[Guest]

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

 

Dragon Boat Canada


IDBF


Canoe Kayak Canada

187 Guests, 0 Users

[gunghaggis]

Here's a report from Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat paddler Dave Samis - who is paddling and steering on the Canadian dragon boat team that went to Sydney Australia.  Dave allso paddles with GVRD 44 Cheeks for the Alcan and Penticton races, and he paddles outrigger with Lotus Club

Americans will know Dave, as he has also raced with the Wasabi organized seniors team at Alcan in '05 and '06, paddled UBC Day of the Long Boat with Tacoma DBA, and steered for San Francisco's Dieselfish in Victoria '03.  All part of our Gung Haggis dragon boat "rental paddler" network.

The "Clearly Canadian" crew was orgzanized by Paul Boileau of the Ft. Langley Canoe Club.  Also on the boat is Karmen Alukh from Chilliwack's "Sudden Impact."  The team is coached by Rob Magus of FCRCC.

Dave's earlier reports of the Ft. Langley BuK boat being stolen/sawn in half, meeting the team in Honolulu, and their visit to Bondi Beach during the mini "tsunami" are posted on www.gunghaggis.com

Dave wrote:


Report
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 received 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 her 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

[kryssee]

You left us with a cliff hanger! Looking forward to more stories!

[gunghaggis]

Dave Samis sent me this report this morning...


First a continuation of the report.

April 8th 200 m sprints in the Australian National.

As I had mentioned, we evolved from being the feared hotshot team from Canada that was pushing itself into their Nationals Championships to being celebrities.  On the 7th,  a great cheer went up when we were introduced and following our introduction, O Canada was played over the loudspeakers and everyone stood to honour us.  Paddlers from all the different teams came by to talk to us.

On the 8th we had 200 m sprint races and I steered for our mixed team.  All teams were very close with us being in fifth place by a tiny fraction of a second.  All the boats were within 3 seconds of each other.  Close races.  But then, being only 200 m lends itself to having close races.  Our mixed team had only two 200 m races. 

Women’s Race
Then, when we were getting packed up to go, our women were again called to muster for another (third race)  but it wasn't expected by most and some of our women had left the site.   We were able to get together 16 of our women, for this race, and I steered their boat in our last race.  With these 16 women, including the injured ones, we got our best time for our women's team of the last
three days.

After the races there was an awards ceremony and we were the first to get medals,  We got Australian National championship - participant - medals that I think had just been minted for us.
That evening there was a paddlers party and some of our paddlers stayed until closed.

After the afterparty
After the party, our communal event was over but many team members still stayed together.
The largest contingent moving to Manly Beach.  The next largest group (9 paddlers) travelled north to Townsville leaving Penrith at 3:30 that morning (same night as the party), 4 went to New Zealand, 2 rented a motor home and traveled north and 2 headed home.

I'm in the group that flew to Townsville.   From where we rented a car and drove to Mission Beach.  Beautiful but right now with all the rain - oh I forgot to tell you that we brought our Vancouver weather to Australia with us.  It rained part of every day of the Nationals and every day since.  Even Aussies were asking us if we brought the cold windy rainy weather with us.

Now back to the Townville group of 9.  Once in Townsvile we split again with two going on a three day cruise to the great barrier reef.  The other seven rented a mini van and drove north in the intermittent rain, stopping for the first night in Mission Beach.  Then on to a rain forest (rain it did)
cable car that carries you 7.5 km over the forest canopy.

Then back in the van driving through to Port Douglas.  Where I am right now.  Today the group of seven took a boat to the outer Great Barrier Reef where we did a bit of snorkelling and some did a dive or two. The wind was strong and waves were whipped on the journey out to the reef.  The large catamaran bounced back and forth in the large wind whipped waves.  Some people got
sick.  One passenger threw up on this writer.  It wasn't that pleasant with the waves even in the lee of the reef.

So you are up to date.

Dave

[Swordfish]

Good job to everyone who went!  Way to represent!

[DiggerPig]

Dave started this post and I think he's done a great job of sharing our experience.  I think it's only fair he finish his recount of our races.

This was a collection of rec paddlers that came together for a fun experience and to represent our country and our province at the Australian National Championships.  We're not the best our country has to offer but we never claimed to be.  Instead we went into each race with enthusiasm, laughter, and a determination to be competitive.  I know we did that.  I am very proud of both of our womens and mixed team. 

Digger Pig

Captain of the "Clearly Canadian" Mixed Team in Australia

[Sammy Davis]

Here's a recap of the adventures of the Canadian team that raced Australia's best earlier this month.

Story begins here on the wet coast before departure.

Ft. Langley
In driving rain on March 24th, we gathered for our last practice together before leaving for Hawaii and Australia. When we went to open the gate to the dock we found that the gate had been ripped off it's hinges.  A quick look at the dock and we could see that the BuK, we were going to practice in, was gone.
It appeared that someone had broken the gate and stolen the dragon boat.  We checked to make sure that no one had just moved it - nope, it was gone.

