There was an unmistakable buzz of excitement when the first-ever dragon boat racing event was staged on the East Tamaki Estuary.
The recent event was organised by Ricky Long, chair of East Tamaki Dragon Boat Club, along with Howick Local Board members Peter Young and Bruce Kendall, and took off from Highbrook Fishing Wharf.
A huge turnout of families and friends was present to cheer on the participants as they got ready to partake in the colourful cultural sporting event.
While the sun was shining bright, the strong winds delayed the start of the ceremonial dragon boat race.
But with the able guidance of Kendall, a double Olympic boardsailing medallist, it was smooth paddling.
He even charted a new pathway for the race, just 30 minutes before it kicked off.
The idea of staging a dragon boat race in east Auckland was the culmination of a conversation between Kendall and Young.
The sailing enthusiast mentioned to Young that there’s no dragon boat available in east Auckland.
“Most of the time we end up having rice dumplings at the local events but there’s no dragon boat available for a competition in the area,” he says.
Young, who enjoys bringing people together for community activities, decided to take it on as a challenge to find one.
After two years of planning, he contacted the Baiyun Lion Association Incorporated and the New Zealand Chinese Dragon Boat Association Incorporated for this special event.
The team had a drummer, who sat on the bow of the boat, adding a special connection as the team moved to the rhythm of the drums.
The participants said it was a great day of learning in terms of balance, team spirit and connection to the water, as they all moved expertly in the confined space they shared with fellow paddlers.
As for the spectators, they had a fun morning, happily cheering on their favourite team.
