When two online sources of paddling excitement meet, one of two things can happen. 1) They can compete for the same audience; or 2) They can unite and create something really special…together. And for those who know the energy of Paddlechica and Cali Paddler, it will come as no surprise that they chose the latter. Starting in November 2017, you will start to see some awesome authoring from each added to the other’s websites. Exposing more folks to the articles and excitement each website has created for the paddling community.
Whether you are new to paddling or a veteran on the boat, if you are serious about the sport of dragon boating you are continuously seeking out ways to elevate your paddling ability. Approach your training as a learning opportunity and focus on each practice session as a chance to develop your skills. Here are three elements of training that every paddler should embrace: Progress Your training is a continuous journey towards a goal (or multiple goals). Depending on your individual progression, you will inevitably have peaks and valleys in your training. But
What’s With the OC1 Time Trials for Dragon Boat Crews? So much time and energy goes into debating the question: “How will we select the best paddlers for the race crew?” I can assure you, your coaches and/or captains lose sleep on this question and realize that you are also losing sleep over this question! That’s partly why there is so much variation in how crews conduct their selection exercises. Some crews run trials where a pair of paddlers must move the whole dragon boat together over a distance; some crews introduce
A Few of My Favorite Things If your family exchanges gifts for the holidays, your loved ones may be struggling with finding great paddling-oriented gifts. With the help of some paddling friends, I compiled a list of favorite gifts for dragon boaters. Hint: share this list with your family so they know exactly what you’d like this season. Happy Holidays! 1) A lightweight, carbon fiber paddle with tons of designs to choose from, Hornet Paddle designs are printed directly on the carbon fiber and you can even create your own design! 2) The Dragon Saddle is not
Are you faking it on the dragon boat? Does your reach look amazing in terms of distance, but ends up being ineffective? Recently, I noticed some of the paddlers on my team “faking it” when I asked them to reach or “give me two more inches.” I realized that I was the one causing them to “fake it.” I would ask them to give me two more inches up front, and instead of reaching more with their outside arm, torso hinge, and rotation, they just focused on where the blade tip would
As it is Thanksgiving in the United States, I can’t help but think about all the reasons I’m thankful for dragon boating. Like most people, when I first picked up a paddle years ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had never paddled anything more than a kayak, bodyboard or surfboard. I had never even heard of dragon boating before! I thought to myself, “People do this for FUN?!?” I still tell newbies the story of how on my first day of practice we paddled
A new dragon boat paddler doesn’t get many weeks in a boat until they’re asked, “But, have you ever tried outrigger?” An astute new paddler will note that dragon boating is but one fast, sprinty, splashy, corner of a very large and comprehensive paddling universe. Becoming a part of the broader universe of single-bladed paddling should be a goal of any dedicated dragon boat paddler. For many people, dragon boating is like a “gateway drug” to the paddling universe. Tweet it! A new paddler is likely to wonder, “What do I gain
We’ve trained all season, we’ve worked hard, we’ve won (and sometimes lost) medals. Everyone sees the work that happens on the water or in the gym. We get rewarded for that work with the medals we earn at races. But what about all the other things that help make a good team the smooth, well-oiled machine that it is? It’s important to recognize those who make a positive difference in our sport! Tweet it! For many of us in the northern hemisphere our season has come to a close or is
Whether you are a “mouth breather,” a “heavy breather,” or a “silent breather,” the truth of the matter is: EVERYONE HAS TO BREATHE! But the question often is, “When do I breathe while I’m paddling?” Newer paddlers are often so focused on all the other complicated components of paddling that they completely neglect the importance of breathing. Yes, timing is crucial on a dragon boat, but so is oxygen intake! Breathing is the body’s way of bringing oxygen to the cells. You aren’t much use to anyone on the boat if you
We’ve all got teammates who aren’t even close to being on our list of “cool people we want to hang out with.” Some drive us crazy, some we can’t stand, and some we just wish would quit the team. What do you do about these teammates? I’m sure you are wishing that I would say to kick them out of the club, right? Sorry. You aren’t going to hear that. A team, like a family, involves all kinds of members with various personalities. And as much as these people might drive
