We have 9 DB teams in 2008 - 7 womens and 2 mixed:                                        

Women on Water       Kindred Spirit     Sea Syrens      Chicks Ahoy!     
Dragon Queens   Paddle Pushers       Fort Fusion      SunDragons      S.O.A.R.

Practice schedule of FLCC DB teams 2008 and team contact information:

Womens' teams:
- Women on Water practices Tuesday 645 to 8pm and Thursday 530 to 645pm - contact Sandy 604-539-1176
- Kindred Spirit practices Tuesday 530 to 645pm and Sunday 10 to 1130am - contact Pip 604-855-6116
- Chicks Ahoy! practices Mondays 530 to 645pm - contact Lorna 604-607-8879
- Dragon Queens practices Wednedays 530 to 645pm - contact Bonnie 604-888-2237
- Paddle Pushers practices Thursdays 530 to 645pm - contact Andrea 604-888-2101
- SunDragons practices Tuesdays 9 to 1030am and Thursdays 9 to 10am - contact Louise 604-888-4777
- Sea Syrens practices Wednesday 630 to 8pm and Sunday evenings (at Cultus) - contact Eliz 604-888-3237

Mixed teams:
- Spirit of a Renengade practices Mondays and Thursdays 645 to 8pm - contact Ron 604-513-2488
- Fort Fusion practices Mondays and Thursdays 645 to 8pm - contact Bev 604-539-7748

PADDLERS, CALLERS, STEERSPERSONS AND COACHES NEEDED
for 2008 Dragon Boat Season.
For more information contact Cheryl at 604-513-8713 or email: gustogh@telus.net
 

A Brief History of Dragon Boat Racing

The roots of dragon boat racing date back to the 4th Century B.C. in China. According to legend Qu Yuan, a revered poet and statesman, hurled himself into the Mi Lo River to protest the corrupt regime of the reigning Chou Dynasty emperor. When local boatmen saw Qu Yuan disappear beneath the water, they raced out to save him. Sadly, they were too late. Fearing that his body would be preyed upon by fish and evil spirits and of the river, the boatmen beat their paddles furiously upon the water. It is said that they also threw rice dumplings into the river as a sacrifice to his heroic spirit. Qu Yuan’s death is commemorated each year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month (Chinese Calendar) at Dragon Boat Festivals around the world. Before the festival, ancient blessing rituals such as “Awakening the Dragons” (rousing the dragon boats to life by a special eye-dotting ceremony) are performed.

The Dragon 

In the Chinese hierarchy of animals, the Dragon reigns supreme. The Traditional Chinese Dragon, the ruler of the spring and the giver of rain, is a strange mixture of animals. It has the head of a camel's, the horns of a stag, eyes of a demon, ears of a cow, neck of a snake, belly of a clam, scales of a carp, claws of an eagle and the spirit of a tiger. The Chinese believe that the Dragon is a mystical and godly creature and hold it in a position of deep respect and fear. The Dragon is considered to be an auspicious object possessing the ability to bring wind and rain. At the same time, it is a destructive force since it can bring on storms and typhoons. The Dragon's strength is unrivaled by any other beast, even by those of great ferocity. It is for that reason that fishermen anointed the Dragon as the head of the seas, built temples to worship it and asked for its blessings to keep the waters and winds calm.