Dragon Boat Racing in North Carolina

Sharada tipped me off about this interesting North Carolina event taking place in May 2009.

2009 ASIAN FESTIVAL AND DRAGON BOAT RACE
The World’s Fastest Growing Water Sport Returns to Charlotte

The Carolinas Asian-American Chamber of Commerce (CAACC) and The Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation announce the Fourth Annual Charlotte Dragon Boat to be held on Saturday, May 16, 2009 at Ramsey Creek Park, Cornelius. As usual, this will be accompanied by the Annual Asian Festival, which will be celebrated for the tenth year running this year.

Like every year, this year’s festival will feature entertainment, including performances of traditional dances from the different Asian countries, the talent-filled Miss Asian Festival Scholarship competition, regional exhibits, ethnic foods and merchandise, creating a fun-filled multi country fair-like atmosphere.

Dragon Boat racing is the fastest growing water sports event around the globe. The event embraces and promotes competition, fair play, team building, community cohesiveness, culture and history. Organized competitions are held in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia, culminating in World Cup Championship races annually. In Charlotte, this event has succeeded in bringing together the Asian community and all the various other ethnic groups as they all enthusiastically embrace this sport from the East.

A Dragon Boat typically weighs about 600 pounds, measures 40 feet long in the shape of a canoe at 3.5 feet at its widest point. A wooden dragon head is attached to the bow and a tail at the stern. The hull is typically decorated with a design of red, green and blue scales edged in gold. Boats are crewed by a team of 22, with 20 paddlers, a drummer and a steer-person. You will hear competing teams propel their boats in sync with a furious rhythm pounded out by onboard drummers. All the noise and pageantry creates an atmosphere of excitement.

The festival and races were enjoyed by about 6000 -8000 people over the years from all over the greater Charlotte area with racing teams from the business community, non-profit organizations, high schools, colleges, citizen groups and breast cancer survivor teams coming even from Atlanta and Charleston, SC. For more details, please visit Dragon Boat Com.

Registered teams will have 2 free practice sessions, with coaching, 2-3 weeks before the event in the Lake Norman area, and the team is guaranteed to race at least two times on race day. Because of the time constraint, the number of teams will be limited to 40. Team registration fees received before April 17 are $600 for nonprofits and $700 for others. After April 17, it is $700 and $800 respectively. For more details, please contact Lina Waty at linawaty@yahoo.com.

Admission is free. Satellite parking areas are posted for all visitors, with shuttle bus services to the park.