Slaying Dragons (Dragon Boats, that is!)

Well, what a weekend! We spent Saturday at the Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival. Not watching, mind you, but participating! Don't know what dragon boats are? They are long canoe-like boats that hold 20 people (18 rowers, a drummer, and a steerer). Here are the boats lined up to let teams off and load new teams...

Here's what the front and back of the boat look like...

 

The job of the drummer (the part I played) is to sit in the front of the boat, facing the team, and keep pace with the drum and yell voice commands (such as "reach" and "dig"). Here are some fun shots of drummers...

  

Here's a race in action. Those rowers are giving it all they've got for that 2 - 2.5 minutes. RJNJ and the rest of the team got two great workouts that day!

Here are some other fun shots I took that day...

  

 

   

We didn't win, but we sure had fun! Despite the cool, cloudy August day, we survived the weather and the waves. It was one of those things in life that you never thought you'd do...first, because you had never heard of it...and second, because there are a limited number of teams. It was an honor to be asked and we look forward to doing it again next year! :)