The LPBC Dragon Boat team travelled to Chattanooga, TN on the weekend of July 23rd to compete against the best club crews in the US.

This second year team is comprised of athletes from many different paddling disciplines, some of whom were rookies to this team sport. Since deciding to compete at the Nationals last October, the LPBC crew has been training year-around: winter circuit workouts at the boat club and summer water practices in Racine, WI (the site of the closest available dragon boat). This dedication and commitment paid off in a huge way.

In addition to winning our division, we won the overall award for the best team at Nationals this year with a perfect seven wins in seven races (including heats and finals). This was a phenomenal result for such a young team. In addition to winning the 2010 US Club Crew National Title, the LPBC Dragon Boat Team also won a berth to compete at the World Club Crew Championship in Hong Kong in 2012 (http://idbfworldchamps.com/).

There were 6 clubs in the Premier Mixed Crew (22 men & women in the same boat) Division--including teams from Washington DC, Tampa, Pittsburgh, Charleston, and Charlotte--all vying for the National Title. Crews in other divisions included the Philadelphia Dragonboat Association…which is the reigning champion at the world level.

Day 1 – 500m Race

The 500m is the toughest race format as it requires not only power but also synchronicity in the boat to sustain maximum speed. After a great first heat posting a 2:00 result, we knew we had room for improvement and were aiming for sub 2:00. In the final round, LPBC posted a 1:57.88, which was the second fastest time of the day--including even teams comprised of all men--and won the Premier Mixed 500m Gold. TECO from Tampa captured silver with 1:58.94 and the DC Dragons from Washington DC took Bronze with 2:09.84.

Day 2 – 200m Race

Most people in the dragon boat community know that the 200m is unpredictable because anyone can win or lose in this short distance format. The 105 degree heat and humidity were starting to affect the teams around us; the only solace was a luke-warm dip in the river and cold water from the cooler. After a rocky first race in which LPBC barely held on to first place with 0:49.299 in the division--with TECO finishing not far behind at 0:50.850--we knew we had to do better. The 200m final, with 2 teams already eliminated, was a showdown of survivors and was a test of who still could power through the finish. LPBC won gold (again) with a 0:47.347, faster even than the much more experienced--and World Champion--Philadelphia Senior Mixed Crew (which posted a time of 0:47.947). See the race here:

Day 3 – 1000m Race

Since dragon boating is traditionally a sprint race, the 1000m distance presents a different challenge. When you glance down the race course, it’s often difficult to see the finish line. LPBC has never raced this distance and there was much to lose at the table. Could we bring home the 3rd gold medal to complete our first trip to the Nationals? With a perfect start sequence, LPBC was already way ahead of the pack. Maintaining that pace, LPBC increased its lead to almost three boat lengths on the second place finisher and captured our 3rd US National Gold with 4:03.

The LPBC Dragon Boat Team would like to thank our family and sponsors because, without their support, these National Titles would not have been possible. We would also like to thank the entire LPBC community for the support they have shown our team.

The team will round off their season with one more race in Dubuque, Iowa in September.

Calling all members and friends of Lincoln Park Boat Club!

The LPBC dragonboat team is looking for new members for the 2010 season. The goal for the team is to compete at the US Nationals in July of 2010.

We are looking for male and female over the age of 18 to train and compete at a high performance level. No previous experience necessary, just the willingness to compete!

The program includes:

• Winter circuit/weight training (once a week, which will start in Jan 2010)
• Spring training camp in Florida (one week in April, 2010)
• Summer team practices in Chicago (twice a week either at the Chicago River or at the Club)

Team selection will be based on paddling skills and fitness level. We’re looking for total of 10 women and 14 men to complete the roster. We currently have 15 members from the 2009 season returning.

You must be a member of the LPBC to participate and there will be additional team fees to cover the various operational cost of the team (regatta registration, training etc)

Interested? Questions? Please email dragonboat@lpbc.net for further details.

What is dragonboat?

Dragonboat started as an ancient Chinese sport but has grown in popularity throughout the world since the early 90’s. Today the competitive dragonboat scene includes the world championship where over 20 countries are represented and the club crew championship where over 50 clubs are represented. In 2011, the world championship will be hosted in the USA. See a quick video of what the recent world championship looks like: