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The Berkeley Racing Canoe Center and Dragon boat races inspire.
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The Berkeley Racing Canoe Center was formed to promote racing canoe activities in the Berkeley and East Bay areas. Phyllis Ritchie., an enthusiastic supporter and participant of Dragon boat races introduced us to the spectacular spot and brought us to visit this crisp and bright Saturday morning. The BRCC owns and operates two Hong Kong style dragon boats, 51 ft long, 3 ft wide which carries 20 paddlers with room for a drummer and a steersperson. Races vary from distances of 250 to 500 meters to endurance races of 3000 and longer. Consideration was given to including this increasingly popular water sport to the Olympic games in 2008. Dragon boat festivals are held internationally in Asia, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and North America. 50,000 participants and over fifty five festivals are held in the US, with one of the largest being the San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival with 100 teams and attendance of approximately 10,000 people.
The Participants
Paul Kamen, a naval Architect, on the Board for the BRCC, and a Berkeley Yacht Club member for many years, made clear that the door is open for anyone interested in this team sport of being one of 20 paddlers out on the Bay in this very gratifying practice on so many levels. Roger Garfinkle, Dragonmax coach, works with the teams that spans the ages of 20's to 70's to be ready for the challenge of competition. What is required is 2-3 practices a week and $100/year. The teams expand to include the community from social clubs, colleges, social service groups, boys and girls from high school and youth at risk groups; this is a sport that encourages team work with people of varying skills and abilities meeting the challenges the races provide. The four sites in the area on any given Saturday can send a shiver down your back with the presence of these Chinese long boats, drummer drumming and team moving together in the Dragon boat races. Working with cancer survivors and youth at risk, this 501c3 BRCC functions to offer the community at large the experience that Dragon boat racing provides richly and well and is open to individuals and groups interested.
Very soon, on board with Phyllis and Paul, we will be out for a practice. The boats are docked every two years and allow members to participate in their dry dock times if they desire. Some members are at the Berkeley Marina this Saturday morning of our visit. Spectacular place to be the Berkeley marina on a Saturday morning. No ride today. But soon we are promised a ride, well not so much a ride, but a paddle, and an experience of working together to glide the Dragon boat down the Bay. Can't Wait. More about that when it happens.
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