The 20 people aboard are all friends, but the light conversation and carefree laughter usually found in such settings is absent. There is only a low primal drumbeat from the back of the more than 40-foot-long craft. It turns 40 arms and hands and 20 bodies and minds into one unit – a powerhouse – setting them in motion while also setting the pace of their motion.
“It’s one of those things where you try to explain it to somebody and they go, ‘Dragon boating? What in the world is that?”‘ says Phaedra Richmond, founder and coach of the Chattanooga Dragon Boat Club. Dragon boating comes from an ancient folk ritual of contending villagers in southern China dating back at least 2,000 years. These days, Westerners like Richmond take their place in the long, canoe-like human-powered watercraft traditionally found throughout Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands in order to help today’s generation. Many of the races of the season, which runs from March-September or October, benefit charitable and nonprofit organizations, like the Chattanooga Dragon Boat Festival that benefits Children’s Hospital at Erlanger on May 4.
“I know a lot of sports are team sports, but with this one, to me there’s no super star, no MVP,” says Chattanooga Dragon Boat Club member Shannon Bennett. “If one person fails, the whole team is going to fail. If everybody works well together, everybody is going to have a great day on the water. You’ve got to work together and help them out along the way.”
“You can have 20 muscle-bound men and their timing be completely off, and then you can have a boat of Girl Scouts and they can beat those men – it’s all about timing and teamwork,” Richmond adds.
The Chattanooga team, which formed after the first local festival seven years ago, has seen members of various skill levels – even a 70-something-year-old and cancer survivors, Richmond notes. “You really get to meet new people,” she says. “It seems like every year we’re gaining popularity and growing. It’s really more of a bonding situation because you’re in a boat with 19 other paddlers. We welcome anyone and everyone to come out and try it. If you don’t think you’re going to be any good at it, give it a try. You never know until you try. I think a lot of people go, ‘Oh, I don’t know how to paddle, I’ve never been in a boat.’ I’ve taught people who knew absolutely nothing.”
The only requirement for those interested in keeping an ancient tradition alive, while at the same time helping shore up their health for the long term, is water, sunscreen and clothes you don’t mind getting wet. All gear and safety equipment is provided. “Anybody that likes to have a good time out on the water, we encourage them to come out and try it. Getting on the water with your friends is always fun,” says Bennett.