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Photo; Jon Ross
As the host team of the Inlet Spring Regatta, we’re extremely excited to announce the return of our event on Saturday, April 23, 2022!
Our last regatta was held in 2019 and we got close to producing our third annual in 2020 until the pandemic hit.
It’s been challenging times but we’re off on a fresh start for 2022 and we hope you can join us!
Read more over on our Inlet Spring Regatta website for full event information.
After a long break due to the pandemic the Nothin’ Dragon Masters were excited to participate in one racing event this year, that being the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival in Vancouver, BC on Sept. 25.
The team had been training throughout the summer so it was great to put what was learned by Coach Kris Lepianka to the test. There was lots of excitement and a near boat crash, but it was great to be out racing again.
Approximately 30 teams participated in the internationally recognized event which usually has around 200 teams from around the world.
Trish ad Steve stretching it out before the next race.
Coming in after semi-finals (Boat #6)
Our annual general meeting is held to discuss our successes and the way forward and to vote in our new executive. All members are urged to attend to have your voice heard.
Positions up for election in 2021:
President,
Captain,
Fundraiser.
Please send nominations to president Brian Kenny at bjk@telus.net
We’re back! Our trainings have resumed on Mondays and Thursdays at Rocky Point and we couldn’t be happier.
While it was hard to remember some of our calls on the boat after 16 months away, we managed to get back on the saddle and take it away.
Thanks to the executive, Captain Denise and Coach Kris, we are enjoying the warm weather, the water, and team camaraderie again.
Putting the coach boat and two dragon boats on the water means help from those able to come early to get the boats out and those that stay after to put them. Many hands make light work! Thanks to Linda and Denise for managing that.
Thursdays we head to the Port Moody Legion for libation and a meal together. It’s a great way to wrap up the week.
While most events are a no-go this year, our team has registered a boat for the Penticton Regatta on Sept. 11 and 12.
Dogwood Nothin’ Dragon Masters in conjunction with Big Brothers had a very successful clothing drive the first week of March 2021.
Team members and their family and friends cleaned out their closets and brought over 3000 pounds of unwanted articles to our president Brian’s house! From there, the used articles were delivered to Big Brothers earning the team over $600. Congratulations and thank you to all who helped out.
But the fun doesn’t stop there! If you missed this opportunity or have found more closets to clean out, you can take your unwanted clothing anytime to Big Brothers (221-15 Braid St., Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m). Just say you are with Dogwood Nothin’ Dragon Masters and our account will be credited.
f you have any questions or need help getting your stuff to Big Brothers, please contact a Nothin’ Dragon Teammate.
ACCEPTED ITEMS (Items should be suitable for resale; not soiled or torn)
All clothing
Accessories (belts, hats, scarves)
Purses, wallets, backpacks and bags
Shoes and boots
Towels, tablecloths, curtains and linens
Undergarments, nylons and socks
Blankets, bedding and pillows
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
Put all unwanted items in garbage bags
Tell family and friends and collect their unwanted items, too.
Contact a Nothin’ Dragon Master
PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE housewares, books, or appliances.
Thank you for your support!
Santa hijacked our Zoom party! We appreciated his words of encouragement.
It’s been nine months since Covid reared its ugly head, and that’s a long time for this team to be apart from each other. Our longest break is traditionally between our Christmas party usually held at the Pitt Meadows Golf and Country Club and our startup for the new season usually in late March or early April.
Despite coming together for weekly virtual training with Coach Kris and yoga with Dorota, our AGM was the first time we attempted a mass online gathering. We’re proud to say it went very well.
We decided to tackle a Christmas Zoom party, and the executive got to work with test meetings and putting together an agenda that would move things along and hopefully be entertaining. Well, the word must have gotten out, because, at the start of the meeting, none other than Santa himself showed up to cheer on the team and provide encouragement. Thank you, Santa!
We watched our aerial footage of the Inlet Spring Regatta by Jon Ross Films and then went into our first breakout rooms. Zoom can automatically move the large group into smaller groups for discussion purposes. This made it easier for everyone to have their say, which can be difficult in a larger online meeting. We had about 40 in attendance.
Happy smiling faces!
In between breakout rooms of about 4–5 people each, we got back together to play Kahoot with trivia questions organized by Pat W. Kahoot is a game-based learning platform, used as educational technology in schools and other educational institutions.
Some of our Kahoot questions set up by Pat were:
What Christmas carol became the first song ever broadcast from space in 1965?
What is the most popular meal for Christmas in Japan?
There is banana, creme de menthe and what in a Horny Monkey?
How many calories are burned by kissing someone under the mistletoe for one minute?
How many ghosts are there in the movie, A Christmas Carol?
It was so much fun! It felt like being in a game show with bells and chimes and auto-tabulating. To make it even more exciting and challenging, scores were based on correct answers and speed. Thank you Pat for setting up!
Even our former coach, Erica showed up. She whooped our butts at Kahoo too!
Everyone really enjoyed the breakout rooms as they were a little more intimate and we did this three times, allowing new groups to come together each time. Teammates could talk about anything they liked, or prompts were given like:
How are you spending the holidays this year?
If you could travel anywhere for Christmas, where would you go?
Most memorable Christmas present as a kid?
Favourite Christmas food?
What are you cooking this year?
Best Dragon Boat memory?
What are you grateful for?
During a midway break, we played a video of the Santa Ships that recently visited Rocky Point, as well as a video of our win in the Great Grand Dragon Race in Victoria in 2017.
There were lots of door prizes! We gave out a choice of red wine, white wine, beer, or a box of chocolates. Prizes were claimed Sunday morning at the Old Mill Boathouse from the Santa truck. Thank you Brian!
Before we wrapped up for the evening, Darlene gave out prizes for the best Christmas sweater and best overall Zoom presentation (outfit and backdrop). Congrats to Steve C. for the best sweater award, and Julie and Brian for their lovely Christmas ensemble.
Another surprise of the evening is when Laney announced she and Rob were grandparents to a baby girl. She had just received the text from her son during the party!
After the evening finished up, a handful of us hung out virtual chatting afterward. Overall another huge success. Merry Christmas one and all!
Santa truck for pickup of prizes by our winners on Sunday morning. (Thanks Brian!)
ANSWERS to the trivia questions above:
Jingle Bells
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Irish creme
Two
Four
The official team photo for 2020
Thanks to the photographic wizardry of Joep Olthuis of Shutter Up & Shoot, we’re proud to unveil our 2020 team photo.
While it appears we are standing together for this group shot, each person was photographed individually, and Joep pieced us all together, even providing the stunning backdrop of the inlet and mountains surrounding Rocky Point Park.
2020 has been a tough year for the team, as dragon boating is still docked as a sport. The team has found other ways to keep in shape and stay in touch, with kayaking, online yoga with Dorota and dryland strength training with Coach Kris over Zoom.
Once a week some of the team meet for distanced coffee chats outside and Thursdays are still legion nights in small distanced groups.
“It was a labour of love for Joep who manipulated us into a cohesive group,” said team president, Brian Kenny. “Besides team members receiving the picture, copies have been given to the mayors of Port Moody and Coquitlam with an enclosed letter focused on our team’s ability to stay together. As seniors, we need support from those in power to consider our demographic when making changes. Also, copies of the picture have been mailed to all of our sponsors who have given us financial support. Their continued support is critical for us to keep functioning as a team.”
Until we can be back on the water, we remain together in spirit!
Brian and Jan Kenny at Deer Lake with other Nothin’ Dragon teammates in behind on July 13.
Mohammed must go to the mountain… in our case, the water! Deer Lake, Burnaby that is.
With no dragon boating happening since COVID-19, we’re missing our time on the water, and our time together as teammates and friends!
To that end, we’ve begun kayaking at Deer Lake on Monday nights.
Mondays are usually dedicated to our dryland fitness class (over Zoom) with Coach Kris, but now he’s leading us on kayaking technique, which has some similarities to the dragon boat stroke.
Our first time out on July 13 showed a great turnout and we’ll continue as long as there is interest. We paddled in singles, and married couples on our team paddled tandem. No one capsized and we enjoyed the ducks that got up close and personal – perhaps looking for food?
There is something about being out on the water and seeing friends (teammates) who share the same passion and zest for life to bring back the feeling of team camaraderie!
Another way the team is getting together is through a coffee morning meetup at Rocky Point on Saturdays and a Thursday evening Legion social.
Here is our photo album from kayaking on July 13 thanks to teammates Marjorie and Rob.
Paddles up!
Paddles up!
“Dorota’s classes keep our muscles supple and strong!”
“Dorota’s classes keep our muscles supple and strong!”
The Nothin’ Dragon Masters may be off the water, but we are finding ways to keep our bodies ready for the dragon boat season should it return late summer.
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, in March 2020, Dragon Boat Canada recommended all dragon boat training stop, and so we canceled our practices until further notice.
“It was sad news all round that we had to stop training as well as cancel our own dragon boat event, the Inlet Spring Regatta,” said team president, Brian Kenny, “but we are happy to find ways to keep the team connected as well as our fitness in check.”
The team regularly trains in yoga during the offseason with Dorota Budziszewska at Dogwood Pavilion in Coquitlam. Dorota was up for the challenge to get us together virtually, so classes restarted in April via Zoom conferencing.
One team member Ric set a 30-day push-up challenge. Go at your own pace but do it for 30 days. “After being inspired by our friend George I started the challenge a few weeks ago, and am now doing at least 100 push-ups a day, so I'm challenging the rest of the team.” If you feel up for the challenge here’s our calendar you can print to record your progress.
With the dragon boat season looking bleak for a return date, it’s very important for the team to keep in form for general health and easier transition back to the water once the COVID-19 restrictions loosen.
Coach Kris Lepianka leads dryland training on Mondays with isometrics and weights.
The team is also started virtual dryland training on April 27 with Coach Kris Lepianka, which takes place twice a week. His first session of the week focusses on isometrics and strength training, and the second session focuses on paddle technique and endurance.
Kris during paddle technique class on Thursdays.
We can’t wait to get back on the water, but until then our team will stay connected and active, at least three-times a week virtually!
Stay safe everyone!
Wishing you all good health throughout this crisis.
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic and concerns, and by the recommendation of Dragon Boat Canada (see below) the Nothin’ Dragon Masters will not be practicing until further notice.
The doodle for the April Optional Practices has been closed.
Stay safe,
Brian,
President,
Nothin’ Dragon Masters
For more information on COVID-19 please consult the following resources:
Fraser Health Authority – www.fraserhealth.ca
BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) – www.bccdc.ca
Non-medical information – 1-888-COVID19 (1-888-268-4319)
Medical information – 8-1-1
Public Health Agency of Canada – www.Canada.ca/en/public-health
While it’s extremely rare that a dragon boat flips, and Nothin’ Dragon Masters have never experienced a boat flip, it’s always good to be prepared in the event it does happen.
In 2019 a boat flipped at Harrison Lake, which made most of us think, “What if that was our team?”
More common is the steers falling off the back of the boat if there is sudden or uneven movement from the boat. We should all be prepared to know how to pull a teammate back onto the boat, the dock, and to know the basics of what to do if a dragon boat should tip over.
Our annual safety sessions are for this purpose. Two sessions were held in 2020 at City Centre Aquatics Complex on Feb. 18 and March 6 allowing flexibility for schedules. Both were well attended.
The March 6 evening crew about to get wet at City Centre Aquatics Complex!
A big thanks to Yvonne for providing her canoe to allow for the boat flip exercise which had two people sitting as the boat is capsized. We learned that each paddler must check that they seatmate was okay and then to link arms over the boat (grabbing wrists, not hands) until help arrives. Some also went under the overturned boat to experience the pocket of air that is available in an overturned boat. This is a safer place to be if there is lightning.
Teammates also practiced pulling someone onto the dock, as well as how to use the throwbags. All life vests were checked for proper fit once wet and in the water, and were adjusted as needed.
The team thanks Donna for her organization and leadership in the sessions.
The Nothin’ Dragon Masters also thanks the City of Coquitlam for allowing us to use the pool for this important exercise.
Although we are a sociable group, we are also a competitive racing team. Over the years we have made significant gains in our race results. We are always committed to getting stronger and faster for our next season. To that end, we are looking for male and female candidates who are in good health, who are physically fit, and who are willing to work hard at all practice/training sessions. Working hard at practice enables us to race well. In short, we are looking for members willing to become 'paddlers' not 'passengers.’
Here’s a look at your commitment:
March to September we paddle Monday and Thursday evenings: 5:30 – 7 p.m.
October and November we paddle Saturday mornings and do yoga with an instructor on Wednesdays, and dryland fitness training with an instructor on Thursdays (Dryland training is designed to improve our strength and stamina; yoga increases our flexibility and our focus in the boat.)
December to February we take off
By early March, we resume Saturday morning paddling as weather conditions allow
Race season runs from April through September, and races take place on select weekends in locations such as around the Vancouver Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Harrison Lake, Steveston and possibly the USA.
Time and commitment are essential components of being a member of our team.
*You must also maintain an annual membership at Dogwood Pavilion, which means you must be 50+ years in age.
Please note that our roster is currently full, however we can waitlist you. We do look at taking on new members each year.
Click HERE to fill out our form and tell us why you’d like to join our team. Also provide details on your fitness level, paddling experience (if any) and advise if you can commit to our training schedule described above.
Welcome to our NEW Website!
As an always growing (and aging), dynamic team, we’re always looking at new ways to improve, and have easy access to information that is important to us.
We hope you enjoy our new website created by our assistant captain and shutterbug Robbin Whachell. It is our intention to keep the public, our sponsors, our family, friends, and fans up-to-date on our schedule, our upcoming events, and our achievements.
”I’d like to first and foremost thank past member, Peter Newell who took our team to new heights when he created and managed our first website!” said team president Brian Kenny. “Peter, we owe you a debt of gratitude for all you have done for so many years! We can’t thank you enough.”
The new website once again offers the team members a private back end area for members. One of the key features of the public frontend is the automated calendar for our events: races, clinics, fundraisers, meetings and events. The upcoming calendar placement will show first in that section ( as well as on our home page).
Check back often!
While you’re at it please follow us on social media. Our links are at the bottom of each and every page. We’re on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.
On July 16, 2019 Brian Kenny, president of the Nothin’ Dragon Masters and chairman of the Inlet Spring Regatt spoke to Port Moody City Council requesting a three-year extension for our annual dragon boat event.
He was supported by members of the team.
A brief overview on the success of the first two years of the event was given, as well as airing the drone video footage of our 2019 event shot by Jon Ross Films.
The request was later granted, and the Inlet Spring Regatta has been approved for 2020, 2021, and 2022
Nothin’ Dragon president, Brian Kenny speaks to Port Moody Council.
Port Moody Council
All were impressed by the aerial drone footage shot by Jon Ross Films in 2019.
On display!
On June 20, 2019 Nothin' Dragon Masters captain, Daniel Strain was inducted posthumously to the Coquitlam Sports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place at the Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex.
The Coquitlam Sports Hall of Fame committee states that their Hall of Fame" “welcomes a superb class of inductees from a variety of sports – names synonymous with perseverance and commitment.” Dan was inducted for ‘Multi Sport,’ but was the first inductee for the sport of dragon boating.
Earlier in 2019 the Inlet Spring Regatta held on April 27 was dedicated to his memory. Dan was a founding member of the regatta's host team and organizers, the Nothin’ Dragon Masters and held the captain’s position for many years. Dan’s family attended the opening ceremony, and Dan’s son, Kenny Strain provided words which can be read in entirely HERE., stating, “He would be so proud for the honour and also of all of you racing in his memory today. He was very proud to be a member of this team and to take on leadership roles like team captain or dry-land training coach and steersperson. It invigorated him to know you were all working together towards a common goal and the spin-off effects are physical fitness, well-being, a sense of belonging, and most of all friendship.”
Opening the morning was guest speaker, Carleen Thomas of Tsleil-Waututh Nation who offered poignant words of welcome touching on the spirit of the eagle, which seemed quite appropriate as the team cherishes the photo below taken of Dan sitting in the coach boat before one of his last dragon boat trainings.
Read Dan’s obituary in the Vancouver Sun HERE.
The Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex, home of the Coquitlam Sports Hall of Fame
Nothin' Dragon team photo (2000) vintage racing shirts and wooden paddles (no sign of carbon fibre paddles yet).
A DRAGON'S TALE (1998 - 2018)
The Beginning:
It all started with the excitement of dragon boat racing being introduced to the public at Vancouver’s Expo ‘86. A big push for dragon boating came from the former lieutenant-governor, David Lam, and his business partner, Milton Wong.
They envisioned the races as a way to celebrate cultural diversity and they initiated the first festival in 1989.
In 1998, Gwen Wong, niece of Milton Wong, began her work at Dogwood Pavilion, a senior centre in Coquitlam. She enthusiastically proposed a dragon boat team from Dogwood and promoted this with the members.
Kate Zubick inspired prospective members to embrace the sport and helped organize instructional sessions for paddling technique and strength and flexibility training. Newsletters and community newspapers called for interested potential members and a team was formed by November of 1998 to start the season in 1999.
Dryland training started at Dogwood, followed by paddling practice on the inlet.
On the water training, with rented boats, was initially organized at Barnet Marine Park. The coaches were Charlie Wong assisted by Sharon Lum and Mike Younghusband with Gwen Wong as manager.
Membership:
Of the original 40 members in 1998, three are still with the club; Anne Newsom, Pat Johnston, and Dan Strain (2019)! The club has remained as an over 50’s organization, partly to maintain the benefits of an association with Dogwood Seniors.
Training on Burrard Inlet by Port Moody in 2017. (Photo: Joep Olthuis)
The club grew slightly in numbers over the next few years and by 2005 there were 55 members. Membership remained relatively steady until 2011 when the numbers rose to 66.
The paddlers have always been a close-knit group and organized many activities outside of just the training and racing:
“Dragon boating gets us outside in our community, together with a diverse group of individuals, keeping fit and learning to be a team”
“Good thoughts have much to do with good paddling. It isn’t enough for the muscles of a crew to work in unison; their hearts and minds must also be as one.” - George Yeoman Pocock (leading designer and builder of racing shells)
Over the years some members organized or participated in adventure trips not directly related to dragon boating. In 2012 a small group traveled to Tanzania, Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. In 2013 another group traveled north for a multi-day canoe trip on the Yukon River and in 2014 a small group hiked and biked the El Camino de Santiago, starting by crossing the Pyrenees into Spain. Other team members stay active and fit by participating in cycling day trips, hiking the local mountains and valleys or cross country skiing.
Great Grand Dragon Challenge winners in 2017 at the Victoria Dragon Boat Festival
Regattas:
The “Dogwood Nothin’ Dragging” team entered their first race at the Alcan Regatta in June, 1999 and won gold in the master’s (senior’s event). This was followed by gold medals in 2000 and 2001 at the Alcan masters. Eventually, the team name became “Dogwood Nothin’ Dragon” and then was changed to “Nothin’ Dragon Masters” in 2014.
For a number of years, two teams were entered in the larger regattas with one team being a more experienced, competitive team and the other made up of more novice paddlers. This worked reasonably well until about 2011 when two equal-strength teams were formed for many of the practices and the larger regattas. The exception is the team entered in the Rio Tinto Alcan Regatta, now called the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival, by selecting from the stronger, more experienced senior C paddlers who have demonstrated an ability to work as a team.
The Greystone Dragon Boat Races were held at Rocky Point Park in 1999 and 2000 during Golden Spike Days. As many as twenty teams took part in this local regatta.
After the first year, the club entered teams in Richmond’s “Rip up the River” regatta and then the Victoria and Kelowna regattas were added to the racing schedule. The “Ladybugs” women’s team was formed in 2002 and raced for two years at Deas Slough before the event was moved to False Creek. The Lotus Club race (later renamed “Bill Alley Memorial”) was added to the racing schedule along with the “Cornucopia race in Kent, Washington. Kent is remembered by many team members for the fantastically clean toilets and the delicious salmon and pasta dinners (not necessarily in that order).
Nanaimo was added as a race destination in 2004 and the Harrison Lake regatta in 2005. White Rock initiated a regatta that lasted until 2007 when stormy weather capsized a number of boats and many paddlers ended up in the ocean. The Taiwanese festival started a dragon boat event in False Creek in 2006 using traditional wooden boats and unique race formats (for e.g. paddling backward and capture the flag).
White Rock was replaced by the Deep Cove Race for Charity and one team was entered in the Kelowna regatta. In 2010 the team raced at Cultus Lake, but this regatta was short-lived. In 2012, the club participated in the B.C. 55+ games at Burnaby Lake and the Penticton regatta replaced Kelowna. A team also attended the Seattle Dragon Boat Festival, which was a lot of fun due in part to the unusual format.
Rio Tinto 2012 (Vancouver)
The Canadian Nationals were held at Elk Lake on Vancouver Island in 2013 and the team raced in a 2000 m event for the first time. Dan Strain steered the boat around the tight corners with keen accuracy and helped keep us ahead until the very last lap.
In 2014 the club started sending a team to the Steveston Regatta in place of Seattle. The next year there were enough members to enter boats in both men’s and women’s categories. The B.C. 55+ Senior Games came to Coquitlam in 2016 and both our teams held their own while helping to host the event. It was a great learning experience in preparation for hosting our own regatta in 2018.
We had a full racing schedule again in 2017 and achieved our best result in Victoria in years by winning the seniors race.
All these racing successes and challenges would not have been possible without careful preparation and training and a great deal of thanks goes to the coaches and managers who supported us over the years. The initial few years involved using rented boats with coaching by Charlie Wong, Sharon Lum and Mike Younghusband with Gwen Wong as the manager.
Jackie Webber joined us as a coach in 2001 and was followed by Kate Zubick in 2003 with assistance from Jim McArthur. Jim took over as head coach in 2005 with Jack MacIntyre as his assistant. Henrietta Hamming started as manager and has been our greatest supporter ever since.
We needed a new coach in 2012 and were extremely fortunate to connect with Erica McArthur (no relation to Jim). Erica has national and international paddling experience and helped bring the whole team to a new level. She continues to coach the Riverside Rapids high school dragon boat team.
Our current coach is Pam Cornell who comes to us with a strong background in paddling and coaching experience.
With strong and consistent coaching some team members were encouraged to try racing at the national and international levels. In 2014, Brian Asselstine traveled to Ravenna, Italy to compete with a False Creek team at the World Club Crew Championships.
In 2015, Peter Newell and Roz Harrington traveled to Welland, Ontario to compete at the World Nations Championships. In 2016, Peter Newell, Terry Flynn and Roz Harrington traveled with the False Creek Senior C team to Adelaide, Australia to compete at the World Club Crew Championships.
Team barbecue 2017. Dan, George and Peggy.
Social Activities:
Social events have always been a way to introduce new members to the club and help everyone get to know each other better. Some key events held over the years have included:
Annual barbecues
Mardi Gras party
Hard times party
Pancake breakfasts
Bowling
Christmas parties
Pub nights
The annual team garage sale held each year at the Old Mill Boathouse at Rocky Point Park.
Fund Raising:
Over the years fundraising has been an integral part of club activities to support community programs and keep the cost of membership as low as possible, while also being fun events for member involvement. Direct sponsorships from individuals and local businesses have helped the club financially and connected us to the community.
Fundraising events have evolved over the years to adapt to the needs of the club and the interests of the members. Notable events include:
Garage sales
Casino nights
Legion nights
Plant sales
Bottle recycling
Trivia nights
Paddling experiences for clubs and businesses
Back in the early days at Barnet Beach - watching the boat head out for practice.
Our team shows itself as a selfless group, who do what we do because we are team players and have a great depth of energy and community pride!
We are a proud club member of the
Sponsor our team! Email us at nothindragonmasters@gmail.com to find out about the perks of being our sponsor. We’ll certainly get you out on the water! Thank you to:
