For competition events, dragon boats are generally rigged with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails. At other times the decorative regalia is usually removed, although the drum often remains aboard for training purposes. In some areas of China, the boats are raced without dragon adornments.
Dragon boat races are traditionally held as part of the annual Duanwu Jie festival observance in China. 19th century European observers of the racing ritual, not understanding the significance of Duan Wu, referred to the spectacle as a "dragon boat festival" (literally, "long zhou jie". The date of "duan wu" is reckoned annually according to the solar-lunar calendrical system . Duan Wu is observed and celebrated in many areas of east Asia with significant populations of ethnic Chinese living there e.g. Singapore, Malaysia, Greater China . The date is referred to as the "double fifth" since Duan Wu is reckoned as the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, which often falls on the Gregorian calendar month of June, but also rarely May or July.
In December of 2007, the Chinese government added Duan Wu, Qing Ming and Mid-Autumn festivals to the schedule of national holidays observed in the People's Republic of China.
The crew of the dragon boat
The standard crew complement of a contemporary dragon boat is around 22, comprising 20 paddlers in pairs facing toward the bow of the boat, 1 drummer or caller at the bow facing toward the paddlers, and 1 steerer or tiller at the rear of the boat, although for races it is common to have just 18 paddlers. Dragon boats vary in length and crew size will vary accordingly, from small dragon boats with 10 paddlers, up to the massive traditional boats which have upwards of 50 paddlers, plus drummer and steerer.
The drummer and drumming
The drummer or callers may be considered the "heartbeat" of the dragon boat, and leads the crew throughout a race with the rhythmic beating of a drum to indicate the timing and frequency of paddling strokes The caller may issue commands to the crew through a combination of hand signals and voice calls, and also generally exhorts the crew to perform at their peak. A caller/drummer is mandatory during racing events, but if he or she is not present during training, it is typical for the steerer to direct the crew.
Good callers should be able to synchronize the drumming cadence with the strokes of the leading pair of paddlers, rather than the other way around. As a tail wind, head wind or cross wind, may affect the amount of power needed to move the boat at hull speed throughout a race, a caller should also be aware of the relative position of the dragon boat to other boats, and to the finish line, in order to correctly issue commands to the crew as to when to best surge ahead, when to hold steady and when to peak for the finish. An expert level caller will be able to gauge the power of the boat and the paddlers through the sensation of acceleration, deceleration, and inefficiencies which are transmitted through the hull .
Traditional dragonboats with 40 to 50 paddlers are so long that the drum is positioned amidships so that all paddlers can hear it amidst the noise of heated competition. However, for the smaller dragon boats of 20 paddlers which are most often used in competitive sporting events, the drum is located just aft of the dragon headed prow.
Some crews may also feature a gong striker who strikes a ceremonial gong mounted aboard the dragon boat. A gong striker may sometimes be used as an alternative to a drummer.
The paddlers, paddle and paddling
The paddlers sit facing forwards , and use a specific type of paddle which is not rigged to the racing watercraft in any way. Therefore, Dragon boaters are paddlers not rowers or Oarsmen/Women. Nor are they "canoeists" since canoes and dragon boats are distinctly different paddle craft, just as canoes and kayaks and inflatable whitewater rafts are distinctly different types of paddle craft.
The paddle now accepted by the world racing federation has a standardized, fixed blade surface area and distinctive shape derived from the paddle shapes characteristic of the Zhu Jiang delta region of Guangdong Province, China, close to where Hongkong is situated. The PS202 pattern blade has straight flared edges and circular arced shoulders based geometrically on an equilateral triangle shape positioned between the blade face and the neck of the shaft.
The leading pair of paddlers, called "pacers," "strokers," or "timers," set the pace for the team. It is critical that all paddlers are synchronized. Each paddler should synchronize with the stroker or pacer on the opposite side of the boat, that is, if you paddle starboard side you would take your syncronicity off of the port side stroker. The direction of the dragon boat is set by the helm, rather than by the paddlers while actually racing, however for docking and other maneuvers, the paddlers may paddle out of synch according to the commands given by the drummer or helm. The two lead strokers are responsible for synchronizing their strokes together with one another.
There are several components to a dragon boat stroke cycle:
- 1a. The "reach and catch" begins the cycle and is preceded by a setup torso rotation; the blade angle of attack appears from the side to be raked aft, however this is an optical illusion since the boat is advancing forward. Inserting the blade perpendicular to the water amounts to ineffective "lily dipping" wherein the blade moves backwards in the water past the paddler's hips simply because the boat is advancing forward.
- 1b. The associated upper arm "drive" the instant the blade face is fully immersed and which is the key to powerful acceleration of the boat and the beginning of the pull; if the drive begins before the blade face is fully immersed, there is a significant decrease in stroke efficiency; this drive is initiated by an explosive de-rotation of the torso.
- 2. The associated, powerful "pull" stage sustains the forward momentum of the boat that was initiated by the "drive" impulse; paddlers are often coached to "pull the boat towards the paddle" however a bit of both is occurring .
- 3. The "release" in which the blade is instantaneously drawn upwards while it is even with NOT BEHIND the hips of the paddler; because the boat is moving forward, the optical illusion from outside the boat makes the blade seem like it is being withdrawn at an angle that is raked forward. The release coincides with the setup rotation or recoil of the torso.
- 4. The "recovery" is the final stage of the stroke and consists of the rotation of the torso with the ACTIVE forward repositioning of the blade thrust forward into the optimal catch. By decreasing the time it takes between the release and the catch, the percentage of time in the cycle when the boat is decelerating is minimized; therefore it is possible to perform a greater number of catches and pulls over a given race distance. The reduction in swing time is achieved through active rather than relaxed repositioning of the blade forward and by reducing the weight of the paddle.
A key aspect is for the blade and shaft to be outboard and as vertical as possible in orientation. This means that the paddler has to lean part of his or her body outboard in order to maintain optimal paddle attitude. It this is properly executed at the catch, then the gravitational weight of the paddler "falling" on and driving the blade will generate an enormous impulse power that is not otherwise achievable, similar to a "high brace" type of paddle technique used in whitewater kayaking and sea kayaking.
If paddlers are not synchronized to the two lead strokers, for example if a pair of paddlers takes their cue from the pair of paddlers sitting immediately in front of them, then each successive pair of blades hits the water a fraction of a second behind the blade just in front of them. Consequently, the stroke and back paddlers are out of synch or phase, similar to a domino effect or cascade / card deck riffle. So to an onshore observer, this effect resembles the movement of a many-legged caterpillar or centipede. A coach may therefore have to work with a team to minimize this "caterpillaring" effect. During a race it can be difficult for novice crews to stay in sync within their own boat as the sounds of other drums can be distracting or disrupting.
Very experienced paddlers sense the response of the boat to the application of their blades and the associated surging forward acceleration or deceleration during a prolonged recovery phase through the water via their kinesthetic sense as they sit braced into the boat sitting on the benches of the boat, and will continually adjust or tune their reach and catch of their blade tips in accordance with the power required to maintain continual acceleration of the hull through the water at any given moment
The steerer
The steerer, known also as the helmsman, steersman, or sweep controls the dragon boat with a sweep oar rigged at the rear of the boat, generally on the side and off centre, which is used both for ruddering as well as for sweeping the stern sidewards. The word "starboard" is Scandinavian in origin and refers to the wooden board for steer, that is, the sweep oar. On some sailboats, an arm attached to a rudder is used to control the rudder and is known as a "tiller". Dragon boaters in Portland OR USA first used Taiwanese dragon boats fitted with sweep oars for steering that were mounted over the centre line or keel line of the boat, rather than of to the side and off centre. They referred to these centre-mounted sweep oars as "tillers" and the people who manned them also as "tillermen". However, the sweep oars are used for both ruddering and sweeping wherein the blade can come out of the water for an out of water recover UNLIKE A RUDDER to which a tiller control arm is secured. The term "tiller" is therefore misapplied. Likewise, "coxswain" and "cox" are terms originally used in the British navy to refer to the person in charge of a small boat and this person was not necessarily the helmsman or person at the helm steering the boat. This term was then transferred to the person in a sport rowing shell who called the stroke. On a dragon boat, it is the drummer who calls the stroke, though if there is no drummer aboard, the task can be transferred to the helm. Some crews, particularly those from outside Asia, trivialize the role of the drummer, but both traditional and international competition officials call for an active role by the drummer, not decorative. So coxswain is not a really appropriate term, just as tiller is not. In Canadian war canoe racing, the steerer is in charge of the boat and is referred to as a coxswain.
The responses of the boat to the sweep oar are opposite to the direction of the oar grip - if the steerer pulls the oar grip right, or into the boat where the sweep is mounted on the port quarter , then the boat will turn left, and if it is pushed out, or left, the boat turns right. During a race, an experienced steerer in a well balanced boat will be able to steer the dragon boat with hardly any helm, that is with the sweep oar out of the water or with only minimal blade area immersed so as to minimize drag.
The steerer must constantly be aware of the boat's surroundings. Since the steerer is the only person in the boat who is able to con the boat looking forward he or she has the obligation to override the caller at any time during the race if the safety of the crew is threatened in any way such as an impending collision with another boat or a fixed or floating obstruction in the water.
The international standard racing rules call for each boat to steer down the centre of her respective lane and to not ride the bow wave of a boat in an adjacent lane by coming along side close aboard to take advantage of the bow wave induced surface current. Wash riding is considered to be cheating under international competition regulations and is subject to sanction by on water referees or course umpires.
Taiwanese finish line flags and flag pullers
A Song Dynasty silk painting depicts an imperial dragon boat competition in the ancient Chinese capital of Kaifung. It shows dragon boats, referee boats, racing lanes, spectators, streamers, flags and banners and race officials. Since there were no "photofinish cameras" at the time, close races were adjudicated by a panel of judges who observed which crew was the first to pull, grasp or grab a flag that rested on a buoy positioned at the finish line for each racing lane. There was nothing to "catch" since nothing was "thrown". Photographic enlargements of Song Dynasty dragonboat races are mounted floor to ceiling in the "Golden Ocean" Chinese seafood restaurant in Vancouver Canada, for example . These historical Song illustrations inspired some dragon boat race organizers in Taipei Taiwan to replicate flag pulling finish line markers in their annual races, the only place in Asia where this particular, and peculiar form of racing apparatus can be found. Thus arrangement gave rise to an additional crew position, that of the flag puller. The flag puller rides aboard near the decorated dragon head, out of the way of the drummer. As the boat nears the finish line flag float, the flag puller extends his or her arm outboard to grab the flag from the lane float to signal attainment of the finish line. The steerer has to accurately steer to boat within arms reach of the flag mount, yet not crash into it. The flag puller must not miss pulling the flag, otherwise the boat's finish is disqualified.
The incongruous English term "flag catcher" seems to have been perpetrated and perpetuated by American Dragon Boat Association racers based in the state of Iowa, since the Chinese character doesn't translate to "catcher" but rather "puller" or "grabber".
Dragon boats versus canoes and rowboats
Although a dragon boat is not actually a type of canoe, they are both paddle-craft rather than rowing-craft, and crew members rather than "row". Dragon boat paddlers sit, crouch or stand facing forward in the direction of travel, ie. facing the prow of the boat, similar to crews in other paddling craft, whereas rowers sit facing backwards. Furthermore, the oars and sweeps manned by rowers are connected to their shells, whereas dragon boat paddles are freely held. People who paddle dragon boats may also be involved with or War Canoe racing due to some similarities in training regimes and sporting ethos. But all are different, distinctive sports, with Outrigging and Dragonboating having significant cultural, ceremonial and religious aspects inherent to competition, aspects which are absent in canoe and kayak racing.
Canoes are derived from hollowed out tree trunks ; or from birch and other deciduous tree bark shells stretched over wooden frames. Traditional wooden dragon boats, however, derive from rafts of three lashed-together logs which have been hollowed out and are like bamboo rafts consisting of lashed, hollow bamboo stalks which can still be seen in China today. It is the three large, lashed, rafted logs of old that give the Hongkong style of dragon boats its characteristic hull form cross section underwater seen today, which is like a "W". The keel is higher than the two outboard chines formed by the rail planks, so a kind of tunnel effect running down the centreline of the boat is present due to this construction and design. The traditional wooden boats are wide and heavy, typically weighing in at approximately 1,750 pounds, and the detachable head and tail removable parts of the boat. As the sport of dragon boating has increased in popularity and spread to countries outside of Asia, many countries have switched to using the fiberglass dragon boats, which are significantly lighter, and usually also have separate, detachable pieces for the dragon head and tail.
In 2006, the executive committee of the GAISF General Association of International Sport Federations accepted the application of the International Dragon Boat Federation as being the sole world sporting federation that organizes and recognizes the majority of the world's dragon boat crews from 60+ countries. In the 2007 GAISF Congress convened in Beijing, the majority of the membership of the GAISF voted to ratify the decision of the executive committee in recognizing the IDBF as representing a paddle sport that is separate from other paddle sports such as kayaking, canoeing and outrigger canoeing. IDBF being elected into membership of the GAISF by the majority of the world's sport federations already in membership of the GAISF paves the way for the IDBF to seek membership in the IOC separate from the world federation for canoe racing. IDBF's membership application had been previously blocked by the GAISF member representing canoe and kayak racing, an international sporting association that originated early in the 20th century, following the development of canoe sport in the late 19th century and which claimed to automatically control the boat races which existed for more than a thousand years prior, despite not having organized any competitions or promoted the activity until only very recently and some 15 years AFTER the international modern sport was already being organized and promoted by dragon boat specialists with the assistance of the rowing fraternity.
History and culture of dragon boat racing
The use of dragon boats for racing and dragons are believed by modern scholars, sinologists and anthropologists to have originated in southern central China more than 2,500 years ago, along the banks of such iconic rivers as the Chang Jiang, also known as . Dragon boat racing as the basis for annual water rituals and festival celebrations, and for the traditional veneration of the Asian dragon water deity, has been practiced continuously since this period. The celebration is an important part of ancient agricultural Chinese society, celebrating the summer harvest. ''They first used a "dragon boat" to save a local scholar from drowning in the river and went to save his life. They now honour this feat on the 5/5 every year .''
The Heavenly or Celestial Dragon
The dragon plays the most venerated role within the Chinese mythological tradition. For example, of the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac the only mythical creature is the dragon. The rest are not mythical Dragons are traditionally believed to be the rulers of rivers and seas and dominate the clouds and the rains of heaven. There are earth dragons, mountain dragons and sky or celestial dragons in Chinese tradition.
It is believed sacrifices, sometimes human, were involved in the earliest boat racing rituals. During these ancient times, violent clashes between the crew members of the competing boats involved throwing stones and striking each other with bamboo stalks. Originally, paddlers or even an entire team falling into the water could receive no assistance from the onlookers as their misfortune was considered to be the will of the Dragon Deity which could not be interfered with. Those boaters who drowned were thought to have been sacrificed. That Qu Yuan sacrificed himself in protest through drowning speaks to this early notion.
