IslandBreaststrokers

The Island Breaststrokers dragon boat team of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada was formed in the fall of 1996 by Marjorie Woodroffe after she witnessed Vancouver’s “Abreast in a Boat”, the original breast cancer survivor team, race in the 1996 Victoria Dragon Boat Festival. Since our 1997 racing debut, IBS has been committed to promoting public awareness of breast cancer and stressing the need for early detection. We are women from all walks of life, proud to be models of a healthy lifestyle. We prove that regular physical exercise plays a critical role in helping women living through breast cancer to return to an unrestricted, active lifestyle. We have been lucky enough to take our message around the world to places like South Africa, Singapore and Australia. We call "Go Rowing & Paddling Centre on the Gorge", home.

“Let it run!”

The power of Dragons...
COURAGE, ENTHUSIASM, TENACITY, AND PERSISTENCE

What'sDragonBoating?

A dragon boat is about 12 meters in length, with a dragon head at the front and a dragon tail at the back. The boat holds 20 paddlers, one drummer, and one steer-person. It is often divided into 3 sections: the Strokes, the Engine Room and the Rockets. Imagine these 20 paddlers, paddling in unison to the rhythm of the drum, striving to be the first to cross the finish line. Now imagine the energy and the roar from the audience, cheering and motivating their team onwards.

The drummer and steersperson have full command of the boat from the moment that they pull away from the shore. The most important command could be “hold the boat” especially in situations where the boat must be stopped immediately. From the shore it would appear that the drummer is the one who is setting the pace of the boat, but in fact it is the front two paddlers that set the pace, the drummer is just conveying that information to the rest of the boat. The drummer is key to encourage the paddlers in moments of fatigue and enforce any strategy the team has established to win the race. If the team gets out of sync, it will be the drummer who will help the team get back on track quickly!

A steersperson guides the boat from the back using a long 9 foot steering oar. Some steerspersons prefer to stand in the boat and use their bodies to brace themselves against the steering oar. When the paddlers all start to paddle full force, it can be quite a big jolt! Standing also allows vocal commands to be clearly projected down the boat. This higher advantage point lets the steer keep their eyes on the horizon line or a spot in the distance to focus on to help keep the boat straight.