Welcome the year of the dragon boat

MANILA, Philippines - Dragon boating is a fun and accessible sport for people of all ages and level of fitness. If you are a team player and enjoy being on the water, why not try dragon boat racing?

Dragon boat racing is a fast and furious sport that definitely gets your adrenalin pumping. Sure, you will get wet, and so will your shoes, but it will give you an awesome social network, not to mention being one of the best stress-release activities around.   You can either start or end your day with it, then go for a guilt-free meal after.

Training sessions generally go for one and a half hours. Paddling a dragon boat doesn’t seem too difficult on the surface. You dip the fat end of the paddle into the water and pull — what is so difficult about that?   But the simplicity masks the amount of total body conditioning you get and even more that is required for your team to be competitive.

In dragon boat racing, speed is acquired through both strength and endurance. The explosive power you need in a race comes from having strong muscles and well-conditioned lungs. A properly conditioned body is also the best defense against injuries.

To prepare for dragon boat racing, many people like alternating two or more types of cardiovascular exercises. There is a wide range of possibilities: aerobic dance, cycling or stationary biking, jogging or running, rollerblading, step exercises, swimming, etc.   Strength training, in turn, can be accomplished by using free weights (dumbbells or barbells), weight machines, resistance bands, and your natural body weight.   Stretching — through Pilates or yoga perhaps — should also be done prior to and after cardio and strength training exercises to avoid muscle cramps.

Paddlers with long arms and long torsos have a natural advantage of a longer sweep as they stroke.   So if you have a short torso, you have to train a bit harder. 

To accomplish the same sweep, you will have to lean forward more before you dip the paddle in the water, which requires having strong abdominals.   Secondly, leaning forward more means that eventually you will have to pull back harder as you sit back and pull water. This requires a strong back. If you don’t want to hurt your back, you push with your legs as you pull back, which then requires strong thighs.   Finally, having a short torso means that the length of your paddle is longer relative to your body, which inevitably means your upper hand grip is higher. As you pull your paddle out of water and recover to the first position, you are impacting your shoulders more, compared to paddlers who are taller.

To see what all this is about, and give yourself time to consider whether dragon boat racing is for you, watch the Manila Bay Seasports Festival on March 12 and 13. Mounted by Manila Broadcasting Company and the City of Manila, in cooperation with the Philippine Coast Guard, the event will bring together 21 of the top dragon boat teams in the country like the Philippine Navy, Drago Pilipinas, Manila Dragons, Triton, One Piece Drakon Sangress, De La Salle University, University of the Philippines, San Beda College, Manila Blazing Paddles, Manila Ocean Park, Rowers Club Philippines, Maharlika, PYROS, Accenture, Aqua Fortis, Blue Phoenix, Cebu Dragons, Onslaught Racing Dragons, Rogue Pilipinas, CamSur and two-time champion PDRT Fireblades.