Dragon Boat Pros Finish Paddling in Tampa

The Dragon Boat Festival has come to an end here in Tampa Bay. It was a very enjoyable event whose participants and fans were kind, courteous and professional. Here is an estimated summary of the wins over the course of the event.

Over five days, 222 races were held along the Seddon Channel between Harbour and Davis Islands. The Dragon Boats were docked by the Tampa Convention Center where fans could watch their team board and take off toward their race. On-lookers from atop the Starship yacht and from along the side of the Tampa General Hospital parking garage had prime viewing of the finish line. Jackson’s Bistro was also a popular vantage point for people cheering on their favorite boat.

The International Dragon Boat Federation updated their twitter account with the details and logistics of the races the entire time. They also had live streaming on their website. According to the IDBF, there were only a few hold ups over the course of the 5 days. Surprisingly, day 3 was the only day they encountered a rain delay. It was also the only day there was a cancelled race. On day 5, humidity interfered with the live-streaming. The remainder of the festival went without a hitch.

It may be news to some that Tampa bay has its own team that practices, meets and competes annually.

When asked how she became aware of this sport, a fan and local Dragon Boat competitor, replied, “We were made aware that the Dragon Boat Festival was coming to the area about 4 years ago. They were looking for volunteers, people to help out, etc. That’s when we (my sister and I) got involved with the organization.”

Norka Carranza added, “I was looking for something in the area I could get involved in. I found Dragon Boat racing on www.meetup.com. It’s a lot of fun! It would be great if this event could open the doors for more people to join us.”

Interested? For more information visi www.tampabaydragonboats.com.