On August 9, the Nothin’ Dragon paddlers made their debut at the Kamloops Dragon Boat Festival, held in the heart of downtown at beautiful Riverside Park. The venue was outstanding, with sweeping views of the Thompson River, surround mountains, and the added bonus of the city’s lively Ribfest taking place right alongside the racing action, and a car show just a few blocks away.
We arrived in high spirits and enjoyed team camaraderie on Friday night by taking in Ribfest and then checking out the race site.
Race day brought ideal conditions for competition, and our team gave it their all in three 500m races, earning a bronze medal in Division A and putting in the second-fastest time of the day. We also entered the challenging 1500m Loops race and claimed first place in that event with a 25 second lead.
A highlight of the festival was the touching Carnation Ceremony honouring breast cancer survivors, a tradition in the dragon boat community that brought paddlers together in reflection and solidarity.
The Kamloops Dragon Boat Festival was exceptionally well organized and provided the perfect opportunity to strengthen team camaraderie and connect with paddlers from across the Interior and Lower Mainland.
Our 500m race times:
2:03.41 (2nd)
2:00.81 (2nd)
2:03.75 (3rd)
Thank you, Kamloops!
