Two local paddlers had the chance to travel to China for a recent dragon boat festival where their team finished in second spot.
Pennie McNutt and Cindy Turner each paddle for different teams within the False Creek Racing and Canoe Club, but they were asked to augment the Concord Pacific Dragons team from Vancouver attending the Shanghai Dragon Boat Association International Dragon Boat Festival in September.
鈥淭hey were short paddlers, and they asked if anyone was interested,鈥� McNutt said.
The team was the only one representing North America but was seeded in a division with other international teams.
Here the team typically races in 20-person boats, augmented by the drummer and steersperson, but the races in China were in 10-person boats.聽
Another difference was that at home, McNutt and Turner more typically race on open water, which is not the standard venue in China.
鈥淭here, they paddle on rivers,鈥� McNutt said. 鈥淚t was quite different.鈥�
They had to race one 5,000-metre race, which is not a distance North American dragon boaters typically race.
鈥淭his team hadn鈥檛 done it before. They hadn鈥檛 done a long race,鈥� Turner said.
This was a new experience for the team in terms of knowing how to pace itself, McNutt added, but the team still came in fifth overall for the long event.
The other heats were the more familiar 500-metre lengths, and the team more than held their own against international teams.
鈥淲e were pretty competitive with them,鈥� Turner said. 鈥淲e came in second in the short races.鈥�
In the final, the team finished behind only the Philippine team, managed to edge out the Australians and came out ahead of the Russians, another international rival.
鈥淚t was very exciting. We beat the Australians by a hair,鈥� McNutt said.
After the races, the paddlers found out another difference 鈥� specifically in the way winners are honoured. Instead of the more familiar medals or trophies, winners receive gifts and money.
鈥淚t was a big surprise to me. We didn鈥檛 know what to expect,鈥� McNutt said. 鈥淲hen you win, you win as a team.鈥�
For their showing, the team as a whole won gifts such as a large picture made of jade, which McNutt said was not the most practical prize in terms of transportation back home.
While the event was the first time McNutt competed internationally, Turner took part in the Club Crew World Championships in Australia back in April with a Victoria team, the Gorging Dragons, with whom she also competes. There, her team took fourth in every race.
鈥淲e held our own,鈥� she said. 鈥淓ach race we progressed and got better and better.鈥�
Beyond the competition, the experience in China was eye-opening for McNutt and Turner, as they had a few days to visit the region. Certain conveniences they take for granted back home, such as online communication, were not readily available, which made getting in touch with loved ones a challenge.
鈥淚t was hard getting messages out,鈥� McNutt said.
Still, Turner said she was impressed by the organizers who picked them up at the airport and made sure they were well fed.
鈥淵ou got treated like royalty,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey really took care of us.鈥�
McNutt added that they only had to cover their airfare to get to China.
鈥淏ecause this was an invitational, the expenses were all paid,鈥� she said.
