Category Archives: Gung Haggis dragon boat team information

Gung Haggis Fat Choy parade entry in Celtic Fest – St. Patrick's Day Parade

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Gung Haggis Fat Choy parade entry in Celtic Fest – St. Patrick's Day Parade


Our 2005
float crew l-r: Adriana Ermie (green dress), Ellen Woodsworth (at
drum), Todd Wong (with Lion Head mask), Dave Samis, Margaret Gallager
(with paddle).

Come join the St. Paddy's Day parade – part of Celtic Fest Vancouver
March 19th – Sunday – 11am.

Gung Haggis Fat Choy style!!!

The parade time has been moved up to 11am this year.

If you can help us load the boat onto the trailer.
9am at DBA warehouse.  West 2nd that street near Bazaar Novelty.
Warehouse sign says MATCON – side gate sign says Dragon Boat Association.

Dave and Deb are coming to the trailer set up at 9am.

Others are arriving at 10am at the parade set up site to help decorate.
Richards St (between Drake and Davie St)

Hope you can come – this will be so much fun.
Free party on Sunday night at the The Plaza nightclub for parade participants too!

Cheers, Todd
cell: 604-240-7090

more parade info below
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Todd,

Important Information from Steve McVittie, Grande Parade Marshall
RE:  3rd Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, Sunday, March 19th

Thank you for your entry in this year's St. Patrick's Day Parade. Your entry
application has been approved.

Below is your arrival time and location details for your group. Please read this carefully:

Arrival & Mustering Location:    Location #4 -Richards Street, between Drake & Davie.

Please enter from Davie & Richards (South into Richards)

Parade Line up Position:           
Position #62

Arrival Reporting:  Upon Arrival, please be sure to report to a Parade Marshall.
(Parade Marshalls will be wearing safety vests).

Arrival Time:      Please be sure to arrive no later than 10:00 am
Parade Time:     The Parade begins at 11am sharp!

Other information:

To protect the public from injury, it is strictly forbidden to throw any
items at the crowds – pls. give away all items by hand only.
Give-aways/promo materials  must be have received prior approval by
CelticFest Commitee
Please note that all positions may be subject to change on parade day, due
to circumstances beyond our control.

NOTE: Dignitaries, local Media and VIP's will be sitting in the reserved seating

on the viewing stands, located at The TD Plaza, on the corner of Georgia & Granville.

Should you have any questions about your parade entry, please contact Steve
at 604-538-2277.


INVITATION: You and your group (Must be 19 years +)  
are invited to the CelticFest Wrap Party at The Plaza Club
from 5:30pm, where our volunteers will be sharing their stories and pints
while
the festival performers entertain you.  Film clips taken  from this
year's Parade and Festival will also be displayed on giant screens!
Admission $5.00

Dozens of other free Celtic performances and family activities have been programmed 
on Parade day (and before). To see the day's schedule pls. visit:
http://www.celticfestvancouver.com/schedule-mar19.html
On
March 17, don't miss our BIGGEST St. Pat's Night Out at
the Commodore Ballroom with The Paperboys & guest artists (19 years +).
For festival info, please contact Rita at 604-683-8331.

Thank you for helping us make this the BEST St. Pat's Day Parade
Vancouver has ever seen. Have fun!

Kind regards,

From:
Steve McVittie
Grande Parade Marshall
CelticFest Vancouver St. Patrick's Day Parade
http://www.celticfestvancouver.com/

Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat 2005 summary

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Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat 2005 summary:


We really achieved a lot this year!

The summer dragon boat paddling season is finally
over.  We started paddling in April and finished paddling in
September on
Labour Day weekend, with a wrap up dinner with surprise gifts for all
paddlers attending!. And during these past nine months from February to October we made lots of new
friends, welcomed old friends, and had soooooo much fun!

Not only did we paddle dragon boats, but we carved our own wooden
dragon heads and tails from cedar, put a dragon boat in Vancouver's St.
Patrick's Day Parade, got featured on national television, developed a
reputation as a “real fun” team, hosted parties at The Roxy, made lots
of dragon boat team friends, and raced for medals in every race we
entered.

*  Dragon Boat head and tail carving
at the Roundhouse Community Centre and filmed for CBC local news in
February, and featured at ADBF Dragon's Den tent + Sea Vancouver
Festival at Maritime Museum/Kits Point site.
   
