Ever thought about how long can you sustain the rigors of dragon boating? Well we can all confirm that the average age hovers around 65 now, kudos to ”The DogWood Nothin” dragon boat team in Vancouver, Canada! Huzzah!
Recreational dragon boating saw a growing population of seniors joining the sport, even though the physical severity of the sport leaves many with backaches, sore muscles and bubbly hand blisters. But that doesn’t stop the 57 crew of Nothin Dragon team which saw 14 newcomers and a waiting list of seven!
So what urges our overseas elders to dig in deep when the going gets tough? Through close bonds. They organize pot lucks, barbecues, and pub nights together! But above all that merrymaking, they train hard to win other teams that are younger, and eager to snatch the winning titles under their noses.
There are eight other senior teams that are registered for the 21st Alcan Dragon Boat festival (happening this weekend), and they are all set to whip their younger counterparts. Who’s going to win? What do the seniors think? Do they stand a chance?
“We like to say we have a little more wisdom and experience although they may have more muscle and testosterone,” says David Harrison, captain of the Eh team, which practises in False Creek.
Another senior quips: “These young kids, they are paddling their brains out and all they are doing is spinning their wheels, where we have a nice deep, maybe slower, but more powerful stroke and we go sailing by them. So there is some brains involved in the exercise,” Dan Strain, Captain of Nothin Dragon Team.
Such positive energy! We hope that they’ll win something from the trophy stand this weekend! All the best, seniors!
Article & Photo via The Vancouver Sun.
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