Dragon boat racing traditionally coincides with the ''5th day of the 5th '' . The Summer Solstice occurs around June 21 and is the reason why Chinese refer to their festival as "Duan Wu". Both the sun and the dragon are considered to be male. The sun and the dragon are at their most potent during this time of the year, so cause for observing this through ritual celebrations such as dragon boat racing. It is also the time of farming year when rice seedlings must be transplanted in their paddy fields, for wet rice cultivation to take place.
This season is also associated with pestilence and disease, so is considered as a period of evil due to the high summer temperatures which can lead to rot and putrification in primitive societies lacking modern refrigeration and sanitation facilities. One custom involves cutting shapes of the ''five poisonous or venomous animals'' out of red paper, so as to ward off these evils. The paper snakes, centipedes, scorpions, lizards and toads - those that supposedly lured "evil spirits" - where sometimes placed in the mouths of the carved wooden dragons.
Venerating the Dragon deity was meant to avert misfortune and calamity and encourage rainfall which is needed for the fertility of the crops and thus for the prosperity of an agrarian way of life. Celestial dragons were the controllers of the rain, the Monsoon winds and the clouds. The Emperor was "The Dragon" or the "Son of Heaven", and Chinese people refer to themselves as "dragons" because of its spirit of strength and vitality. Unlike the dragons in European mythology which are considered to be evil and demonic, Asian dragons are regarded as wholesome and beneficent, and thus worthy of veneration, not slaying.
Another ritual called ''Awakening of the Dragon'' involves a Daoist priest dotting the bulging eyes of the carved dragon head attached to the boat, in the sense of ending its slumber and re-energizing its spirit or ''qi'' . At festivals
today, a VIP can be invited to step forward to touch the eyes on a dragon boat head with a brush dipped in red paint in order to reanimate the creature's bold spirit for hearty racing.
Qu Yuan
The other main legend concerns the poignant of a famous Chinese poet named Qu Yuan, also known as Ch'u Yuen. It is said that he lived in the pre-imperial ''Warring States'' period . During this time the area today known as central China was divided into seven main states or kingdoms battling among themselves for supremacy with unprecedented heights of . This was at the conclusion of the Zhou Dynasty period, which is regarded as China's classical age during which Kongzi lived. Also, the author Sunzi is said to have written his famous classic on military strategy ''The Art of War'' during this era.
Qu Yuan is popularly regarded as a in one of the Warring State governments, the southern state of Chu , a champion of political loyalty and integrity, and eager to maintain the Chu state's autonomy and hegemony. Formerly, it was believed that the Chu fell under the influence of other corrupt, jealous ministers who slandered Qu Yuan as 'a sting in flesh', and therefore the fooled king banished Qu, his most loyal counsellor.
In Qu's exile, so goes the legend, he supposedly produced some of the greatest early poetry in Chinese literature expressing his fervent love for his state and his deepest concern for its future. The collection of odes are known as the ''Chuci'' or "Songs of the South ". His most well known verses are the rhapsodic ''Li Sao'' or "Lament" and the fantastic ''Tien Wen'' or "Heavenly Questions".
In the year 278 B.C., upon learning of the upcoming devastation of his state from invasion by a neighbouring Warring State , Qu is said to have waded into the Miluo river in today's Hunan Province holding a great rock in order to commit ritual suicide as a form of protest against the corruption of the era. The Qin or Chin kingdom eventually conquered all of the other states and unified them into the first Chinese empire. The word China derives from Chin.
The common people, upon learning of his suicide, rushed out on the water in their fishing boats to the middle of the river and tried desperatedly to save Qu Yuan. They beat drums and splashed the water with their paddles in order to keep the fish and evil spirits from his body. Later on, they scattered rice into the water to prevent him from suffering hunger. Another belief is that the people scattered rice to feed the fish, in order to prevent the fishes from devouring the poet's body.
However, late one night, the spirit of Qu Yuan appeared before his friends and told them that the rice meant for him was being intercepted by a huge river dragon. He asked his friends to wrap their rice into three-cornered silk packages to ward off the dragon. This has been a traditional food ever since known as zongzi or sticky rice wrapped in leaves, although they are wrapped in leaves instead of silk. In commemoration of Qu Yuan it is said, people hold dragon boat races annually on the day of his death.
Today, dragon boat festivals continue to be celebrated around the world with dragon boat racing, although such events are still culturally associated with the traditional Chinese Tuen Ng Festival in Hong Kong or Duan Wu festival in south central mainland China .
Dragon boat racing as a modern sport
Modern dragon boat racing is organised at an international level by the International Dragon Boat Federation . The IDBF, a Member of the General Association of International Sports Federations recognises two types of Dragon Boat Racing activities, namely Sport racing, as practised by IDBF member organisations; and Festival racing, which are the more traditional and informal types of races, organised around the world, where racing rules vary from event to event.
* Sport racing distances are normally over 200 m or 250 m, 500 m, 1000 m and 2000 m, with formal Rules of Racing.
* A festival race is typically a sprint event of several hundred metres, with 500 metres being a standard distance in many international festival races.
There are also some very long endurance events, such as the Three Gorges Dam Rally along the Yangtze River near Yichang, Hubei province, China, which covers up to 100 kilometres and the Ord River marathon in Australia which covers over 50 kilometers
Popularity
Due to the long history of dragon boat racing in China, participants in cultural and racing events there number some 20 million people . Over the past 25 years, and especially since the formation of the IDBF and its Continental Federations for Asia and Europe , the sport of dragon boating has gradually spread beyond Asia to Europe, North America, Australia and Africa, becoming a popular international sport with a growing number of participants.
The Hong Kong Tourism Bureau helped move dragon boat racing into the modern era by organizing the first international races back in 1976 and eventually by facilitating the donation of teak dragon boats to countries around the world, starting in 1980 when three boats were sent to London England, for the Chinese Festival on the River Thames. The following year two HK style boats were also sent to Germany.
Notable Canadian Dragonboat Experience:
In 1986, 6 boats were donated to the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for use at Expo 86, the world exposition on transportation, during Hongkong Day celebrations on central False Creek in early July. The Chinese Cultural Centre Dragon Boat Association was therefore formed to put on the first races in Canada to use authentic dragon boats as the Chinese community's centennial project. . Mason Hung of the HKTA and currently IDBF Senior Vice President travelled to Vancouver in 1985 to advise the CCC DBA on organizing the inaugural competition, as he had been instrumental in developing the HK International DB Races throughout the 1980s. In 1996 the first IDBF Club Crew World Championships was convened in Vancouver, on the 10th anniversary of the introduction of dragon boat racing to Canada. In 2006, Toronto Canada hosted the 5th Club Crew Worlds on the 20th anniversary of dragonboating in Canada.
But even as early as 1945, Canada was hit with "dragon fever". The Vancouver Sun newspaper dated October 10, 1945 contains a story and picture of a dragon adorned plaque presented to the Mayor of Vancouver by representatives of the republican government of China immediately following cessation of hostilities of World War II in the Pacific. The news story explains that because Vancouver was the North American gateway to Asia, it would be the ideal city to host the first dragon boat race outside of China. The festival was compared to the Mardi Gras of New Orleans. Since 1946 was to be the Diamond Jubilee of the city, it was suggested that a dragon boat festival be convened to mark the occasion. However, this would have to wait until the city's 100th anniversary in 1986 and the world exposition.
In 1992, the Governor of HK Chris Patton presented a teak dragonboat to Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney as a way to mark the close cultural, social and business relations between HK and Canada. This craft is now part of the permanent collection of the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull Quebec. Canada reciprocated by presenting a carved red cedar totem pole crafted by British Columbia First Nations members. This symbol of friendship is displayed in a park in HK. So two hand crafted wooden cultural icons were exchanged between these two Asia Pacific nations.
Vancouver dragon boat experts were invited by the Hongkong High Commission to produce a dragon and dragonboat racing cultural celebration at the XIV Commonwealth Games in 1995 in Victoria BC as a way to mark the official farewell of HK from the Commonwealth of Nations, since the territory was to be repatriated to Chinese rule in 1997.
Today, dragon boat racing is among the fastest growing of team water sports, with tens of thousands of participants in various organizations and clubs in over 60 countries - 62 of which are IDBF members . The sport is recognized for the camaraderie, strength and endurance fostered amongst participants, and it has also become a very popular corporate and charitable sport.
In Europe, the largest dragon boat festival is held in Malmo, Sweden, where over 200 crews — 4000 participants — take part in the Malmo Festival which lasts over a week. In the UK on Bewl Water in Kent, the Bewl Water Dragon Boat Festival now involves around 1,200 competitors annually and in 2006 raised £165,000.
Several of the largest dragon boat events outside Asia include Rio Tinto Dragon Boat Festival Vancouver, British Columbia, the GWN Dragon Boat Championship Toronto, Ontario, Toronto International Dragon Boat Festival Toronto, Ontario, the Ottawa Dragon Boat Race Festival Ottawa, Ontario, the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York Queens, New York, and the Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Race Portland, Oregon. The three Canadian festivals feature ~180 teams and the New York festival features ~120 teams; all are held on weekends around the June Summer Solstice in accordance with traditional Chinese dragon boat traditions. The Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival has held its festival the first Saturday in October for the last six years and in 2007 hosted 136 teams, making it the largest one day Dragon Boat event to be held in North America. Portland, Oregon hosts several dragon boat races annually including the largest Taiwan style races in North America with over 100 teams and two full days of racing in front of 100,000 spectators at Portland's Rose Festival.
Further evidencing dragon boating's continuing rise in popularity is the 1st Annual Orlando International Dragon Boat Festival at Walt Disney World Resort slated for October 2008. The event marks the first time for dragon boat racing to be presented in the context of a major world class amusement park and family entertainment/tourism industry property and suggests that dragon boat racing will continue to expand and innovate in directions that canoe and kayak racing will never attain.
European competition is just as varied with many national bodies aligned to the European Federation and IDBF, running competitions attended by many crews during the summer season. The EDBF European Dragon Boat League runs throughout the summer and typically a League Race is held every month in a different Country.
The British National League and UK national championships are run by the . The championship is the culmination of a season following the National League series of eight races held between May and September. There is additionally a very active charity circuit operating on a more ad hoc basis throughout Europe.
But to put things into their proper perspective, it should be noted that China claims 20 million plus dragon boat adherents while a recent "small" festival in China featured a mere 500 crews !
Organizations, Recognition & Popular Culture
The established International Federations for dragon boat sport are the International Dragon Boat Federation and its Continental Federations, the European Dragon Boat Federation and the Asian Dragon Boat Federation .
The IDBF is the recognised World Governing Body of Dragon Boat Sport and a Member of the GAISF which is part of the Olympic Movement. In being accepted for GAISF Membership, the GAISF Council have ruled that Dragon Boating and Canoeing are separate sports with their own historical and cultural backgrounds and identities.
The ICF has had a limited interest in Dragon Boat Sport since 2005, organising an annual Dragon Boat Championship only for the small number of its Member Canoe Federations, approx 10, with an interest in Dragon Boating. Therefore the IDBF classifies ICF Dragon Boating as 'Closed Competition'. Indeed, at the time when the IDBF was being founded in the late 1980s, the then-president of the ICF Sergio Orsi wished the federation organizers well in developing dragon boat racing as a separate entity.
The vast majority of financial and human capital to originate, develop, promote and sustain dragon boat racing on an international level is based within the dragonboat festival community, as pioneered by the mother of all dragon boat festivals, the HK IDBR. The most significant technical assistance in the early development years came mainly from the sport of rowing, and in the case of a couple of countries from the sport of canoeing.
IDBF member associations or federations have been established in 62 countries or territories, since 1991 as well as many others and there are a further 15 other Countries known to the IDBF, with a developing interest in Dragon Boating.
The IDBF, whilst a Member of the GAISF, is not presently an Olympic Federation of the International Olympic Committee but will be applying for this status when it has the 75 Member Countries or Territories that meet the criteria needed for IOC recognition and inclusion in an Olympic Games. Some National Olympic Committees have already accepted Dragon boat national organization for national membership and the Olympic Council of Asia recognises the Asian Dragon Boat Federation as the IDBF Continental Federation with responsibility for Dragon Boat Sport in Asia.
In China, the origin of Dragon Boating, there is a clear position that Dragon Boat Sport is not a canoe sport, a position supported by the Chinese Olympic Committee; the GAISF Council and the Olympic Council of Asia . Dragon Boating, under the ADBF is now included in the East Asian Games; the South East Asian games, the Asian Beach Games and from 2010 the Asian Games.
In December of 2007, China added Duan Wu Jie to her schedule of official national annual holidays.
Over the past 5 decades, a number of countries have issued postage stamps commemorating Qu Yuan and dragon boat competitions in New Zealand , Canada , China and Hongkong SAR, among others.
'Celebrity' dragonboaters include HRH Prince William, who raced dragon boat while a student at Eton.
The Scouting movement has a "dragon boating badge".
Dragonboating and Olympic torch relays...
The first observed use of a dragon boat for the Olympic torch relay was for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. During the Sydney stage a Local Dragonboat club in Sydney, "" carried a torchbearer & Olympian along a section of the Parramatta River towards the Sydney Olympic Complex. For the full story refer to the DSA's document/download section .
During 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay, a dragon boat carried the torchbearer in the section on Shing Mun River, Shatin, Hong Kong . This had been never tried before in the history of torch relays. One day later , the torch was again conveyed by dragon boat in the section of the relay of Lago Sai Van , Macau.
Racing events
The IDBF has organised World Nations Dragon Boat Racing Championships for Representative National or Territorial teams every two years since 1995. In between world championship years, IDBF Club Crew World Championships are held for the world's top club-based crews.
In 2005 the IDBF introduced a Corporate and Community World Championships designed for crews that normally race in Festival Races and aimed at the 'weekend warrior' type of competitor and not the elite International standard or serious Club Crew competitor.
In 2006 under the patronage of the IDBF, the 1st World Championships for Breast Cancer Survivors - the 'Pink Paddlers' were held in Singapore. The 2nd BCS World Championships will be held in Miami, Florida, USA in July 2009, in conjunction with the World Corcom Championships
took place at the , just off scenic Marilyn Bell Park in Toronto's west end. Spectators and dragon boat fans from across North America – and the world – came out to spend the day on Toronto's beautiful waterfront and cheer on their favourite Dragon Boat crews. Over 2000 competitors took part and the event generated over 2 million dollars Canadian for the local economy.
Both the ADBF and EDBF also hold National Team Championships on alternate years to the IDBF WDBRC and the EDBF have held Club Crew Championships since 1992.
International 'festival' dragon boat races
The oldest International Festival Races are those held in Hong Kong annually. The HKIR have been held since 1976 and are acknowledged as starting the modern era of the dragon boat sport.
The biggest dragon boat festival racing events outside of Asia are in Europe, particularly in Malm&, Sweden and in the USA and Canada. Ottawa, Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal each host races featuring more than 180 25-person crews. These races take place over two days in mid-to-late June in correspondence with the 5th Day of the 5th Month custom.
International governing organisations
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National governing organisations
* Australia
* Canada
* Czech Republic
* Hong Kong
* Italy
* New Zealand
* Philippines
* Singapore
* United Kingdom
* United States
International dragon boat clubs
* Adelaide, South Australia -->
* Sydney, New South Wales -->
* Singapore -->
* Toronto, Canada -->
* California, United States -->
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