Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team prepares last practice for 200m sprints



It was our last practice before the 200m sprint regatta set for
Saturday April 14th at Dragon Zone.  Normally our team never hits
the water before April, but this year we have a core of 3rd year
paddlers who really want to take our team to another level.  While
I was in Vernon on Easter Weekend, our senior paddlers Stephen
Mirowski, Dan Seto and Ernest Wu took over the instruction reigns and
pushed the team to build strength and endurance.  I heard from one
of the new paddlers that it was a tough workout.

We have now been on the water for 10 practices since March 4th. 
Only on March 11th, a cold rainy wet day, we didn't have enough people
to take out a dragon boat…. so we took 6 people out in 2 person
Marathon canoes and had a great time, having little races.

For tonight's practice we had 19 paddlers on the boat… including 4
paddlers from the UA Power Dragons which I coach on Saturday.  Two
of the paddlers I knew.  Two of the paddlers I had never seen
before.  It was the first time on a dragon boat for Dan, and the
2nd time for Kiel.  I really don't like putting people into a race
with only 1 or 2 practices.  There are injury concerns and
technique concerns…. But I told the guys to just watch the
techniques, focus on timing.  I didn't want any power from
them.  They are strong atheletes who play other sports.  Try
to hold them back, eh?

We
focused on race prep, and our race day routine.   We did a race piece
with myself
 and Wendy as lead strokes.   Then I coached with Wendy and
Marlene as lead strokes. 

We worked on our 6-18 start.  Six slow strokes + 3 sets of six ups
(up,
up, up, 4, 5, 6) followed by two counts of “Reach with Power.” 
For a 200 m. race, we have enough time for starts + 2 power series
or  start, power series, and finish.  It's very short. 
A normal dragon boat race is 500m, and usually takes us 2:30 to 2:50.

We had a full race piece with GVRD 44 Cheeks, then a race starts Saints
Preserve Us.   GVRD is coached by my friend James
Yu.   Saints are coached by another friend Susan.  We
have friendly pre-race chatter between the boats, introducing the
teams, making jokes about each other… trying to psych each other
out.   Then we move the boats apart and tell the paddlers to
put their paddles in the water for a race start.

Darn those Gemini boats… we are sitting heavier, and
plowing the water.  They are lighter than the fibreglass 6-16
locally made dragon boats – but they are narrower, shorter and less
buoyant.  The races were still pretty close, and we had a
number of beginners in the boats, and a few people who were only on
their 1st or 2nd time paddling this season.

Looking forward to Saturday, and having everybody out.  We will
rotate new rookie paddlers into the lineup, and we will run the
final boat with veterans.   This serves to help rookies learn
the
ropes, and have the multi-year veterans give the 2nd and 3rd year
paddlers a better quality experience.

We are fortunate to have veteran paddlers Kristine and Craig join us
for the race.  They both raced on the 2001 Civil Serpents team
that won Comp B silver – which I coached and steered.  They are
two of
my favorite paddlers friends.  Craig first paddled on the
Celebration
team in 1997, which changed its name in 2002 to Gung Haggis Fat Choy.

We are glad to have Ian and Cory from the Pirates – whom we
consider dear friends.  Ian paddled on the GHFC '05 team for Alcan, and
Cory joined us for regatta that year.  Last year, GHFC joined Pirates
for Victoria '06.

Stuart has joined GHFC and Tacoma DBA for Day of the Long
Boats for 2005 and 2006.  He and Linda are from the Scaly Justice Team,
which Dan joined for some practices in the fall.

Our core team members include Peggy, Marlene, Keng, Ernest, Joe, Dan,
Steven W., Gerard, and Stephen M. + drummer Deb.  Jonas and Wendy
joined us as rookies last year, as did Richard, Queenie and Tzhe. 
Georgia paddled on Burnaby Tsunami last year, and has joined us for
2007.   Joining us this spring as rookies are Stuart, Cindy,
Jim and Alex.  Pash is really a Pirate paddler and joins us for
Tuesday practices.  Julie joined us last year too, but has
Polynesian dance classes on Sunday, and will drop in on Tuesdays too!

So…. friends all around – that's the way we like it!

Cheers, Todd

Gung Haggis paddler, Dave Samis,  races in Australian National dragon boat races

Dave
Samis, is one of the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team summer
paddlers.   For the Alcan Festival he races with his work
team, GVRD 44 Cheeks, then he joins Gung Haggis Fat Choy for the
summer.  He is a staunch supporter of our Gung Haggis Fat Choy
Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner, and many of our extracurricular
activities such as dragon boat head carving or our St. Patrick's Day
dragon boat floats.

Dave
has just finished racing with a pick-up Canadian dragon boat team,
organized by Paul Boileau of the Ft. Langley Canoe Club.  Paddlers
from across the Vancouver Lower Mainland joined for the chance to have
an enjoyable vacation, and race against some of Australia's finest
dragon boat teams.

Dave writes:

Hi Gung Haggis paddlers

Internet has been down at many places I've tried over last
few days.

Report from Down Under

Another Clearly Canadian paddler was injured prior to the
races. Lila was almost hit crossing in a  crosswalk in Sydney by a speeding car that didn't stop.  She dove for the sidewalk and just missed
being hit.  It was so close passer-by’s
thought she had been hit.  She bruised
her right side hitting the sidewalk.  Hmmm,
that's three paddlers hurt now.  Me in the
scooter accident in Hawaii, Lorriane in a separate scooter accident in Hawaii,
and then Lila in Sydney.  And we only
have one spare.

The Australian Nationals April 6, 7 and 8th.

Although we had already been registered for quite a while,
we reconcieved word that this competition is only for Australian teams not international
teams, before we left.  Letters flew
back and forth and the officials changed their minds and let us come….however
we would be a demonstration team only…no medal round races.

April 6th 1000 m races

We moved into our tent right (closest one to the stands, podium
etc.) and we felt that the Australian teams were not expecting to see us and
that they were worried about us.

The teams competing were the state champions (of each Australian
state) and they were competing to be the team(s) that would be Australian champions
that would represent Australia internationally.

In our first races, our Women's Masters team paddled well
but came in last against very tough competition.  Then something completely changed ….the Australians came over
to greet us and to meet us.  It turned
out that they thought we were a hot shot competitive Canadian team coming to
trounce them at their own Nationals. 
Once they found out that that wasn't the case they all wanted to be our
friends and to trade team jerseys with us. 
They couldn't do enough for us.

April 7th 500 m races

The day stated with the announcer introducing us and talking
about us and then asking all the people to stand while O Canada was played over
the loud speakers.  All the Aussies
stood up and cheered (two of our team members that were standing beside me
started crying) Quite touching.

Woman's Master's team came is last in the first race.

Our mixed team with only 9 male paddlers, including me with
my hurt ribs, didn't expect to do well against Australia's best.  When the race started our drummer (Sheena
Davidson) screamed at us and the steers (Paul Boileau) did also.  We put everything into the race and came in fourth
amongst the best teams there – way better that we had expected we'd do.  Our time was 2:11  with only nine males and eleven women (the women were tired as
they had recently races their own race). 
So we did well.

One strong woman, paddler Elizabeth, hurt back paddling hard
in the finish and had to be helped from the boat at the end of the race.  If you are keeping score that is four injured
now.  I'm paddling right as my left
chest is hurt, Lila is paddling left as her right side is hurt (diving out of
the way of the speeder in Sydney) Lorriane's has her arm wrapped in a tensor
bandage (from the scooter accident) and now Elizabeth is hurt.

After our woman's team raced our Clearly Canadian mixed team
raced again with our spare replacing Elizabeth.  Our second 500 m was like the first.  We again were just a fraction of a second behind third in four
place.  Our  time in this second 500 was 2:12. 
Still doing well with only 9 men paddling.

We weren't allowed to race our mixed team in any finals
(this meet was for the Australian State Champions only) but back at the tent we
were quickly taking on celebrity status. 
Paddlers from the Australian teams gathering around to talk to us and to
exchange, hats, shirts, pins or what have you.

April 8th 200m races

I’ll send you the report on the April 7th , 200 m sprints,
the ceremonies there and the party after in the next e-mail.  Also info on the country here.

Really gotta go now.

Dave