Our brilliant

WORDS: MELISSA DAVIS | IMAGES: NICK CHUNG

t tends to be said (or it might feel) that when a dragon boat crashes during a race everyone turns to look at the helm. Yet when a dragon boat wins a race the team of paddlers will celebrate wildly with the paddlers sitting near and next to them, may be a few will remember to pat the back of the steersperson when the day is done. These are not my words. Though I hate to admit I may have been guilty of forgetting to congratulate one of the most important people of any dragon boat team; the captain of the ship, The Helm.

Ask any Royal X paddler who they want steering their crew when it matters the most and he/she will say hands down, Nick Chung. RHKYC member and long time Royal X team member Chung is by far the Club’s most successful dragon boat steersperson. But Chung did not begin his dragon boat journey at the back of the boat. His paddling career began back in Miami in a not so memorable corporate team and since 2008 the Royal X team is where Chung loyally lays his cap.

At what point did Chung make the big switch (or massive leap) from paddling to steering? A monumental reason was the birth of his son and wanting more flexibility to be home. Then add lady luck and the opportunity of being thrown in to ‘the hot seat’ for Chung to realise he had what it takes to steer at international events.

Chung reflects, “I think I’m in a unique situation where I’m able to learn from the range of water sports and the experienced people at the RHKYC. Firstly, the trust from teammates, coaches and captains, I was able to gain a better understanding of how to read the water and wind conditions from the sailing courses; how to run better racing lines from the rowers, and how to make better turns at speed from the outriggers. I’ve always found it easy to sit down with coaches or members to discuss racing theory. I take what I think are the best elements from each and use or adapt them to try and make the dragon boat get over the finish line first.”

Anyone who has ever had to steer or drive any type of watercraft knows it can be very challenging at times. Yet, it is this kind of pressure that gives Chung immense pleasure and helps him to focus when things are ‘on the line’. Like any role or position in life just when you think you have everything under control things can turn bad very quickly. Chung recalls some hairy moments at the helm when thundering down a ‘not so visible lane’ at the VRC Deep Water Bay races in the pouring rain when a big fish leaps out of the water and slaps him across the face! Woah! Another memorable incident (where many seem to happen) was at Stanley during one of the practices. Chung was gripping the steering blade in choppy waters when it suddenly exploded in his hands catapulting him off the back of the stern and into the water!

After many years of paddling and steering along with a backlog of great stories to tell, Chung is now focusing his attention on representing Great Britain for a second time running in the 2021 World Nations Championships due to be held in Hong Kong in November. He is also welcoming more opportunities to share his knowledge with up-andcoming helms and most importantly bring home some bling at the Nations Championships.

CONTACTS

Rowing Manager rowingmanager@rhkyc.org.hk Coastal Rowing coastalrowing@rhkyc.org.hk Shatin Men’s Racing shatinrowingmen@rhkyc.org. hk Shatin Women’s Racing shatinrowingladies@rhkyc.org.hk