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.