The upcoming Father鈥檚 Day weekend will be a busy one in Salmon Arm and on Shuswap Lake.
In addition to marking the start of the two-day Demo Derby and Swap Meet at the fairgrounds, Saturday, June 15, is also the day of the 18th Annual Shuswap Dragon Boat Festival, with races from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and public spectator viewing available at the Salmon Arm Marine Park Wharf. Team check-in will begin at 8 a.m., with an opening ceremony at 8:30. This event will be hosted by the Shuswap Rowing and Paddling Club (SRPC), which operates under the Shuswap Association for Rowing and Paddling (SARP), celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
The June 15 event will include up to 16 teams competing in women鈥檚 and mixed divisions, a 500-metre race course. There will also be a survivor carnation ceremony.
The sport involves 20 paddlers paddling in unison to the rhythm of a drum on 46-foot dragon boat, explained SARP Dragon Boat director Ted Crouch, providing some background.
鈥淎 Dragon Boat is a formidable human-powered craft and with a full crew the weight can be more than 4,000 pounds,鈥� said Crouch in a media release, adding the boats are built for sprints or races of 500 meters.
The sport of Dragon Boating appeared in China over 2,000 years ago, becoming a recognized modern international sport in 1976 expanding around the world, including international festivals, said Crouch.
鈥淭he first great exposure of the sport to Canada was in British Columbia during the 1986 World Exposition (Expo! 86),鈥� said Crouch. 鈥淭eak Dragon Boats were featured in races along False Creek and thus the inspiration and start of Dragon Boating in B.C. This auspicious history brings us to current day and the continuation of this sport from antiquity on the Shuswap.鈥�
Crouch explained how for many, the Dragon Boat has become a vessel for raising awareness around breast cancer and connecting survivors. He said this international movement was inspired in 1996 by the research of Canadian sports medicine specialist Don McKenzie, who recognized the technical paddle/stroke of Dragon Boating as beneficial to the physical recovery from treatment.
鈥淎dded to this are the benefits of emotional support a team offers to survivors,鈥� said Crouch. 鈥淭his camaraderie and connection with others is not exclusive to survivor teams, and is an experience available to all. Competitive men鈥檚 teams, women鈥檚 teams, mixed teams, youth teams and survivor teams make up the complexion of many Dragon Boat Clubs and Festivals.
The SRPC officially has two Dragon Boat teams, the Pink Piston Paddlers, an internationally competitive Breast Cancer Survivor team and Dragon Tao, a mixed recreational/competitive team.
SARP invites individuals interested 鈥渋n trying out dragon boating and seeing Shuswap Lake from a new perspective鈥� to contact dragonboatdirector@gmail.com. For more information, visit shuswaprowingandpaddling.com.
In addition to the ongoing action at the fairgrounds, the Marine Park wharf will be busy again on Father鈥檚 Day, June 16, with the Annual Salmon Arm Kids鈥� Fishing Derby from 7 to 11 a.m. Also on the Sunday is a day dedicated to Dads, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at R.J. Haney Heritage Village and Museum. Admission includes tours and scheduled activities.
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