History
History of Sunshine Dragons and Sunshine Dragons
Abreast
In fall 2004, three women who had travelled back and
forth by ferry to paddle with Vancouver's Abreast In A
Boat, were joined by another breast cancer survivor and
decided it was time dragon boating came to the
Sunshine Coast. After all, Powell River, Nanaimo,
Comox, Duncan, Campbell River, Victoria and
Vancouver all had dragon boats and teams. Gibsons
Paddle Club agreed to buy the boat we'd ordered and
we agreed to get things going.
In 2005 approximately fifty regular paddlers and twenty-
five breast cancer surviving paddlers signed up.
Practices started in Porpoise Bay in April, and May 1,
2005 was our official Launch Day with the Mayor of
Sechelt declaring this Dragon Boat Day. The first crew to
compete was a combined one which raced at (crew
competed at) the False Creek Women's regatta in May.
Sunshine Dragons Abreast, the breast cancer crew,
competed at "Abreast In A Boat's 10th Anniversary" in
June, a crew of regular Sunshine Dragons paddlers
competed in Vernon in July while some of the breast
cancer crew joined other breast cancer paddlers to race
there. Sunshine Dragons Abreast also competed in
Penticton in September and then stocked up on local
wines.
In 2006 our numbers doubled to 125 and 5 crews were
formed. They raced at regattas in False Creek,
Nanaimo, Harrison, Penticton and Kelowna while a non-
regatta crew enjoyed paddling once a week at home.
In 2007 our numbers held steady at 125. Crews raced at
the Women's Regatta, False Creek, Alcan, Cultus Lake,
and Harrison. After a busy time fundraising (including
auctioning 12 life sized concrete torsos decorated by
women artists living on the Coast) Sunshine Dragons
Abreast ended their season with the Abreast in Australia
regatta at Caloundra, Queensland where approximately
70 breast cancer crews from all round the world
competed. The non-regatta crew again paddled once a
week and have taken up Nordic poling in the off season.
In November 2007, to give everyone good boat access
times, it was decided to order a 2nd dragon boat - a
BuK. Built in East Germany and shipped from Toronto
this international standard boat arrived on the Coast on
Saturday January 5, 2008.
Oh, & back in 2007 a couple of us talked up dragon
boating in Pender Harbour at a Women's Connection
meeting. Long time dragon boater Rick Harmer who has
taught our steersperson to steer then went ahead and
started a dragon boat club in Pender Harbour.
With many new paddlers and one crew taking a breather
we are again at 127 members for the 2008 season. We
dotted the eye of our two dragon boats and MacKenzie
Mussels, Nauti'Gals and Sunshine Dragons Abreast
raced at the Women's Regatta on May 24. Next came
the popular Nanaimo Festival for Sunshine Dragons
Abreast and Victoria for MacKenzie Mussels.
August and September saw crews combining to race at
the BC Seniors' Games in Prince George and the
Kelowna Festival. Finally, we helped organize a Final
Fling at Garden Bay where Powell River's Paddling for
Life, the Pender Harbour Dragontinis and our combined
teams Sunshine Dragons Abreast/Nauti'Gals and
MacKenzie Mussels/Porpoise Paddlers raced over
500m, 250 m and an obstacle course before lunch and a
successful fundraiser for the CIBC Run for the Cure.
2009 saw us with 126 paddlers. Before we got on the
water a Meet and Greet session was held at the Aquatic
Centre, and team leaders attended a half day workshop.
Sunshine Dragons Abreast organized a very successful
fashion show. The Mussels, Nauti'Gals and Sunshine
Dragons Abreast took teams to the Women's Regatta for
good racing on a sunny day. We all squeezed into
YaYa's Oyster Bar for refreshments before the ferry
home. We took the BuK to Trail Bay Mall for Fill the Boat
- where the public helped us collect grocery items and
money for the Food Bank. Rudy put wheels on our big
dollies to ease putting the boats in the water and taking
them out again. We took the boat in the Canada Day
Parade again and sang the National Anthem and the
Mammogram countless times en route!
Sunshine Dragons Abreast and Mackenzie Mussels
competed at Nanaimo - where the last race was called
off due to rough water conditions. The Mussels came
home with silver medals.
Nauti'Gals raced at Harrison and in Kelowna and a
combined team went to Richmond to test the water for
the Seniors' Games.
We ran an introductory program for 12 new paddlers
over five weeks. Then at our 1st Intra Club races for the
Don Mackenzie Trophy the new paddlers demonstrated
the obstacle course and Mackenzie Mussels won the
trophy which Don presented and now sits in his office
window.
We helped celebrate Gibson's Paddle Club's 10th
anniversary and a week later had a picnic to celebrate
our own 5th anniversary. Then it was time for Seniors'
Games - MacKenzie Mussels sent a mixed team and we
also sent a combined women's team. No medals this
time.
Finally it was the Final Fling at Garden Bay in Pender
Harbour and MacKenzie Mussels triumphed over our 4
teams, Pender Harbour's Dragontinis and Powell River's
Paddling for Life.
A members' survey was done again and results
presented at the annual general meeting. The Gibsons
Paddle Club was gratefully acknowledged as the one
who gave the sport of dragon boating its start on the
Sunshine Coast, but because of our growth, it was time
to form a separate club. A vote was held in favour and
the Sunshine Coast Dragon Boat Club was born.
Paddling out of Sechelt, BC