There you sit, squashed between two of your teammates lined up in the dragon boat. You laugh and joke as you nervously wait for the race to start. The boat rocks gently on the water. You remember how your friends convinced you to try this strange-sounding thing called dragon boat racing. Wait – now you’re off! You pull and strain with your teammates to the drummer’s beat which sounds and feels almost like the heartbeat of the boat itself. You have time for just three thoughts. Will your boat win? How did you ever get yourself into this predicament? And what in the world are dragon boats, anyway?

Well, for a start, they came from China. Many people believe that it all started more than 2000 years ago, in the Chinese kingdom of Chu. Around 278 BC, a poet and official named Qu Yuan heard about corrupt dealings in his government. In protest, he followed the traditional method of drowning himself, using a large rock to sink himself in the Mi Luo River.

According to the legend, villagers tried to save him. When that failed, they began throwing rice into the water to feed the fish and prevent them from devouring his body. After several days, he appeared to his friends in dreams. He told them that the rice was being eaten by a giant dragon in the river, and that they should wrap the rice in silk packages to discourage this dragon. Ever since that time, goes the story, dragon boat races have been a part of the Chinese Duanwu summer solstice festival in commemoration of the death of this national hero.

Now fast-forward to Hong Kong in 1976. In that year, the Hong Kong Tourism Bureau held the Hong Kong International Races for the first time. Since then, Hong Kong has hosted the annual World Championships of Dragon Boat Racing.

Ten years later, it was 1986 in Vancouver, Canada – the city’s 100th birthday. That year, dragon boat racing was one of many events put on to celebrate the occasion. People from all over the world witnessed this colorful tradition showcasing the picturesque boats, with their brightly-painted carved dragon-heads aimed to ward off evil spirits and fish. When they returned home, the spectators took the idea back with them.

Now dragon boats are everywhere! You can find them from the UK to Sweden, in most other European countries, in both North and South America as well as the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, in East Asia wherever large Chinese populations are found, including Singapore and Malaysia, and even in Iran, Egypt, and Israel.

In Europe, most countries have national dragon boat bodies, aligned to both the European and the International Dragon Boat Federations. Asian events are governed by the Asian Dragon Boat Federation, and the US has the United States Dragon Boat Federation. North and South American dragon boat groups together make up the Pan American Dragon Boat Federation

Just a couple more examples will show how deeply dragon boating has penetrated into world culture. British Princes William and Harry raced dragon boats while students at Eton. Princess William (Kate) also trained on them. Finally, the Scouting movement now has a “dragon boating badge”. The whole world has caught “dragon fever”!

As you might have guessed from the list of organizations, dragon boat racing has become a recognized competitive water sport, and one of the world’s fastest-growing. Both traditional and competitive races are held internationally, attracting millions of tourists and spectators, and generating millions of dollars. Each racing event is a huge festival with many thousands of onlookers. Many local business and corporate sponsors participate. Charities also take part, raising tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars from a single event. In fact, many events are charity challenges.

The events themselves can involve hundreds of crews in dozens of races. Each crew is made up of 17-20 rowers, one steersperson (or helmsperson), and one drummer. They sit in a 500-pound, 40-foot dragon boat, traditionally made of teak. The rowers must synchronize to the drummer’s beat. In fact, a well-synchronized team will usually defeat a stronger but less synchronized boat.

Races can be anywhere from 200 to 2000 meters. They are often organized into heats, in which the competitive spirit can be almost thick enough to cut! Crews must work their ways through qualifying races and several rounds to reach semi-finals and finals, along the way getting to know their teammates better than they ever thought possible.

You don’t even have to be an athlete to row. Crews can come from any walk of life, and there are races for almost every fitness level. You can opt to row with your friends, coworkers, or your local team. On the other hand, if you’re ambitious and you like to travel, you can participate in endurance races like the Three Gorges Dam Rally along the Yangtze River, the Ord River marathon in Australia covering more than 50 kilometers, and the Missouri River “340″ (545 kilometers), which is also open to canoes and kayaks.

If you’re not the competitive type, don’t worry. The competitors are not the only ones who have a good time! The crowd has just as much enjoyment as the rowers during a dragon boat race. It’s magnificent recreation for the whole family, and it brings people together both within the community and internationally. The event promotes intercultural awareness, physical fitness, team spirit, and just plain fun. Some onlookers might even feel sympathy for the crews as they approach the finish line with their muscles in agony.

Now zoom back to you, cutting through the water to the beat of the your drummer. It’s you the crowd is sympathizing with and cheering on. Will you win? Will you take home the prize and earn the glory? If you want to find out, you’ll just have to be one of those adventurous spirits who make it to the race!

To find out more, welcome inside and have a look around!