Asian Fortune Your source for all things Asian American
By Derek Mong
55 eager teams and 1,500 paddlers from across the East Coast waited eagerly at the starting line at the gorgeous Thompson Boat Center on the Georgetown Waterfront. The two-day festival which was originally scheduled for May 17 and 18, but was rescheduled due to high waters in the Potomac River from frequent rain in early May. But on June 14, there was barely a cloud in the sky.
participated in the Festival for seven consecutive years.
Dragon Boating is a tradition based off of a legend that dates back more than two thousand years. Legend has it that Qu Yuan, a Chinese poet and statesman, committed suicide by jumping into a river as a form of political protest; concerned about fish eating the remains of a fallen hero, local fisherman paddled their boats as quickly as they could to the river and agitated the water in order to scare fish away with the goal of preserving his decaying body. That act—based in historical tradition and folklore—evolved over the years into one of the fastest-growing on-water sports in North America. Today, there are literally hundreds of festivals around the world celebrating Dragon Boat, including an international “Olympic-style” Dragon Boat championship that takes place in a different city every year—this year in Ravenna, Italy.
Washington D.C.’s Dragon Boat Festival, which is sponsored by the Chinese Women’s League (CWL), has become one of the pre-eminent cultural celebrations in the region, galvanizing over 10,000 paddlers, friends, and family to the banks of the Potomac River to enjoy the races, of course, and the various cultural performances that take place throughout the festival. With the Jefferson Memorial and other D.C. artifacts serving as the backdrop for the multi-colored, animated Dragon Boats and their teams, the festival is the ultimate celebration of Asian American culture in the D.C. area.
With each of over 55 teams huddled in a 10 foot by 10 foot tent along the water, the “Athlete’s Village” feels like a summer camp at times. The collegiality of the teams is comforting, as teams participate in eye-dotting ceremonies in which the “eyes” of the boats are dotted to metaphorically bring the boats to life. Teams might also share a traditional meal of “Zhong Zi” on the river, which are packets of sticky rice steamed in bamboo or reed leaves and are traditionally eaten as part of the festival. According to folklore, these rice packets were thrown into the river to feed the fish and prevent them from eating Qu Yuan’s remains.
The camaraderie is real, but don’t be mistaken: the competition is fierce, and the teams are determined to take home a shiny medal and trophy for their organizations. More importantly, bragging rights are at stake.
With dozens of teams competing in over 50 races, the sold-out Dragon Boat Festival features heats in which teams, with names like the “TECRO Flagship,” “Northrop Grumman Cyber Dragons,” “Booz Allen BetaFish,” and the “USPTO APANET Piranhas” take to one of 10 rowing boats to compete in the ultimate paddling showdown. Each team, afforded several practices prior to competing, brings their own style to the race. With teams comprised of corporate organizations, community heritage schools, various professions, and extended families, each team showcases a segment of the Asian American community in the Greater Washington, D.C., community at-large, creating a unique social fabric that emerges only at unique events such as this.
With up to 25 people on each boat, including paddlers and a drummer, each Dragon Boat team must work in unison to propel the rowboat forward. Paddlers—some as young as 12 years old—compete on co-ed teams in which the beat of a single drum at the head of the boat synchronizes each individual’s movements and strokes. A combination of strength, persistence, coordination, strategy, and, perhaps, the winds of chance, determines the winner.
Winning teams received their awards at an Award Ceremony held on Sunday, June 15, 2014. Each of the top three teams from each of the major division races, as well as the top team from each minor division championship race, were awarded medals and a trophy.
The winners of the DC Championship Race are as follows:
1st place: East Rising
2nd place: Capital City Dragons (youth)
3rd place: Booz Allen BetaFish
4th place: APABA-DC Bakunawas – Fire
5th place: ECS Dragon Warriors Adults
6th place: Northrup Grumman Cyber Dragons
A full list of winners can be found online at www.asianfortunenews.com
