Category Archives: Dragon Boat Information

Gung Haggis dragon boat team performing well in race pieces

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Paddling on False Creek in the sunshine… with friends… on a dragon boat team.  Very Vancouver!

I love the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragonboat team.  I have managed and coached it since 2002, when the team morphed from the former Celebration team, which I had created in 1997.

This past Sunday, we did some full 500m race pieces.  You could feel the power in the boat.  Some of the rookies still need to develop their timing and many paddlers still need to develop their cardio.  But the potential is there and we are very happy with our development this year.

Our core paddlers are so enthusiastic they wanted to start paddling in February.  I told them they were crazy and should go skiing instead… but happily relented and joined them, when a Global television crew wanted to film us for their “Best of BC” news series representing cultural diversity.


The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team is about opportunities. 
It's
about community building.  It's about making cultural statements.  It's
about having fun and making friends.
And it's about dragon boat racing….

This year I wanted to create two dragon boat teams.  We now have about 35 active paddlers, coming to practices on Sunday afternoon at 1:30pm and Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 6pm.  Our system is flexible.  Come at least once a week, twice is recommended.  Pick a day, paddle, bring a friend and have some fun.  Each practice is different with different combinations of paddlers.  Everybody is getting to know each other, and we are encouraging more responsibilities and team leaders.

Last year we raced 7 dragon boat races + 2 canoe regattas.  We will do similar this year, starting on May 17th at the Lotus Sports Club Bill Alley dragonboat regatta.

This year is special.
Two weeks ago we had two time Olympic kayak racer Kamini Jain come out and give us a paddle clinic.  It really helped the team both improve their paddling, and as a bonding experience.  They got to watch each other on the video, cheer for each other, and encourage each other… which is what we do on the boat all the time.  Amazingly, Kamini really complimented many of our rookie paddlers.  She was amazed that some of them had only been on a boat for 6 or 7 times.


This year's Gung Haggis team is going to be incredible.
Adding the CC Dragons paddlers gives us so much more experience in the boat.
I have been drumming during our race pieces “as coach” waiting for our “star drummer” to come out.

Imagine conducting a symphony… where everybody knows what to do, when
to do it.  All you have to do is wave your arms, and signal the
transitions.

You don't do any counting… the team does it…. mentally… or only for key words.

You stand at the front, watch them, guide them, encourage them, coach
them.  giving out cue words…. like a race jockey on a thoroughbred
horse.

Todd Wong supports Raymond Louie's campaign to be Vancouver Mayor

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Vancouver city councilor Raymond Louie asked me to support his bid to be Vancouver Mayor.  Raymond would be a great mayor… I immediately said “Absolutely!”

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Raymond
stands in front of Historic Joy Kogawa House on April 25th, 2008.  This
was his first visit to the house, after supporting motions on city council to help save the house from demolition, and plant a cherry tree graft at Vancouver City Hall in 2005.  Raymond holds some of Joy Kogawa's books to share
with his wife and children – photo Todd Wong

Raymond Louie could be Vancouver's first Chinese-Canadian mayor.  He is
a multi-generational Vancouverite from the East Side.  He is a second
term Vancouver city councilor.

Raymond Louie has been getting some very significant endorsers including:

George Chow, Vision Vancouver Councillor
Joy MacPhail, former Deputy Premier and Leader of the Opposition
Doug McArthur, former Deputy Minister to the Premier
Wayson Choy, author of “The Jade Peony”
Richard Tetrault, artist
Darlene Marzari, former Vancouver City Councillor and B.C. Minister of Municipal Affairs
Eddie Chan, Chairman Zhongshan Allied Association
David Black, Canadian Office and Professional Employees Local 378 Vice-President
Margaret Birrell, Community Activist
and now….. me!

  My statement of endorsement is now featured on Raymond Louie's website:

“Raymond Louie actually lives the culturally diverse Gung Haggis Fat
Choy lifestyle that is my creative world. His own family straddles many
cultures and many generations, and he actively demonstrates that he
understands the many facets that can make our city shine like a
diamond. I have seen how Raymond makes things happen as a city
councilor, bringing together different groups and perspectives such as
arts, economics, heritage and cultures. As a mayor that empowers others
to be their best, Raymond will be dynamic and our jewel of a city
should shine even brighter.”

