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What is a Dragon Boat? Dragon boats are 41 feet long, 45 inches wide and weigh 550 lbs. For competition they are decorated with dragon heads and tails. A team consists of 20 paddlers, 1 drummer and 1 steersperson. Races are typically 500m long (2-3 minutes) with 4-6 boats competing against each other. Dragon Boat History & Facts Dragon Boating is an ancient sport, rich in culture and tradition; it originated in China over 2000 years ago. It began when the famous and much loved Chinese poet, Chu Yuan, threw himself into the Miluo River to protest against government corruption. When the people of his village saw this they jumped into their boats and paddled furiously to try and rescue him while beating drums to fend off evil spirits. Unfortunately they could not save him, but every year thereafter the people would commemorate this day by gathering in their boats and race in his memory. Today, dragon boating is the national sport of China. There are reportedly over 30 million dragon boaters who take part in races every year. Dragon Boating in North America and Quebec Dragon Boating was first raced in North America in Vancouver during the mid 1980’s. Since this time it has seen an explosion in popularity unparalleled in any other sport and has been dubbed "the fastest growing sport in the world." It first arrived in Quebec, Canada in 1996 with the Montreal Dragon Boat Festival. In 2003 over 50,000 people took part in 70 festivals nationwide. The activity is only beginning to emerge in Quebec with events held in Lachine, Kahnawake, Sherbrooke, Quebec City and Montreal. Why so popular? Why has dragon boating become such a popular activity? Simple, it is easy to learn, the boats are extremely stable and once a paddler is in stroke, it doesn’t matter how big, small, old or young he or she is, they’re contributing to the team. It is an activity where 80 percent of teams feature men and women competing together in mixed crews. This aspect has made it a favorite among corporations and organizations who use it as a team building activity. Finally, it is visually spectacular to see and a great venue to showcase the different cultural aspects of a community. There is something for the whole family. CORPORATE TEAM BUILDING PROGRAM Corporate dragon boat events are an exciting way of motivating and integrating staff from all areas of a company. Dragon boat racing is a group activity that

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