Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Taming the dragon in Edmonton's River Valley

On any given evening if you amble by Dawson Bridge in Edmonton you will see numerous folk donning lifejackets and holding paddles, alongside others who are performing various warm up exercises.

These brightly coloured patrons are about to board a dragon boat, a kind of long boat, that will seat up to 20 people plus a steersperson (a person who stands at the back and steers the boat) and a drummer (sits at the front and coaches the crew).

Originating from southern China, dragon boating is the world’s fastest growing international team water sport; the beauty of the activity being that you can start as a coach potato and with time, practise and passion can work your way up to a competitive team level fairly quickly.

Dragon boating is also an entertaining sport to watch and family-friendly festivals are held on a frequent basis. These events are fun for everyone whether you prefer to volunteer, watch or participate.

Of course Edmonton’s River Valley is the perfect environment for dragon boating and the Edmonton Dragon Boat Racing Club (EDBRC) holds practices on most weekday evening for the novice to the competitive.

If you are interested in joining an activity that encompasses team work, physical exercise and endurance; together with the benefits of being outdoors and meeting new people, go to the EDBRC website for further information.



Edmonton Dragon Boat Racing Club qualified last year to send teams to both the World Club Crew Championships (in China) and the Commonwealth Games (in Malaysia) in 2010.

For more information go to:

Edmonton Dragon Boat Racing Club 

Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival