Issue #47 - Ottawa Outdoors Magazine

Page 24

FINDING YOUR INNER DRAGON BY JENNA THOMPSON

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PHOTO BY SIMON INGRAM

ragon boats have become an Ottawa tradition with some 5,000 paddlers and more than 75,000 fans descending on the Tim Hortons Dragon Boat Festival each summer. It’s a 2,500-year-old tradition from China, with ceremonial and religious aspects in addition to racing. Most of today’s boats are about 12 metres long and weigh more than 225 kilograms! Originally teak, they are now built with carbon fibre and fibreglass. If you’re thinking about joining the fun, here’s some of what you need to know. A dragon boat team has 22 people, including 20 paddlers who sit in rows of two. The drummer or caller sits at the front and counts out the strokes, or pounds the beat of the strokes on a drum. This person needs to be small and loud to be heard over a roaring crowd and the shouts of opposing teams. At the other end of the boat, the steerer guides the boat with a long oar and is responsible for balancing the boat and ensuring the team’s safety. Then comes the muscle power. The six crew members at the bow are smaller paddlers with steady, long strokes. The first pair are the “strokes” and everyone synchronizes with them. The middle eight paddlers are the “engine room” and are bigger, stronger paddlers. The back six paddlers also need impressive strength to really pull hard in order to be effective. For maximum power per paddle, it’s critical that all team members are synchronized, with the paddles dipping, pulling and leaving the water at the same time. You may notice teams fall out of synch with a resulting ripple effect called “caterpillaring” because it mimics many larva legs moving at different times.

Dragon boating involves an unusual paddling technique with six stages: ROTATION Rotate the torso toward the inside of the boat EXTENSION/REACH Reach as far forward as possible in a position that looks like a capital A from the side CATCH Dig the paddle straight down into the water PULL Once the paddle is fully underwater, sit up and with arms straight the entire time; EXIT Lift the paddle straight up out of the water and … RECOVERY Move back to the A position, ready for the next cycle. If you’re ready to try it, teams are looking for paddlers. Some may practise only once or twice before the big day, others require a year-round commitment, and some teams fall somewhere in between. Many private companies and organizations have teams, so ask around where you work or volunteer. The Rideau Canoe Club has a “Find team/paddler” page in its website’s dragon boat section. Festival organizers also try to place hopeful paddlers on teams in need. This year’s festival is scheduled for June 23 to 26. The Rideau Canoe Club also hosts a dragon boat event scheduled for August 27. Both are held at Mooney’s Bay.

24 | OTTAWAOUTDOORS

www.ottawaoutdoors.ca


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Articles inside

In like a lion, but lamb tastes like a delicacy

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pages 53-56

Ideas for a relaxing backyard

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pages 51-52

Hike from Ottawa to Kingston with the Rideau Trail Association

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page 45

Quebec’s Dumoine River watershed faces the future

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pages 46-47

Support MitoCanada

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page 44

Budapest Beckons

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pages 42-43

Cast off, set sail, take the helm and climb aloft

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pages 40-41

Bug-free camping and other helpful tips

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page 37

Hollywood survival myths can kill

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pages 38-39

Making molehills out of mountains

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pages 35-36

Ottawa Outdoors Music Festivals

1min
page 31

Outdoor Summer Adventure Clubs

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page 32

Cool Gear Hot Clothing

2min
page 30

Get set for that first backcountry adventure

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pages 20-21

Two bike roads for all ambitions

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pages 28-29

Survival Quiz

4min
pages 26-27

Climbing into a colour spectacular

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pages 18-19

Finding your inner dragon

3min
pages 24-25

Seven reasons to visit Dows Lake Pavilion

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Choosing the right stove

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page 13

Old rhymes – fact or fancy?

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page 16

How to portage like a pro

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Tie the perfect boot knot

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A definitive new book on beavers

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Human and natural history on Wolf and King Mountain trails

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Publisher’s Letter

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Arnprior's Macnamara trail

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