We all piled into the 6-16 that was still tied up there and paddled off down the channel - I steered.
Checking the shore for any sign of the boat we went down to the main part of the Fraser River (which was high in the heavy rain) no sign of the BuK.
On the return trip we were flagged down by a man on a neighbouring dock.  He told us that a steering oar had been taken from his dock.  To steer the stolen BuK, it appeared.
We were informed by him that our dragon boat had been found by the RCMP in Kanaka Creek (name used for Hawaiians in 1800s in this area).  We decided it was too far to paddle over and pick that day so one person went to check it out.

He found it intact and chained it there for pick up the next day.  But when a group paddled over to get it they saw that it had been cut in half.   Half the boat was still chained in place.

Later, the RCMP found a guy painting a 1/2 dragon boat that had been modified.  He's added a transom and a plywood deck and was painting it black.  When questioned by the RCMP he siad that he'd found the boat.

Hawaii
32 Clearly Canadians gathered in Hawaii before departing to the Olympic site in Penrith to compete.  With a few days full of events we also fit in an outrigger practice in front of Waikiki - using dragon boat paddles.
A couple of us were injured in motor scooter mishaps there before leaving for the races (me my left side from sliding down the highway wiith the scooter on top) and one woman who hit a parked car injured he arm.

Sydney
Now 33 strong we had a couple of days to sight see before we migrated to the Olympic site at Penrith.
Another woman was slightly injured diving out of the way of a speeding car.

Penrith
Incredible site.  A shallow rectanglular lake with fully marked lanes.  The colours of the markers, told you how far along you were and even where to call the finish.  Very very nice set up.   Large covered grandstand for fans and teams plus the usual team tents along the south shore of the lake.
One thing though, we were told that we were responsible for bringing the rain and cool weather with us.
Yes, rain.  But would rain for a bit then clear up then clouds would slide back in and it would rain again.  Even in Hawaii we experienced some rain.

Upon setting up camp it became appart that the Aussie teams were concerned about the hot competitive team from Canada.  When the first of our two teams raced (Women's Masters) they could see that this wasn't the case and it took some of the edge off.  Soon all the Australians wanted ot talk to us and to trade jeseys and hats with us.  We were the only international team there and soon became celebrities of a sort.

We had been notified,before leaving the Fraser Valley, that we shouldn't have been allowed to register because this was an Australian only contest for the state champions to compete to see who would represent Australia.  We were allowed to come but were told that we would not be in the finals or medal rounds.

Day two - 500 m races
The day started with us being called up in front of the podium and in front of the stands where we were introduced over the loudspeaker.  Then everyone was asked to stand while O'Canada was played.  Very emotional.  Two team members standing beside me were crying.

The team that wad thought to do well - our Women's Masters team came in last.  However, our Mixed team with only 9 men and 11 women (some who had just raced in the women's) did unexpectedly well.  With our steers and drummer screaming at us we put everything into it and came in fourth in our heats against the best in Australia.  Our times were 2:11 and 2:12.  Good for a composite team with only nine men.  I paddled on the right because of my injury in Hawaii.  Two women also paddled hurt.  When we were called to "Finish it Now" we were digging in and giving it our all and another person was injured - she put her back out.

Third day 200m sprints
Again our mixed team did well against very tough competition and gained fifth place finishes.  I was sweep (Aussie for Steers) in these races.  Our women's team got some good times but because of the competition were at the back of the pack.

After the races one of our male paddlers was taken to the hospital with chest pains - turned out to be a pulamory embolism - left unattended for 24 hrs he would have died we were told.  Yikes !
If you were keeping score that is 5 injured out of 33.

After the paddles party we dispersired with a large group going to Manly Beach (near Sydney) and 9 heading north to the Great Barrier Reef (I was in this group) and four going to New Zealand, two traveling in a rented motorhome and two headed home directly.   Many adventures shared that had nothing to do with paddling.

[gunghaggis]

Ooohhhh.... what a road trip!!!   

Lots of stories...     

Will the team have a reunion?
Will they meet in Calgary?  or Penang?

Maybe in Victoria or Whistler?

How about Portland or Kent WA or Salem OR - then you can really be an "Internationally Exclusive" team!   

[DiggerPig]

Ooohhhh.... what a road trip!!!   

Lots of stories...     

Will the team have a reunion?
Will they meet in Calgary?  or Penang?

Maybe in Victoria or Whistler?

How about Portland or Kent WA or Salem OR - then you can really be an "Internationally Exclusive" team!   

There is something in the works for Calgary and/or Penang ... this was a great bunch of people and once you've travelled half-way around the world ... it's hard not to do it again.