Where could one turn to find an alternative to the norm, a team that is actually gaining in popularity, a group that provides that invigorating feeling of school spirit and vitality students crave? The Varsity invites you to enter the Dragon- the University College Water Dragons that is.
The culture of intercollegiate sport can generate great excitement and enthusiasm. The Varsity Blues intercollegiate program, for example, has created a cult following for some teams, has compelled a plethora of emotions from participants and spectators, and has created multiple levels of competitive spirit.
But, for countless reasons, with the continuing disregard for the Blues’ amazing achievements-and in some cases, their prolonged times of futility- one could feel that the cult is losing members rapidly. Many students at this school feel the need to look elsewhere for entertainment, but the men and women who paddle for UC hope to reverse the trend.
In commission since 1998, the 26 dragon-boaters that comprise the UC Water Dragons train and condition during the school year to compete in intense competitions over the summer break. Don’t think these training sessions are a stroll in the park, because they aren’t.
“When you train for the first sessions with our staff, you can be guaranteed that physically, and maybe even mentally, you will be exhausted,” replied Jason Au, the professional coach for the Water Dragons. “But rest assured, with devotion, you will get used to the intensity.”
“Unlike the conventional rowboat, where the boats are built for speed, the dragon boats are built like heavy blocks floating on water,” said Phillip Toppin, the Captain of the squad. “The aspect of strength has to be emphasized here. When we train, we make sure that everybody is ready for competition.”
The Water Dragons are certainly not the new kids on the block, but they definitely provide a unique approach to sport and competition.
“When one approaches dragon boat racing, one can certainly expect a broad range of competitive realms,” replied Marcelo Affonso, another coach of the Water Dragons. “Everyone can truly be serious when it comes to competing on the water, but once the race is over, all of us feel a sense of togetherness as we reflect on our collective performance.”
The team dynamic, according to the Water Dragons, is pivotal to how successful they can be.
“Let me put it this way: one person cannot make this team win, but one person can make you lose,” claimed Affonso.
Their 2005 summer season certainly provided positive results. They placed 15th overall at the Pickering Dragon Boat Challenge on June 4, but they placed first in three of four of their qualifying races. Winning their first race by a 5.47 second margin over New College’s New Dragonz, the team qualified 13th overall, just one spot short of the A division bracket in one of Ontario’s most competitive events.
“We won the University Cup with over 10 rookie paddlers, and in the open division, placed 3 divisions higher than any other university team in attendance,” proclaimed Au excitedly, as he reflected back on the summer.
Then the Water Dragons placed third overall at Musselman’s Lake on June 11, getting on the podium in all of their races.
The crew also entered in the North American Club Crew Championships in order to compete with the top open teams on the continent. The team’s best performance was in its first race, posting a time of 2:11, qualifying ahead of Toronto A division finalists Tempest in the 500m races. There were certainly ups and downs at this and the other June events for the team.
“As you can see,” said coach Au, “prior to our success in China, we took our share of hard knocks before we regrouped and got ourselves together.
And China did set the stage for Water Dragons prestige. The Tianjin tournament, as one of the most prestigious meets in the world, certainly was at the forefront of the squad’s collective thoughts.
“In Tianjin, the tournament is just a part of a cultural festival that takes place in the town. The dragon boat racing is really the main event on Tianjin’s calendar,” said Toppin.
The competition, whose participants ranged from other university teams to national racing teams from Italy and Russia, was an excellent display of racing, but it raises another issue with respect to the growth of the sport. Many university teams had concerns about having to compete with national teams.
“I am not exactly sure if we will be able to win [these events consistently] if Italy and Russia continue to be able to send significantly older and more experienced paddlers who include their Open National teams,” said Au. “We are in the business of using the talent we have and ultimately measuring the success of our performances by how close we came to putting together our best performance, [not beating older paddlers].”
The Dragons placed sixth overall in Tianjin, but were one of the fastest teams at the tournament. They were placed in the Group B final even though they qualified for the Group A finals. The Water Dragons finished with a better time in that final than the winner of the Group A final.
The Water Dragons commend the University College Literary and Athletic Society, as well as a lot of other campus student groups, for their funding and sponsorship commitments, and are currently training for next summer’s tournaments.
