Dragon Boating has its roots in Chinese tradition and culture. The event is said to have originated millennia ago, when from all over China the first race was organized to commemorate the death of a righteous poet. The boats have dragon heads for bows, and dragon tails for sterns. The 20 paddlers, 10 on each side, symbolize, with their paddles, the dragon’s legs. There is also a drummer and a steerer (helm). In traditional festivals, the crew may be any number from 10 to 50 paddlers plus drummer and steerer. The boats are raced in distance of 200, 500 or 1000 meters in sport racing, or up to even greater distances in traditional festivals. Since the foundation of the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) in 1991, dragon boating has rapidly expanded. Today, 33 years after the first international festival that took place in Hong Kong in 1976, there are more than 50 million registered members in China, 300 thousand in Europe, 90 thousand in the USA and Canada, as well as thousands in Australia and New Zealand. The sport is currently being developed in Africa and the Caribbean. Dragon boat racing falls into two categories: Competitive racing and festival racing. Competitive racing in events organized by the IDBF, or its European and Asian counterparts EDBF and ADBF respectively, is done by highly trained, elite national teams. However, National Dragon Boat Federations worldwide have developed recreational training and racing championships or events, which gather a large number of people who just want to socialize, have fun and enjoy the many excitements the sport has to offer. A big factor contributing to dragon boating’s popularity is the fact that a crew can very quickly become competitive, without prior knowledge of the sport itself or any other relative paddle sport. Many crews that take part in these recreational events come from community groups, company groups or other organizations, and come to dragon boating to achieve greater group unity, to sharpen their team spirit, or simply to get a better opportunity to socialize. Dragon boating is a relatively new to the western world sport, but it has a bright future. It is now the fastest growing water sport, and it has very good chances of becoming an Olympic Sport soon. It is a recreational activity that anyone can take up; one can compete at different levels according to their goals or physical fitness. Anyone can do it, either simply for fun, or with more serious goals in mind. Young people, older people, men women, stronger, weaker people, dragon boating is for everyone! That’s what makes the sport so special. So come on and take the challenge and enjoy this new experience!
