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Showing posts from January, 2018

Dragon...what? Dipping my paddle into dragon boating

Sunset on the Washington Channel I've lived in the Washington, DC area for 12 years and in the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood for nearly seven years, so I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that it wasn't until the summer of 2016 that I decided to try my most local water sport: dragon boating. When people ask me what dragon boating is, I often describe it as paddling a giant canoe with 19 of your friends (plus a steerer in the back and - on competition days - a drummer up front). Of course, it's not exactly canoeing, but that's enough to get a picture started in their mind. I paddle with the DC Dragon Boat Club , which calls DC's Washington Channel home. Between April and October you'll find us out on the water several times a week. One of the things that I liked about the club from the start was that it was very welcoming to beginners. Each week the coaches and other team members help newer paddlers learn the correct form - and make sure that experien...