Todd Wong, arts advocate and creator of Gung Haggis Fat Choy

To support Raymond as the Vision Vancouver mayoral candidate, you have to
1) Join Vision as a member – click here!
2) Vote at the Vision Vancouver meeting on June 15th, Croatian Community Centre.

Raymond has recently made some wonderful statements on:

He has also currently “advocating for the
creation of a non-profit foundation that will establish a long-term
funding source for the chronically underfunded Childcare Endowment
Reserve.”

I have personally known Raymond since the fall of 2002, when he ran for
city council.  Initially, I met his wife Tonya first, because she was
on the board of Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society, where I had
volunteered for, and then was hired as a program coordinator.  I
finally met Raymond at the Chinese Cultural Centre when Mike Harcourt
endorsed COPE mayoral candidate Larry Campbell. 

After that our
paths just seemed to keep crossing, as Raymond was invited to present
the Queen's Jubilee Medals to VAHMS board members Jim Wong-Chu and
Kuldip Gill. As well, Raymond attended the opening of the “Three
Pioneer Canadian Chinese Families” at the Chinese Cultural Centre
Museum and Archives.  My great-great-grandfather Rev. Chan Yu Tan's
family was featured, and I was one of the featured stories as a
descendant.  Raymond attended because he was distantly related to H.Y.
Louie, whose family was also featured along with the family of Lee-Bick.

I have seen Raymond at many events throughout Vancouver over the past 6 years.  He is an effective city councilor and is active in the community.

To see him in action at City Council check out this video:

YouTube – EgoDensity Round 1
Raymond Louie criticizes Mayor Sam Sullivan's Eco-Density program

Here are some of the highlights when Raymond and I have shared together:

Raymond_Louie

Raymond climbed on top of the Taiwanese Dragon Boat head… and reaches out to simulate grabbing a flag before crossing the finish line.  I taught him how to climb onto the dragon head – neglecting to tell him it had never been done in Canada before.  Raymond lost the demonstration race to Olympic medalist Lori Fung. – photo courtesy of Taiwanese Cultural Festival.

August to September 2003, Raymond Louie was instrumental in helping to launch the inaugural Vancouver International Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race.  Raymond helped stickhandle through bureaucratic channels during a Vancouver Port strike, and participated as the flag grabber vs '84 Olympic gold medalist Lori Fung in a demonstration race.

November 3rd, 2005, Raymond supported the Save Kogawa House campaign at Vancouver City Hall, when we appealed to City Council for help.  City council used an unprecedented motion to delay a demolition permit application by 3 months, to give us time to fundraise and purchase the house.  Raymond also said that this project was so important he asked all the city councilors to make a donation that day.

January 2006, Raymond brings his family with wife and 3 kids to Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner.  The featured performers are Rick Scott & Harry Wong, and the No Shit Shirleys.

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July 2007, Raymond Louie calls for mediation to end the Vancouver civic workers' strike.  Mayor Sam Sullivan and the NPA decline mediation and let the “unnecessary strike” drag on for 3 months, before a mediator is finally called in on Thanksgiving weekend to settle a contract very similar to what other municipalities already settled for 3 months earlier.  Following a July 29th rally at Vancouver City Hall, Raymond Louie comes out to talk with members of Vancouver's civic unions.  I introduce him to my fellow workers of CUPE 391, Vancouver Library Workers – photo Todd Wong.

January 25th, 2008.  Raymond Louie appears on Rock 101's Bro Jake show with “Toddish McWong” to help promote the Gung Haggis Fat Choy event.

Gung Haggis 2008 Dinner 242

January 27th, 2008.  Raymond Louie wears a kilt to Gung Haggis Fat Choy. photo Gung Haggis collection.  A highlight of the evening is Raymond on stage with a group of men wearing kilts as a “Toast to the Lassies” chorus with co-host Catherine Barr – photo VFK.

Raymond Louie for mayor

March 13th, 2008, Vancouver Sun reports Raymond Louie's declaration to run for Vancouver mayor.  Raymond  invites me to be one of his supporters in this photo taken at the Chinese Cultural Centre courtyard.  I am standing on the far left with many key supporters of the Chinatown business and community organizers.  Dr. Kerry Jang is 5th from right – Kerry will run as a candidate for councilor with Vision Vancouver. photo Bill Keay Vancouver Sun.

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April 6th, 2008.  Tartan Day is officially proclaimed in Vancouver. Raymond seconded the motion in City Council, moved by Heather Deal, which passed on April 1st.  As deputy mayor, Raymond reads the proclamation prior to a Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team practice.  In this photo l-r: Chinese-Scottish-Canadian Michael Brophy holds the Scottish flag, Todd Wong, Raymond Louie holds proclamation, bagpiper Joe McDonald-  photo Todd Wong/Georgia Thorburn

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Raymond Louie speaks at the CUPE 391 Vancouver Library Workers annual general meeting.  He encouraged everybody to get involved in their union in order to help make positive changes.  He was very nicely received by the CUPE 391 audience.  In this picture, Raymond stands in front of another Vision mayoral candidate Gregor Robertson MLA for Vancouver-Fairview, while CUPE 391 president Alexandra Youngberg moderates – photo Todd Wong

Kamini Jain gives paddle clinic to Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team

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Olympic paddler Kamini Jain gives paddle clinic to Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team

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Kamini
Jain came out to give a paddle clinic. She is coach of the False Creek
Mixed and FC Mens teams – that brought home medals from the World
Championships last September in Sydney Australia.  Kamini is also a
two-time Olympic paddler at the Sydney and Athens summer Olympic games.  And she is v-e-r-y “Gung Haggis” with both South Asian and Italian ancestry.

Kamini
watched the team paddle out for their warm up from the coach boat,
while Todd got used to steering the boat with a little out board and
very sensitive throttle grip.

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Then Kamini climbed into boat and gave a drill:
stretching
forward with your hand along the gunnel of the boat until your arm was
parallel with the water.  That's how far your reach should be she said.
A 2nd drill:  paddling only with the bottom hand… and reaching as far as the first drill

  • She went down the boat making
    adjustments for each paddler. 
  • She gave demonstrations for the reach and how to grip the paddle (no champagne glass two finger grips)

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Kamini makes Stephen M utilize all his potential r-e-a-c-h!

Kamini did some paddle correction with each paddler
most notable:

  1. more stretch
  2. more forward lean
  3. working the hinge at the waist
  4. bottom hand placement

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Good s-t-r-e-t-c-h Jane!

some of the corrections she made on the video were:

  1. more reach
  2. bottom arm extended straight out (more reach)
  3. top hand staying high (not dropping out of the boat)
  4. exit – not flaring out
  5. recovery – not pulling the paddle into your body
  6. move head forward when you pull
  7. don't lean too far out
  8. get paddle deep in the water for the catch
  9. don't exit too late
  10. don't sit back too far at the end of your stroke
  11. use hips more

There were lots of compliments:

  1. good reach
  2. good top hands
  3. good
    blending
  4. good rotation
  5. good hips
  6. deep paddles
  7. rookies are looking real good

Attending the practice today were, in order of appearance on the video:

LEFT SIDE of the Boat

1) Gayle
2) Hillary
3) Keng
4) Alyssa
5) Joy
6) Ernest
7) Steve Behn
8) Joe
9) Raphael
10) Don
11) Christina

RIGHT Side of the boat

1) Tzhe
2) Jane
3) Cindy
4) Colleen
5) Leanne
6) Stephen Mirowski
7) Steven (“Yoga”) Wong
8) Devin
9) Sean John
10) Paulette
11) Pam

+
Michael
Gerard
Marion

Following
both Tuesday and Wednesday practices.  We will take the dvd to “The
Clubhouse” japanese restaurant – where we can watch the dvd, on a large
screen, while we enjoy cabohydrate replenishment.

Tuesday roster
will be limited to 22 paddlers, as last week we had the max, and not
enough on Wednesday to go out. Very sad and unfair to the paddlers who
came out on Wed.

please hit reply
to myself and Stephen Mirowski, so we can have a roster count confirmed for each day. 

If
you can only attend on Tuesday (some paddlers have classes on Wed) they
will be priority for Tuesday.  If you can attend either – please come
on Wednesday.

