About Our Event

How to get Started?

 

If you are new to the sport of dragon boat racing and want to find out more on how to get started, please click on the following link. Hopefully, it will answer some of the most commonly asked questions as well as inform you as to what you can expect as a participant.

 

Click to enter our “How to get Started” Section (NOTE: pdf)

 

How did Dragon Boat Racing begin?

 

Legend has it that racing dragon boats started during the tumultuous warring states period (475 – 221BC) in the southern kingdom of Chu . Qu Yuan was a renowned poet and popular Chinese minister, who was dismissed. He drowned himself in the Milou River to protest against the corrupt rulers on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. The townspeople attempted to rescue him in boats; they beat on drums to scare fish away and threw dumplings (sticky rice) into the sea to keep the fish from eating Qu Yuan’s body. The dragon boat festivals were started as a celebration of his life.

 

Event History:

 

Dragon boat racing is the hottest, fastest growing water sport around. Held as an annual event in over 40 countries, it has become a global phenomenon attracting over 50 million participants world wide.

 

Starting in 2005, the Columbia Valley Dragon Boat Race & Festival is the only event of its kind in Regional District of East Kootenay. We are proud to offer an admission free event that brings together thousands of spectators and over 1000 paddlers and volunteers into a premier sporting and cultural extravaganza. Dragon boat racing is environmentally friendly, showcases the natural beauty of the Columbia Valley and fosters a respect for nature and responsibility for our sensitive eco-system.

 

This year, we are very pleased to announce that the Columbia Valley Dragon Boat Race & Festival will be offering a Breast Cancer Survivor Challenge Cup Race, followed by a “ceremonial ritual” in memory of those women who have lost their lives to breast cancer. We extend a special invitation to all Breast Cancer Survivor Teams in Western Canada to participate.

 

The Columbia Valley Dragon Boat Race & Festival is very fortunate to have the support of the Alberta Dragon Boat Race Foundation. As a sponsor of our event, the Alberta Dragon Boat Race Foundation will be providing their Dynasty boats, paddles, PFDs and other equipment for our use. The Columbia Valley Dragon Boat Race & Festival would like to acknowledge and thank the Alberta Dragon Boat Race Foundation for their support of our event and commitment to the development of Dragon Boat racing in Canada .

 

The Venue:

 

Taynton Bay is at the north end of Lake Windermere in the town of Invermere , B.C. The bay is sheltered from wind by the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Purcell Mountains to the west and is known for calm water. The weather is hot in July with average maximum temperatures reaching 34 degrees Celsius; average precipitation is nil and the wind is minimal. Ideal conditions for dragon boat races!

 

Kinsmen Beach provides a natural setting for the Columbia Valley Dragon Boat Race & Festival with sandy beaches and plenty of grass for children, friends and family. Make sure that you invite your “cheering section” down to the beach for a weekend of family fun!