Paddles In-Hand For Baltimore Dragon Boat Spectacular
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- It's a sport that started in southern China 2,000 years ago. Saturday, that excitement comes to the Inner Harbor.
Ron Matz reports the paddles are in hand for the dragon boat spectacular.
It's the sound of the spirit of the dragon boat. They'll be racing here Saturday.
"I started with Catholic Charities and had a great time. I figured I really need to get off the couch and start to do something. I found out about the club online. I came and joined, and the next thing you know, I really liked it," said Ousa Tran from Towson, a member of the Baltimore Dragon Boat Club.
Members of the Baltimore Dragon Boat Club are ready.
"I've been doing this about four years. I was initially invited to be a part of a breast cancer recovery team here in Baltimore and in Annapolis. It's not like anything I've ever done. It's not like kayaking or canoeing. It's very challenging and it's quite a workout," said Margie Taneyhill from Severna Park, a member of the Baltimore Dragon Boat Club. "I'm sticking with it because I like to challenge myself and I love all of the people involved here."
The competition gets underway at 8 a.m. near the Under Armour campus in Locust Point.
"We have races starting at 8 a.m. Saturday. We have 14 teams. They're coming from New York, Philadelphia and D.C. These teams are very competitive. When you see them out there, they are lightning fast," said John Pezzulla, president of the Baltimore Dragon Boat Club.
Teams from New York, D.C. and Philadelphia are coming.
"We have a 200 meter race, which is like a sprint. We have a 500 meter race, which is a typical dragon boat race. And we have a 2,000 meter race, which is like a marathon. It's a long endurance race," said Pezzulla.
And that endurance race is 12 minutes of nonstop paddling--a cardio workout and more.
"So you can get your heart rate up really, really fast. It can go from resting to your top heart rate. Our races can go anywhere from one minute to 12 minutes. And the next thing you know, you have to maintain that for 12 minutes. It's high intensity, and anything that can get your heart going like that is fantastic," said Tran.
Fourteen teams will be competing in Locust Point on Saturday--some of the best dragon boat racers on the East Coast.
"This is a growing sport. We started the club here in Baltimore in 2008, but dragon boat racing has been going on in Baltimore since 1998. Catholic Charities has been sponsoring a race every other year with corporate teams from Baltimore," Pezzulla said.
And not a bad way to start the day.
"It's a fun thing to watch. It's great for families. You'll see these teams racing and having a good time. Our club is open to everyone and we encourage people to come paddle with us," said Pezzulla.
The Baltimore Dragon Boat Club was formed seven years ago and now has more than 100 members.