If there are 14 or 16 paddlers on each evening, it
makes it easier for me to do more one-to-one work with individual
paddlers.  If there is a full boat, I am less likely to do individual
paddler corrections. hint… more personal coaching on Wednesday!!!

see all the pictures:

Gung Haggis dragon boat paddle clinic with Kamini Jain

Gung Haggis dragon boat paddle clinic…

Cheers, Todd

Gung Haggis dragon boat practice SUNDAY 1:30pm, April 20

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The sun is expected to peek out for Sunday – while the chance of flurries is also expected.

It's snowing on the North Shore right now, after some hail this afternoon.

BUT….
Last Sunday was soooo much fun with two boats out, doing sprint races
side by side.  Expect more fun and practices like this as more people
come out.

SUNDAY APRIL 20th
1:30pm
Dragon Zone
Creekside Park @ Science World
bring your windbreaker and a cap… (for the sun 🙂

Next week is our video taping and special coaching session with Kamini Jain.  April 27th,

We have had 18 practices so far…

It is one month / 4 weeks until our first race at Lotus Sports Club Bill Alley Memorial Regatta, on May 17th,

we have practiced on Sunday afternoons, Tuesday Nights and Wednesday night

We have have been filmed by 2 news crews, Global TV News and City TV Breakfast Television.

We
have had 32 experienced paddlers out and at least 12 rookies…. and 3
signed up and paid veteran paddlers still missing in action.

Some paddlers are opting to skip Alcan Race, so we will have one good team for Alcan with a mix of veterans and a few rookies.

We are welcoming our new paddlers and will give them priority for our next races, as we continue to build a second team.  In the next few weeks, we would like to identify and prioritize our racers for each race.

It is 8 weeks until Rio Tinto Alcan
Dragon Boat Festival
Wednesday night, I attended the managers/captains meeting with Stephen Mirowski, Steven Wong, Stuart Mackinnon and Pash Brar.

There
will be no 50+ race.  It was dropped because there weren't enough
entries (they needed 6) Last year Gung Haggis & Friends entered and
came 4th, just a second out of 3rd place.

The actual Racer's
village and festival site is undecided because of construction, but the
race course will still be exactly the same, with boats finishing
towards the North East corner of False Creek.

Race format is the same as last year – 32 teams in Comp.  64 teams in upper Rec, and 32 teams in lower Rec/Novice.  

With
combined paddlers from CC Dragons and Gung Haggis Fat Choy + other
experienced paddlers + keener rookies, I see us improving over last
year's performance in the Lower rec/Novice division.  The boat feels
strong and smooth with the experienced paddlers.  The rookies are
learning fast. 

Let's get out and fill the boat for practices, and make it to the middle of the Upper Rec division.

See you SUNDAY!!!!

Todd

Gung Haggis dragon boat team finally paddles in the sunshine!!!

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GREAT PRACTICE on Sunday!

The sunshine stayed out – and it was warm!!!
no rain in sight… and lots of dragon boaters came out to paddle in the sunshine.

We had 28 people show up, so we took two dragon boats out.  Gayle Gordon led one boat, and I lead the other.  Both Stephen Wong and Stephen Mirowski started steering.  Ashleigh and Wendy were lead
strokes on the Chinchillas. Tzhe and Keng were lead strokes on the
Donkeys.  Gayle and I also took some turns at lead stroke as well.

We
divided people up into two teams, and alternated lessons with mini
sprint races.  The Green Swamp Donkeys won the first two
sprint races.  The Flaming Red Purple Chinchilla teamwon the third race.  As is our
tradition – after each race, the losing team gets to pick somebody from
the other team to join them.  So after they lost each race, the Chinchillas got to pick somebody off the Swamp Donkeys team, finally winning with 15 paddlers to 11 paddlers.

Sunday
practice was a lot of fun.  People really liked racing each other.  With more
people out on Sundays – we can have more races, as well as teaching
people how to paddle when another boat is right beside you, as well as
how to avoid collisions.

upcoming practices

TUESDAY April 15
6pm – on the water asap

This will be our only evening practice this week, as we are going to cancel the WED practice, because of the Managers.& Captains 7pm meeting for the Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival.  

Maybe with only one practice we will have more than 10 or 12 paddlers out for the evening – CROSS YOUR FINGERS!!!

Tuesday Night foodie club in effect… 
I think the vote is to go for 40% off happy hour at Kyushu Island.

