Dragon Boat Training - Colorado

07/10/2018 06:30 PM - 08:30 PM MT

Location

Sloans Lake
1700 South Sheridan
Denver, CO 80204
United States of America
Room Number: Meets Near Ranger Station on NE Side

Summary

Dragon boat practice every Tuesday at Sloans Lake in Edgewater, CO. All abilities welcome. Come experience the power of dragon boating! Join the team and learn to paddle.

Description

Practices Tuesdays 6:30pm-8:30pm at Sloans Lake Park

Adaptive Adventures Team Blue Dragon Boat is excited for the 2018 season! If you are interested in being part of the fastest growing watersport, enjoy being part of a team, and are willing to commit to training and competing- this may be the sport for you!

We will be practicing on Tuesday evenings from 6:30pm-8:30pm. We will continue running training sessions each Tuesday evening through August, as we train for our first local competition, the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival at Sloans Lake, in Denver (July 28), and end the season with the GWN International Dragon Boat Festival in Colorado Springs (August 25).

The team is open to all abilities! No water or paddling experience is necessary, but a commitment to your team, training, fun, and adventure is. We invite you to apply (again even for those who raced in 2016 and 2017) for the 2018 Dragon Boat family. 

 

What is Dragon Boat Racing?

Dragon Boating- a sport founded in China over 2000 years ago, started as an international sport in 1976 in Hong Kong and has a worldwide participation of over 50 million competitors.  Dragon boats are fast, powerful, and recognized for the camaraderie, strength and endurance fostered amongst the team members. 

The crew for the Hong Kong class dragon boat is typically 22, made up of 20 paddlers in pairs facing toward the bow (front) of the boat; 1 'drummer' or 'caller' at the bow facing toward the paddlers who creates the heartbeat and rhythm of the boat; and 1 'sweep' (steerer) standing at the rear of the boat controlling its track.

Benefits of Dragon Boat Racing

Dragon Boat racing is a fun team-building activity and participating in a dragon boat event can benefit people with disabilities, warriors, family, caregivers, and others in numerous ways.

- Dragon Boating creates an inclusive environment.
- People of all ages and fitness levels can participate.
- The nature of the sport emphasizes unity and working together.
- Driving towards the finish line produces energy, enthusiasm and motivation.
- Paddlers communicate by cheering each other on.
- The sport encourages leaders to move to the forefront.
- Twenty paddlers in one boat = increased camaraderie. 

Dragon boat races feature an exhilarating combination of premier sport competition in concert with an entertainment showcase for corporations, community organizations, and families.  This is your opportunity to be at the forefront of representing people with disabilities and their supporters.

How will you train?

We will meet weekly, Tuesday nights 6:30 to 8:30pm, meeting near Sloans Lake Park Ranger Station. Our season kickoff practice will be May 8, 2018. Expect to progress in your skills learning how to paddle efficiently and effectively with your new unit, into phases of endurance and taking this new fitness and family into your at-home life. Together, we will learn how to improve our fitness, canoe stroke, power, and ability to feel the hull of that dragon boat move with speed and stealth.  

You will need to sign a contract of commitment for the summer of 2018 that states you will be able to attend 90% of the sessions. If our team places well, we can qualify to continue on to further events out of state. 

Our team coach and mentors will provide the resources and skills necessary to reach to the highest levels. Our head coach has worked in China as a national team canoe instructor and has worked across the world helping veterans, those with disabilities, and many others find olympic development opportunities and to help identify a teams greatest potential.  We will also have multiple others assisting in the development of this team. We are a family! 

What is the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival?

On July 28, 2018 our team will compete against roughly 50 teams at Sloans Lake Park in Denver, Colorado. In 2003, when the Rocky Mountain News named us the Best City Festival, 50,000 spectators turned out. In 2005, the festival expanded to two full days, and for the past three years we’ve had over 100,000 people celebrating Asian culture and athletic competition with us.

What to bring:

  • Water bottle
  • Towel
  • Raingear
  • Change of clothes (just in case)

 

 

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