**POSTPONED** Dragon Boat Social & Kickoff - Colorado

Join us at our new office as we kickoff the 2022 Dragonboat season! We'll enjoy great food, good company, share stories from this past season, and discuss goals and logistics for the 2022 season.

** Please RSVP/Register no later than May  28th**

For Questions, please contact Gwen Hall at: gwen.hall@adaptiveadventures.org

What is Dragon Boat Racing?

Dragon Boating- a sport founded in China over 2000 years ago, started as an international sport in 1976 in Hong Kong and has a worldwide participation of over 50 million competitors.  Dragon boats are fast, powerful, and recognized for the camaraderie, strength and endurance fostered amongst the team members. 

The crew for the Hong Kong class dragon boat is typically 22, made up of 20 paddlers in pairs facing toward the bow (front) of the boat; 1 'drummer' or 'caller' at the bow facing toward the paddlers who creates the heartbeat and rhythm of the boat; and 1 'sweep' (steerer) standing at the rear of the boat controlling its track.

Benefits of Dragon Boat Racing

Dragon Boat racing is a fun team-building activity and participating in a dragon boat event can benefit people with disabilities, warriors, family, caregivers, and others in numerous ways.

- Dragon Boating creates an inclusive environment.
- People of all ages and fitness levels can participate.
- The nature of the sport emphasizes unity and working together.
- Driving towards the finish line produces energy, enthusiasm and motivation.
- Paddlers communicate by cheering each other on.
- The sport encourages leaders to move to the forefront.
- Twenty paddlers in one boat = increased camaraderie. 

Dragon boat races feature an exhilarating combination of premier sport competition in concert with an entertainment showcase for corporations, community organizations, and families.  This is your opportunity to be at the forefront of representing people with disabilities and their supporters.

How will you train?

We will meet weekly, Tuesday nights 6:30 to 8:30pm, meeting near Sloans Lake Park Ranger Station. Our season kickoff practice will be April 16, 2019 (weather permitting). Expect to progress in your skills learning how to paddle efficiently and effectively with your new unit, into phases of endurance and taking this new fitness and family into your at-home life. Together, we will learn how to improve our fitness, canoe stroke, power, and ability to feel the hull of that dragon boat move with speed and stealth.  

You will need to sign a contract of commitment for the summer of 2019 that states you will be able to attend 90% of the sessions. If our team places well, we can qualify to continue on to further events out of state. 

Our team coach and mentors will provide the resources and skills necessary to reach to the highest levels. Our head coach has worked in China as a national team canoe instructor and has worked across the world helping veterans, those with disabilities, and many others find olympic development opportunities and to help identify a teams greatest potential.  We will also have multiple others assisting in the development of this team. We are a family!