Dragon Boats Please... and Hold the Water Dragons

© rumbum.com, Ted Pacelli

Dragon Boats at Board Up Miami

A noble Chinese poet drowns himself protesting a corrupt government.  Loyal fishermen race to the scene to help but are too late.  They toss silk-wrapped rice dumplings into the river and beat their drums to deter water dragons from eating his sacred body. 

Two thousand years ago, watermen and women from Southern China began reenacting the tragic death of a fallen hero, QuYuan.  What began as a yearly ritual on the “5th day of the 5th lunar moon”, has evolved into the world’s fastest growing water-team sport... Dragon Boat racing.

Adding to its growing repertoire of action sports, Board Up Miami 2009 joined forces with the Miami Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival ‘09 to offer a taste of one of the world’s oldest and purest team sports in one of the country’s youngest cities.  This year, thousands gathered on the Miami Marine Stadium shores to witness the Dragon Boat World Championships Opening Ceremony.  Drums thumped the paddling cadence, multi-colored boats floated the crews of 22 and hearts raced through the 2000m event.

“Blazing Paddles”, a participating team from Broward County, offered as much modern enthusiasm and sporting innuendos as they did tradition and genuine passion for the sport.  “Stroker” or “captain”, Will Murphy, founded “Blazing Paddles” ten years ago to offer an alternative to local team sports.  His team has since evolved into a diverse, ardent and competitive group with an extreme sense of camaraderie.  They explain how the “steersman” and “drummer”, physically light but spiritually heavy members, are the mouth and heartbeat that yell commands like “paddles up”, “let it ride” and “flare the boat”.  They also help the “pacers” establish a steady stroke for the rest of the paddlers.  The “engine room”, the strong guys in the middle, keep their heads down, don’t ask questions and paddle.  Finally, the “terminators” who receive the “fast water” in the back of the boat, stroke quickly and finish the race.  For all to run smoothly and quickly, everyone must follow the team motto, “Paddle or be Paddled”.

After two thousand years of survival, Dragon Boat racing remains pretty much the same, so embodying its simple beauty of drums, paddles and boats.  Luckily the water dragons stayed home.