WEDNESDAY- April 16
no dragon boat practice
7pm Managers & Captains meeting for dragon boat festival
@ Chinese Cultural Centre
corner of Carrall and Pender St.
– walk into the courtyard and enter the David Lam Multi-purpose hall.

THURSDAY – April 17
6pm practice with Gayle's women's team
if you can't practice on Tuesday….
Come out to paddle with the women!
email Gayle to confirm.   ggcater@mac.com
She says there has been room on the boat so far…

SUNDAY – April 20
1:30 @ Dragon Zone
It is Sun Run in the morning… so the traffic should be cleared up by the after noon for us.
We are hoping to have enough people for two teams again!
Following Sunday on April 27th, we have a special coaching & video session with Kamini Jain.

A Tartan Day dragon boat paddle practice… with bagpiper and proclamation reading

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HAPPY TARTAN DAY dragon boat practice!

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Michael Brophy holds Scottish flag, Todd Wong, Deputy Mayor Raymond Louie, bagpiper Joe McDonald – photo Georgia Thorburn

A very different kind of dragon boat practice today.

When I arrived, we passed out the tartan kilts, and the tartan sashes.  Because…

We had a City TV cameraman John Wilson come film our practice this afternoon.

And a bagpiper, my friend Joe McDonald, walked over from the Skytrain
station, while we were doing our warm-up under the covered gazebo.

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Raymond Louie holds the proclamation, while Joe McDonald plays his bagpipers – photo Todd Wong

We had a proclamation reading ceremony with the deputy mayor of
Vancouver, city councilor Raymond Louie.  Raymond used to paddle
dragon boats, and he shared a story, how on a day – just like today. 
with a bit of wind, and a bit or rain… he went out on the boat with
his team the Vancouver Sun Strokers.  And they capsized just beyond the
Cambie St. Bridge.

I told a story about Vancouver s Scottish heritage goes way back to the
first mayor in 1886 – Malcolm Alexander  McLean… way back to the
first Prime Minister in 1867 – Sir John Eh MacDonald…. way back to
the first Governor of British Columbia – James Douglas in 1858.

Tartan Day was first celebrated in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1986 to help celebrate Canada s Scottish heritage. 

In 1993 Tartan Day was proclaimed in B.C.

In 2002, Sean Connery leads 10,000 bagpipers through the centre of New York for Tartan Day.

And in Vancouver…. nothing…. for Tartan Day…. until this past week.
Tartan Day was proclaimed in Vancouver City Council

I asked Raymond Louie to explain how it happened.  He said there were a
lot of e-mails between us, and he credited me for making it happen, as
I emailed my connections in the Scottish cultural community, and had
the proclamation draft written by Ron MacLeod, Chair V of the SFU
Scottish Studies program.  The motion was made by Heather Deal and
seconded by Raymond.  Deputy Mayor Louie then read the proclamation.

Joe McDonald played another song on his bagpipes.  It was raining. 
People were smiling, and taking pictures.  It was Pam s first practice
with us, and she had kilt on (does she really know what she is getting
into).  It was wonderful for team spirit.

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Joe McDonald pipes the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team down to the dragon boat for their special Tartand Day Sunday practice – photo Lena Yamulky

We organized the team above the dock, and we were led down the ramp to
the docks by bagpiper Joe MacDonald.  We climbed into the boat.  And as
the paddlers backed the boat out, I unfurled the Scottish flag,
attached to the hockey stick.  The tv camerman was filming us… and it
looked real good.

Then somebody spotted team member Steven Wong, just coming down the
dock.  Question.  Do we continue backpaddling, or come in for Steven. 

We are an inclusive team.  Steven is a big part of our team.  We
paddled back in, waited for him to get a pdf, find a seat in the boat,
then paddled out for the camera again.

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Bagpiper Joe McDonald plays the pipes, as the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team loads the boat – photo Lena Yamulky

The flag unfurled beautifully.  When we started paddling forward, and
the flag flew nicely.  As we gained speed, it flapped strongly. 
Wheee!!!! Big smiles on our faces.  Great Fun for Tartan Day.

