White-Eagle Perry (Medicine Man)

White-Eagle was first introduced to paddling on a Dragon Boat in 2008 for the Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which only participated that year.

When he found out that the Phantom Dragons were looking for paddlers for the 2013 Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, he jumped in with both feet. Between practices he runs his own acupuncture clinic, studies for his doctorate in acupuncture and oriental medicine, teaches traditional Japanese martial arts, tai ji, qi gong, and when he can he enjoys a nice round of golf.

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Jesse Thorne (Death Grip)

Jesse is your generic disposable squid that provides awesome and necessary power to the driving force that is the Phantom Dragons dragon boat race team.

Jesse originally started dragon boating during the summer of 2013, as an outlet for physical and mental exercise, and instantly became captivated, pursuing further training that would lead up to his first local competition at the annual Colorado Dragon Boat Festival (participating as the “off the port-side quarter” paddler after only a month of training and conditioning prior to the event).

Jesse continues to maintain a level of motivation, camaraderie, and enthusiasm that is lasting and genuine. Always looking for improvement and critique to refine his developing skills, he will rise and stand confidently among fellow seasoned shipmates and uphold the energy of the Phantom Dragon family.

Holding true to his nickname, earned during an introspective learning point derived from discomfort in a paddle-arm muscle, Jesse believes in living life adventurously and abundantly. His life-philosophy holds that “if one lives their days without occasionally hanging on for dear life with a death-grip, then one is not living life to the fullest”.

Abbey Esbenson (Pumpkin Pie)

I am one of the youngest paddlers on the Phantom Dragons team.  I have paddled for three years, and paddled in multiple competitions in Arizona and California.  I have also attended a dragon boat camp in Florida.  Dragon boat camp was one of the most fun experiences of my life.  It is great spending a week just focusing on the sport.  I have spread my love of dragon boating to others by helping start a dragon boat club at Regis University!  I really look forward to building the team up here in Colorado, and want other people to love the sport as much as I do!

Michael J. Boyd (Captain Bligh)

Michael Boyd (a/k/a Captain Bligh!) serves as Captain, Head Coach, and Lead Paddler of the Phantom Dragons dragon boat race team.

Mike got his start in dragon boating in 2003, when he formed a team to race in the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival as a fund-raiser to help send three students (including himself) to Brisbane, Australia to compete as part of Team USA in an International TaeKwon-Do Championship tournament. He was instantly hooked on dragon boat racing, and has continued to paddle, coach, and serve as captain for competitive teams since that time.

Mike has attended week-long dragon boat camps taught by world champion level coaches / paddlers in Florida for the past four years, and recently completed a Dragon Boat Canada Level II Competitive Coaching Course in Pickering, Ontario (certification currently pending).

Mike has led his team to successfully compete in out-of-state festivals in Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco and Tempe.  In the 2011 Arizona competition, his team was awarded the prestigious Spirit of Qu Yuan award for demonstrating outstanding sportsmanship and honor.  More recently, he was recognized in a Letter from Senator Mark Udall for his contributions to dragon boat racing in Colorado, and the Phantom Dragons’ performance in the San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival.

Mike’s journey recently came “full circle”, as he was the first paddler from Colorado to ever be selected to race on a World Championship level dragon boat team.  He had the honor of racing in the coveted right stroke position on Team USA’s Senior C Mixed crew in the 12th IDBF Dragon Boat World Championships in Welland, Ontario. For dragon boaters, this is the pinnacle event – the equivalent of what the Olympic Games represents for more conventional sports.