We continue to make minor improvements to DRACO’s new, second-generation pool paddling simulator (Sinker), and it is proving to be a great hit with our Phantom Dragons and new BCS paddlers. Below are photos taken during recent practice sessions.
Paddles Up!
Phantom Dragons paddlers, ready for “Sinker’s” maiden voyage!
Design and construction of DRACO’s new, second-generation pool paddling simulator (Sinker) is complete, and winter practices have now resumed. Based on initial testing on January 30 and February 6, the new simulator is greatly improved over the first generation prototype! See video from her maiden voyage at First Practice Video.
Our New Simulator arrives at the Wheat Ridge Recreation Center
Phantom Dragons paddlers, ready for “Sinker’s” maiden voyage!
Paddles Up!
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:
Team Scorch (a combined Phantom Dragons / Florida crew) brought home some bling from this year’s Colorado Dragon Boat Festival.
The team received Gold medals and a 1st Place Certificate for the 250m Rec A Division. The team also placed 4th in the 500-meter Competitive Division, and posted the fastest time in the 1,000-Meter “Guts & Glory” race (but were forced inside by another boat, missing a buoy in that race, which was for “bragging rights only”).
Due to an improperly called start (which was protested), the crew was allowed to re-run the 125m Final (with some awesome help from their LBT friends, who ran alongside to help push them along). Even though the PD/Scorch crew had to run that race back-to-back, immediately after one of its 250-meter heats, they posted a faster time than any other team in the final heat.
It was a great weekend of racing and camaraderie. Congrats to all!
The Phantom Dragons were joined by four paddlers from the BlindStart program in the recent Arizona Dragon Boat Festival. It was honor to have them as part of our crew, and fun getting to know them a little better at our team dinner Saturday night.
Check out this great article and video by a local news station that was doing a feature on the BlindStart Paddlers. The Phantom Dragons were prominently featured in a good part of the video footage!
Congratulations to the Phantom Dragons for their strong showing in the Arizona Dragon Boat Festival held March 28-29, 2K15. Short-handed for the event (as usual), the Phantoms crew had some much appreciated help. Its Mixed Crew was far more “mixed” than most, with three countries and eight+ individual teams represented in its ranks.
Although the Phantom Dragons didn’t quite make it to the medal round this year, they did post a team best 500-meter time of 2:17. This year’s Arizona Festival was a very competitive event. Check out the full Race Results
Many thanks to everyone who raced w/ the Phantom Dragons. Special paddle salute to Kamini Jain and her RAP paddlers for helping fill out our crew, and for giving the Phantoms’ female paddlers a chance to race w/ them in the Womens Division (in which her two teams won silver and bronze medals in the Women’s B)! Also a shout out to the four Blindstart paddlers who added some incredible strength to our mix! Thanks, too, to the San Diego Dragon Boat Team members who raced w/ the Phantom Dragons in the 250s, and allowed Captain Bligh to run w/ their Masters crew. And lastly, paddle salute to Lady Di and Rho, who got to run the 1000m race w/ the Golden Dragons. Fun stuff!
Here is a few photo taken at the event (courtesy of Kwok de La Luna for those he shared on Facebook – more to come on his web site soon)!
Michael J. Boyd (Captain Bligh), DRACO President and Captain/Head Coach of the Phantom Dragons, has been formally selected to compete on the Team USA Senior C Mixed crew that will compete in the World Championships in Welland, Ontario in August!
The selections were made based on initial physical testing, followed by two separate three-day Tryout Camps that included two-a-day practices, weigh-ins, and a variety of performance tests, both on and off the water.
Now, the only remaining hurdle that he must overcome in order to compete is financial. To help, a RallyMe crowd-funding site set up at this link:
Please help if you can. Even if you can’t contribute financially, you can still be of great assistance by spreading the word about this campaign to all your contacts via EMail, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media.
Many thanks for your support!
The Phantom Dragons are training hard to get ready for the Arizona Dragon Boat Festival, to be held March 28-29, 2015 on Tempe Town Lake. The team is shown here in photos taken at last year’s Arizona competition.
On June 21, the Phantom Dragons will be participating in The Longest Day. From sunrise to sunset, we will be paddling dragon boats to raise awareness and funds for the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association, and to provide support for, and increase the visibility of, the fun and exciting sport of dragon boat racing.
Please join us in this effort! We would greatly appreciate it if you would make a monetary contribution and/or help us in obtaining pledges to support these worthwhile causes. If you’re in this area, please come out in person to help in our efforts – it should be a very fun and rewarding day! For more information, see our flyer / pledge form at the following link:
