Entrance to the Festival is free and open to the public, as is viewing of the races. 

 

“This year marks the sixth year at our incredibly beautiful and scenic new home, Treasure Island, and the 15th anniversary of the Festival overall,” said Linda Cheu, Festival Director of the California Dragon Boat Association which sponsors the event. “With the continued growth of dragon boating in the Bay Area, the California Dragon Boat Association again expects record attendance in all divisions this year. It’s going to be another great weekend of good, hard racing, excellent entertainment and food, and great times on and off the water!”

 

In 1996 a handful of paddlers came together with the vision to build an organization to foster the growth and development of dragon boating in the San Francisco Bay Area. Each had little experience in starting up a non-profit organization most were relatively new to the sport themselves. With only commitment and their faith in dragon boating becoming a great activity for the community they moved forward to promote a sport people knew little about in an area already saturated with team sports.

 

“Although great strides have been made, the dragon boat community in the Bay Area is still in its infancy,” said Jeanie Lee, President of the California Dragon Boat Association and also a longtime crew member of dragon boats. “We are always looking for motivated people to continue the growth of the sport especially on behalf of youth interested in the sport.”

 

 

So, what exactly is Dragon Boating?

For those unfamiliar with the sport, dragon boating simply put, is a boat of 20 paddlers, a drummer and a steers person paddling to cross the finish faster than their competition. It's a team sport in its purest form that encompasses the elements of power, speed, synchronization and endurance.

With its beginnings in Southern China, dragon boating today is the fastest growing international team water sport. Each year, race festivals are held around the world in Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe and the United States, one of the largest festivals in the North America is held right here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“The appeal to dragon boating is mainly contributed to the sport’s ability to accommodate a wide spectrum of skill levels ranging from novice to competitive,” Lee explains. “At the novice and recreational level, teams often form as a means of social outlet, team building and an alternative means of exercise. For the spectator, the true display of the sport’s intensity and skill is witnessed in the competitive ranks.”

Dragon boat racing is one of the earliest known forms of aquatic competition and is celebrated at festivals and races throughout the world. This mythical celebration is a symbol of Chinese culture and spirit and is one of the three largest festivals in that country, with its roots going back over 2,000 years. 

Legend has it that Qu Yuan, a scholar and advisor to the emperor of the Chu Kingdom, jumped into the Mei Lo (Mi Luo) River in despair and protest against government corruption. Local fishermen raced out in their boats to save him. They beat drums and pounded their paddles on the river's waters and threw rice dumplings wrapped in silk into the river to distract the water dragons and keep them from eating from Qu Yuan's body. Dragon boating evolved from the re-enactment of this legend at annual festivals. 

After 15 years, the California Dragon Boat Association is now the largest dragon boating organization in the Bay Area and organizes one of the largest competitive dragon boat festivals in the United States. In addition, the Association oversees the largest high school and college dragon boat program in the nation.

 

“No one who has discovers dragon boating – either on the water or as an on land volunteer leaves unchanged,” says Cheu. “Only recently are people outside of Asia beginning to see and experience the magic team and community building aspects of this ancient sport.”

 

The mission of the California Dragon Boat Association is:  

To provide education and instruction to the general public on dragon boating
· To foster, conduct, and assist national and international dragon boat competitions
· To sponsor, promote, or facilitate local dragon boat events and races
· To promote low cost community sports and exercise
· To provide youth programs centered on paddling activities and leadership
· To enhance bonding and interaction among different ethnic and cultural groups locally, nationally, and internationally
· To develop amateur athletes for national and international dragon boat competitions
· To provide charitable assistance to non-profit and senior organizations with respect to activities involving dragon boat racing
· To maintain facilities and equipment for dragon boating instruction, practice, and competition