 
*  Dragon Boat float in the Vancouver St. Patrick's Day parade – featuring
special guests City Councillor Ellen Woodsworth and CBC radio
host/reporter Margaret Gallagher in March

*  Taking highschool kids from Quebec out for a dragon boat lesson and mini-races
*  ADBF regatta in May
*  David Lam Award for Best Multicultural Team @ Alcan Dragon Boat Festival in June

*  CBC Newsworld national TV spot @ ADBF
*  Rec D finals for medals @ ADBF


*  Sea Vancouver Festival regatta Saturday & Sunday

*  Rec finals for Harrison DB races
*  Bronze medals for Taiwanese DB races


* 
Hosting after-race parties at The Roxy following ADBF and Taiwanese
races + 3-in-1 parties at the Roxy/Doolin's & The Cellar – always
giving FREE tickets to out-of-town teams from San Francisco, Portland,
Calgary, Tacoma…

*  + we helped out a lot of other teams such as Chilliwack Pirates,
Tacoma Destiny Dragons, Scaly Justice, The Eh? Team, and especially….
Concord Pacific Flying Dragons winning Gold medals in San Francisco –
Yeah Kristine, Dan and Pam!!!!
*  and…. got great compliments on our team-shirts!
*  wrap-up dinner on October 2

Did I forget anything?  A lot of teams have trouble doing just one or two of the above listed events….

Running a dragon boat team, is similar to owning a motorboat or a
sailboat. It is still a boat on the ocean that is like a hole – you
keep putting money into… but you love it just the same.

Coach Bob Brinson & I really were very very pleased with this year's team. Okay,
we often say each year is the best yet… but the 2005 version was
really special on many many levels. Kristine, Gail, Peggy, Dave Samis
and Deb,have been with the team through many of its different
incarnations, and Craig, Kristine, Dave Montrose, and Dave Samis have
been with me on novice, recreation and competitive teams, as well as
paddling with me on many other teams. We do have something special…
we recognize it, and we give thanks to you all.

The GHFC dragon boat team is something I have nurtured since 2002, and
the GHFC dinner since 1998. Managing, organizing and coaching both is
challenging, and I am thankful for having Bob coach it this year, and
supporting the team as steersperson in the previous years. This year I
gave Coach Bob a nice honorarium, something I have never been able to give
myself for coaching past years. But this year was a stronger year for
fundraising with a good GHFC dinner of 600 people, and $1000 from the
Roxy, + some fundraising parties at the Roxy throughout the year.

Many people have asked for off-season activities for physical
exercise… Here's an idea: a different event each month. Indoor
Rockclimbing, roller hockey, floor hocky, volleyball, badminton,
waterslides… just something fun, and social – this will also aid in
planning for next year's dragon boat team and GHFC fundraiser dinner.

For 2006, I would like to see 2 GHFC dragon boat teams. One for
beginners, and One for experienced paddlers – mix them all up, and have
double the fun we had this year.

Join the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team by calling me – Todd
Wong at 604-987-7124  or e-mail   gunghaggis 
@  yahoo.ca

Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team wrap up dinner at Pink Pearl Restaurant on Hastings St.

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Today we have a Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team wrap up dinner at
Pink Pearl Restaurant on East Hastings St – just west of Clark Drive.

We will be showing DVD videos of the team featured in CBC Newsworld
this year at the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival, and from last year's
Thalassa dragon boat documentary filmed for French Public Television.

Newcomers welcome,
Dinner time is 5pm.
For more information
call me at 604*987*7124
Todd

UBC Day of the Longboat – Full contact voyageur canoe bumper car race mayhem

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UBC Day of the Longboat – Full contact voyageur canoe bumper car race mayhem

If you walked along Jericho Beach this weekend and spotted voyageur
canoes and wondered what was going on, and then ran into  the
crowds of paddlers at the Jericho Paddling and Sailing Centre. 
You discovered the UBC Recreation program that has expanded to almost
160 teams: from people who have only been in a canoe once before… to
seasoned dragon boat paddlers hunting for post-dragon boat bragging
rights.

It's not an event for the weak of heart, as the 2 kilometre races are 4 times as long as a 500m dragon boat race.

Check out the ongoing hot tub parties – a necessity for re-warming the
body after falling in the ocean, or running through the waves as a
designated team runner must jump in and out of the boat to shore
grabbing a traffic cone or banging a gong at the race finish.

Many of the UBC teams are brand new, young and inexperienced canoeists,
paddling out of time, slowly and for the sheer fun of experience. 
The dragon boat paddlers in Sunday's communty division are seasoned
veterans of many years and races throughout the summer, demonstrating
precision timing and technique and regularly posting the fastest times
of the races.

Last year was my first time participating, as I joined up with Tacoma's
Destiny Dragons, gathering many Vancouver area paddlers to join in
cross-border friendship.  This year, I became team photographer
due to a shoulder injury.  But we had core Gung Haggis team
paddlers paddling, as we have a good friendship with the Tacoma Dragon
Boat Association and have joined them for events in Tacoma, Seattle,
and Vancouver over the past few years.  Coach Clem is an
ex-patriate Canadian from Alberta, and balances the team on
participation and fun.  It's always a pleasure to join this crew.

I shot pictures for Gung Haggis paddlers Kristine and Dave, who also
paddled last year with us, as we won the Men's Division.  Pictures
coming up later…