It was a good practice.  The rain stopped for the most part.  We
paddled pretty strongly with 23 paddlers out past David Lam Park.  We
did some technique exercises, backs and fronts, and kept the boat
moving.  We were back just after 2pm.  A shorter practice than usual –
but pretty good for a cold rainy day.

Following the practice, we had a leadership council meeting at the Wolf & Hound pub over on West Broadway.

Looking forward to seeing the everybody out on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

Vancouver Tartan Day

See pictures on Flickr:  Vancouver Tartan Day

See more on www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com

Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat practices Sunday March 30, Tues April 1, Thurs April 3

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Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team practices in the sunshine this week.

We meet Sundays 1:30
Tuesday 6pm
Wednesday 6pm
All practices at Dragon Zone @ Creekside Park
just south of Science World
meet above the Dragon Boat/ Aqua Ferry docks
at the green trailer building that is Dragon Zone club house

Practices this past week.

Sunday March 30, we had 19 paddlers
GREAT PRACTICE in the sunshine.  This is what dragon boat practices are all about… great people, great weather, great
experience paddling on a Sunday afternoon.  We did our usual paddle around East Basin, then up to David Lam Park.

Tuesday Beginner night
14
paddlers out on the water Tuesday… and the boat felt strong, even
with 3 new rookies.  Joe Easton, a 6 year veteran on the Gung Haggis
team says the team is way ahead of where we were this time last year.

We
had the second Gung Haggis Food & Social Club after-practice meal
at Congee House on Broadway.  A great way to introduce non-Asian
paddlers to lots of Chinese food.

Wednesday Rec night
The
Killarney Cougar Dragons had their first practice with teacher sponsor
manager Stuart Mackinnon.  Coaches were Todd Wong, Gayle Gordon and
Kimm Mitchell, and steers Steven Wong.

These high school
students had 20 paddlers out on the boat.  After some confusing paddle
clashing at the beginning, we soon had them paddling in time and having
fun.  Gayle remarked that they were remarkably good for their first
time, and easy to see how the team won Junior D silver last year, when
we had only the veteran paddlers paddling.

Gung Haggis practice had only 10 paddlers out tonight.
We
waited for our 10th paddler to show up, so we could take a Gemini boat
out.  We transformed the disappointment of a small turn-out into a
positive experience with more one-to-one coaching.  We rotated two
paddlers to do some lead stroke work with Gayle Gordon, and Todd moved
from seat to seat, working with different paddlers.

We did some
4 person quad sections (much easier with less people)… but that's all
we had… a front half of  4 and a back half of 5.  We did some good
paddling work, and brought in some intensity pieces of 10 and 20
strokes. GOOD workout tonight.

SPECIAL
EVENTS

Thursday April 3rd – 1pm
TARTAN DAY PROCLAMATION
at Vancouver City Hall
Come join me for a ceremonial reading as the mayor proclaims  April 6th as Tartan Day in the City of Vancouver.
Bagpipe ceremony with Allan McMordie.  I snuck in the words “Gung Haggis Fat Choy tartan” into the proclamation – see www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com

Thursday, April 3rd
8pm-8:30pm meeting time
Doolin's Irish Pub
KILTS NIGHT – 1st Thursday of each month.
9:30pm – live music with Halifax Wharf Rats.
This is an optional social event. 

FREE pint of Guinness if you wear a kilt.
We have 5 kilts for the team.  Tzhe Lam will have the Kilt bag, as I am working until 9pm.
This is a special Tartan Day event,

SUNDAY, April 6th.1:30
Dragon Zone @ Creekside Park
just south of SCIENCE WORLD

TARTAN DAY dragon boat paddle.
We will invite people to wear their tartans for paddling
invite your friends to join us for practice
hopefully we can have two boats on the water, for a photo opportunity for Tartan Day…. always good for recruiting!

This Sunday is TARTAN DAY. 
see www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com for details.

TARTAN DAY
celebrates the Scottish ancestry and contributions to Canada… and is
a good excuse for getting a free beer and a photo opportunity. See  The next celebration: Wearing the tartan

We
invite people to wear their polyviscous kilts, invite their friends to
come join us for paddling… and hopefully have a photo opportunity
with the media.  (all part of good community work and sets us up for
that very pretty Alcan Sustainability Award – cultural sustainability
is good).

