Category Archives: Phantom Dragons

Luke Esbenson Steers in AZ

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Phantom Dragons paddler Luke Esbenson, certified last year to steer in the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, got his first experience steering for teams in a major dragon boat event when he volunteered to help at the Arizona Dragon Boat Festival in Tempe, AZ on March 22-23,  Luke steered for 16 races over the course of the weekend (in addition to racing with his Phantom Dragons team), and did an outstanding job!

Shown below is Luke, steering for the CRAA team (with several other Phantom Dragons helping fill out the crew, and Tom Ging drumming).

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Phantom Dragons compete in Arizona Festival

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Congratulations to the Phantom Dragons team for their strong showing in the Arizona Dragon Boat Festival held March 22-23, 2K14. Short-handed for the event, the Phantoms crew had much appreciated help by paddlers from Wasabi Power Surge, L.A. Harbor Dragons, DragonMax and NAC.

This year’s Arizona Festival was a very competitive event.  Check out the full Race Results

Several Phantom Dragons paddlers got in quite a bit of extra racing, filling in on teams from Stanford, NAC and CRAA.

Here are a few photos taken at the event (thanks to Kwok de La Luna for those he shared on Facebook)!

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Phantoms Win Punkin Chunkin’ CO 2K13

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Punkin Chunkin AwardsPunkin Chunkin’ this past weekend was a blast (literally). Thanks to those of you who were able to make it out to support us.

The Phantom Dragons team managed five launches of around 2300-2500 feet (and one “dud”) with our compressed air cannon, Kamikaze (Divine Wind).  Our longest shot was 2,491 feet, good for First Place in the Air Cannon Division.  We also won First Place in the Theatrical Division for our rendition of the Ka Mate Haka! YeeHaaaaa!!!

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Phantoms win Bronze in San Francisco!

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The Phantom Dragons (bolstered by some great paddlers from a broad mix of US and Canadian crews) competed in the recent San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival 2K13.  The team moved up a division this year, bringing home bronze medals/trophy in the Mixed Rec B Championship Division. Several Phantom paddlers also had the honor of racing with the Space Dragons Masters, helping that team place 3rd in that division.  Congrats to the Phantom Dragons!!!

PDs in SF

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Space Masters SF 2K13

Deborah J. Boyd – Paddler Bio (Phantom Dragons)

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Deborah Boyd (Princess)

Princess PaddlerDeborah got her start in dragon boating in 2004, when she was reluctantly recruited to race in the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival on a team led by Michael Boyd (later to become her husband).

Deb has attended week-long dragon boat camps taught by world champion level coaches / paddlers in Florida for the past five years, and completed a Dragon Boat Canada Level I Recreational Coaching Certification course in 2012.

Now Co-Captain and Assistant Coach of the Phantom Dragons, Deb (a/k/a Princess) has helped her team to successfully compete in out-of-state festivals in Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco and Tempe, Arizona.

Ellen Lee – Paddler Bio (Phantom Dragons)

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Ellen Lee (Nuts)

Ellen Lee (a/k/a Nuts) joined Phantom Dragons in June 2012 as a first time paddler to race in the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival.

Ellen Paddler

She had heard about dragon boat racing from friends in San Francisco, so when she moved to Colorado, she wanted to participate in an activity to remind her of home. After her first time debuting in CDBF, she was hooked on the sport! Ellen proceeded to travel with the team to out-of-state races including San Francisco in 2012, trained with the team through the winter season in a very cool indoor pool simulator, and competed with the Phantoms in another race in Arizona in 2013.

As a runner and a yogi, the level of conditioning and technique required of dragon boating was an eye-opener, but Ellen is dedicated to, and excited about, the opportunity for continual improvement!

White-Eagle Perry – Paddler Bio (Phantom Dragons)

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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.

White-Eagle Paddler

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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