Happy New Year everyone! DRACO and it’s member Phantom Dragons team joined forces to see in the New Year w/ an event featuring Mega-Scorch, the Fire-Breathing Dragon, at the Colorado Plus Brewpub. It was a very fun celebration, and helped raise funds to support a worthwhile cause – DRACO’s Breast Cancer Survivor Dragon Boat Program.
The dates of this year’s Colorado Dragon Boat Festival have been announced.The event will be Saturday and Sunday, July 30-31, 2K16 at Sloan’s Lake Park.
The Phantom Dragons, a member team of the Dragonboat Racing Association of Colorado, reacted quickly to the announcement, and is the first team to enter the Colorado Springs International Dragon Boat Festival to be held August 27th, 2016. We hope to see you there!
Great News!!! GWN Dragon Boat has announced a new event – the Walgreen’s Colorado Springs International Dragon Boat Festival, to be presented by Pepsico August 27th, 2016.
It will be great to add a new, professionally organized and well-run dragon boat competition to our calendar of events!
Michael J. Boyd, Captain and Head Coach of the local Phantom Dragons team, raced in the coveted right stroke position on Team USA’s Senior C Mixed crew in the 12th IDBF Dragon Boat World Championships, held in Welland, Ontario this August. For dragon boaters, this is the pinnacle event – the equivalent of what the Olympic Games represents for more conventional sports. Notably, Boyd is the first paddler from Colorado to try out for and be selected to race on a World Championship level dragon boat team. Needless to say, he considered this experience to be the event of a lifetime!
Michael J. Boyd / Team USA Senior C Mixed 2015
The Team USA Senior C crew paddled with determination and heart in the 2000-meter, 500-meter and 200-meter divisions, setting a National Record for their time in the 200 meter races. However, the combined time for their two fastest (of three) heats in that division left them a scant 0.22 seconds behind Germany in the race for third place – heartbreakingly close, but just off the podium and out of the medals.
Here is a video of their Final Race in the 200-Meter Division.
Senior C Mixed 200-Meter Finals
Also check out Mike’s interview with Richard Smith of Belief Sport TV that provided live online coverage of the event . . .
Michael J. Boyd Interview – IDBF World Dragon Boat Championships
Additional Photos are posted here:
2015 IDBF Dragon Boat World Championships
In less than two weeks, Michael Boyd, Captain and Head Coach of the local Phantom Dragons team, will be racing in the IDBF Dragon Boat World Championships in Welland, Ontario.
Those wanting to follow the racing action can do so at the following site:
If you’re in a position to contribute to this effort, see the documents linked to the image below:
Michael Boyd (a/k/a Captain Bligh!), Captain and Head Coach of the Phantom Dragons, just launched a RallyMe crowdfunding campaign to further his efforts to race with Team USA in the IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Welland, Ontario this August. Please check out the site, and the attached video, at this link:
Captain Bligh / Dragon Boat Team USA
Any support you can provide would be greatly appreciated, either financially, or by spreading the word about this campaign via EMail and social media sites. Thank You!
Michael Boyd (a/k/a Captain Bligh!), Captain and Head Coach of the Phantom Dragons dragon boat race team, is vying for a position on the Senior C Team USA Crew that will race in the IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Welland, Ontario this coming August.
Boyd has successfully completed initial physical testing and an the first of two Three-Day Tryout Camps in Florida. He is scheduled to compete in the second camp in early March. Stay tuned for more information concerning his quest, and a crowd-funding campaign that is being organized to help defray a portion of the associated expenses.
The Phantom Dragons’ prototype pool paddling simulator, designed and constructed by Michael Boyd (Captain Bligh) in 2010, has been sold to the FYP Island Warriors team in Houston, Texas. A group of Island Warrior paddlers made a quick road trip to Colorado over Thanksgiving weekend to pick up the training device.
Plans for an improved, second-generation simulator are in the works – stay tuned for further updates!
Beautiful photograph of the Phantom Dragons team, enjoying a sunset practice at Lake Arbor . . .