We
will follow up a hard practice with well-earned carbohydrate
re-loading.  Sugars are carbohydrates.  Alcohol is a sugar.  Beer and
scotch are alcohols – a good way to replenish the body's carbohydrates
and celebrate Tartan Day.

APRIL 11th. 6pm-8:30pm
Dragon Zone
Special paddling clinic with Kamini Jain – 2 time Olympic paddler and coach of the False Creek Racing Canoe Club.
I
took a similar paddling clinic with Kamini last October and liked it so
much, I have signed up our team.  Kamini will give paddle instruction,
and we will video the team.  Then will watch the team, and Kamini will
critique each paddler.  Video can be a powerful tool.

Cost is
$400 for the team… so participants please bring $20 each. This is a
GREAT price.  I paid $75 for the workshop last year.

May 17th. Saturday Victoria Day weekend
Lotus Sports Club dragon boat regatta
Barnett Marine Park
Cost is $20 per person
I
have registered our team.  We will paddle some some friendly rivalries
with the Chilliwack Pirates.  Last year we came 1st in our final
race… but we didn't have the third fastest combined time – the
Pirates did.  Dinner Party at Raphael's in Port Moody following the
race.

Cheers, Todd
h: 604-987-7124
c: 778-846-7090

Join the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team: fun, fitness, friendship and the occasional haggis

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Join a dragon boat team that specializes in multicultural and community activities:
Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team


Emilie grabs the flag at the 2007 Vancouver Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race. – photo VFK

Hope you can join us for a wonderful
season of dragon boat paddling.  2007 was an AWESOME year for the
Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.  Our vision is to expand to 2 teams for twice as much fun for 2008.  We welcome our new and old paddler friends from CC Dragons to add lots of experience and fun to our team.








Our highlights from 2007 included winning a gold medal in B division at
the 3rd annual Greater Vernon Dragon Boat Festival, held on Kalamalka
Lake.  This is one of our favorite races, and we plan to be returning
to “lake of many colours.”

Other 2007 highlights include:

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In 2007, we raced 7 dragon boat races + 2 voyageur canoe races.  We were filmed for German Public Television ZDF for the program “Toronto to Vancouver by Train” http://wstreaming.zdf.de/zdf/veryhigh/071219_toronto_vancouver.asx



a) We became the poster faces for Kilts Night at Doolin's Irish Pub, every 1st Thursday each month.
b) We raced at the Lotus Sports Club dragon boat regatta at Burnaby's Barnet Marine Park
c) UBC Day of the Long Boat – 8 voyageur canoes bumping into each other
d) Two Gung Haggis teams at the Ft. Langley Cranberry Festival Canoe regatta – our beginner/fun team beat our advanced paddlers!

Some of our activities so far for 2008! 

On February 25 2008, we were featured on Global News as part of a news series highlighting what makes BC world class.  We represented cultural diversity!
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2008/2/28/3551687.html
You can see the Global News feature on the web
http://www.canada.com/globaltv/bc/video/index.html


One March 16th, we put some Chinese dragons and lions into the Celtic Fest's St. Patrick's Day Parade.  In the first three years of the St. Patrick's Day parade, we have put a Taiwanese dragon boat into the parade, but we had some technical challenges getting a dragon boat for the 2008 parade so Stuart Mackinnon and I paddled the car.

DSC_4460 Gung Haggis Fat Choy


Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team practices 


Sundays 1:30 pm – 3pm  (Recreation & Beginner team)
Tuesdays at 6:00 sharp to 7:45 pm (Beginner + technique practice)
Wednesday at 6:00pm to 7:45pm (Recreation + advanced practice)


All practices are from Dragon Zone, at Creekside Park
Southeast corner of False Creek
look for Green trailer building
South of Science World – just above aqua bus ferries.

Parking – park on the street. Try Quebec or 2nd Ave.
pay parking available at Science World – no parking on city lot anymore.

Price for Spring paddling is $180 each, and will cover boat rental, coaching, and registration in Alcan Dragon Boat Festival races June 21 & 22.  Other races cost additional.

Price for Summer paddling is aproximately $120 each, and
will cover boat rental, coaching, plus registration for one summer
race.  Additional summer races are aproximately $30 each.


Other possible races are:
May 20       Lotus Sports Club “Bill Alley Memorial Dragon Boat Regatta” (Burnaby)
July 15th    Kent-Seattle
Dragon Boat Races (Lake Meridien, Kent WA),
July 22/23 GreaterVernon Dragon Boat Festival (Kalamalka Lake, Vernon BC)
July 22       Fraser Valley Dragon Boat Festival (Harrison Lake, BC)
Sept 2/3    Vancouver
International Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race (Vancouver)

other races may be considered, depending on interest

Will we have 1 or 2 teams?
One
team is now confirmed for the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival – but if
enough new people come on board, we can expand to two teams –
Recreation and Beginner.

We
have a lot of people returning + paddler friends from CC Dragons, and we have lots of
interest from wanna-be paddlers.

Please
invite friends to come out to try dragon boating over the next two
weeks, before the boat starts going TOO FAST!

contact me by e-mail:    gunghaggis at yahoo dot ca
home phone: 604-987-7124

Cheers, Todd Wong

 www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/GungHaggisdragonboatteaminformation


Pictures from 2005
1) Drummer Todd with Flag Grabber Ed on The Eh? Team at Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race, featured in a 2007 scholastic textbook – “Literacy in Action”
2) Todd with Dave Samis, at Sea Vancouver Festival for dragon head carving tent

Gung Haggis dragon boat team practices at 1:30pm Sundays

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It's time for dragon boat paddling.  The sun has been greeting us for three Sundays in a row.  What could be better than paddling in the sunshine, gliding along the waters of False Creek?

The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team meets at 1:30pm, Sundays, at Dragon Zone – the green trailer at Creekside Park.  Find us just south of Science  World, above the False Creek Ferry/dragon boat docks.

We welcome experienced and new paddlers who want to incorporate both fun and fitness with a healthy dose of multicultural attitude and activities. 

For 2008, we are building both and advanced and a fun/beginner team.  We have a core of paddlers that have paddled 3 to 4 years, and we are adding some veterans that have paddled 8 to 16 years.  We also have some new rookies who have heard about how much fun our team is, and are asking to join us.

A typical Sunday practice, starts with introduction and a warm up.  This is a great way to loosen up and stretch the muscles, while learning about your team mates.  Perfect for building team unity, the coach (me) also shares the goals for the practice.

We climb into the boat, and warm up with several exercises.  It's always fun to feel the exileration of the boat gliding through the water under our own power.  There is something primal about paddling.  Just you, the paddle and the boat.  Okay… and another 19 paddlers more or less hitting the water at the same time.  Team bonding.  Letting the other 19 paddlers pull the boat, while you grab your water bottle, adjust your hat, or your jacket.  Ha!

Paddling on a dragon boat is a good way to exercise while sitting down.  But we still use all our muscles in our legs, as we emphasize hip and leg drive.   We rotate our torsos to facilitate a better reach.  We extend our outside arms forward to grab the water, plant our paddle in the water,  then pull ourselves up to the paddle.

Dragon boats have been around for more than one thousand years.  But modern dragon boat racing is still very young.  The International Dragon Boat Federation was founded in 1991 after teams from around the world started coming to Hong Kong during the 1970's and 1980's.

Today there are many recreational dragon boat teams all around the world.  Many like our Gung Haggis Fat Choy team paddle simply for fun and fitness.  There are some in Vancouver like the False Creek Racing Canoe Club that compete nationally and internationally.

This afternoon I participated in a dragon boat coaching workshop led by Kamini Jain, coach of the FCRCC.  Kamini is also a two time Olympian, paddling canoes and kayaks at the Sydney and Athens Olympic games. 

Calgary Dragon Boat Race in peril: permits not renewed by city

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Calgary has been the site of the Western Regional race-offs, to determine which dragon boat teams in Western Canada go to compete in the Canadian National races.  But the Calgary city officials have decided NOT to renew the permits for the Alberta Dragon Boat Race Foundation. 

This is devastating news to the Calgary dragon boat teams who are anxiously anticipating the start of the 2008 dragon boat season.  I personally know a number of Calgary paddlers, and the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team, has even helped to host the Calgary Paddling Club when they first came to the Vancouver Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race in 2005.

Check out this story.
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/city/story.html?id=0ba471d1-5965-4ba2-94a5-5a75af7ec4a5