There are many ancient legends that surround the origin of the sport. What is known is that competitive races originated between villages in China over 2000 years ago. Modern dragon boat racing began in 1976, in Hong Kong. In these racing events, dragon boats are generally rigged with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails. A “caller” or “drummer” at the front (bow) of the boat beats a drum to keep the paddlers in time. The decorative dragon head and tail regalia is removed from the boat for practices, although the drum often remains aboard for training purposes.

There are several roles on a dragon boat:

Paddlers:  Similar to canoeing (and unlike rowing), paddlers sit facing the front of the boat and propel the boat forward by driving and pulling their paddles through the water at the same time and in the same manner as every other paddler. There are typically 10 benches in a boat, with two paddlers per bench. During paddling practice, after paddling on one side for a period of time, each paddler switches sides with their “bench mate”, and then paddles on the opposite side of the boat for a similar period of time. Paddlers do not switch sides during a race.

The Caller/Coach: During a race, the caller (drummer) sits at the front of the boat and may issue commands to the crew through a combination of drum beats and voice calls, motivating the crew to peak athletic performance. During practices, the coach sits at the front of the boat, demonstrating correct paddling technique through example and critique, and showing each paddler how to achieve their most effective stroke.

The Steersperson: Controls the dragon boat with an oar rigged at the rear of the boat. It is the steersperson’s job to keep the boat on course and ensure safety for all persons on the boat.