The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in the Queens borough of New York on Aug 13. The annual event drew hundreds of participants, paddling aboard painted boats. [Photo by Andres Kudacki / Associated Press]

Changes seen, teamwork going on

As the water sport prevails around the world, some changes occur for sure, tinted with local characteristics.

In New York, for example, the date of the festival is postponed from someday in June to early August, to adapt to the chillier weather, and give paddling teams more time to practice.

Also, some teams use modern speaker system to communicate, rather than depending on a drummer sitting in the front of the boat to set the rhythm of the strokes.

For most dragon boat events in North America, the old-fashioned dragon-headed boat, and drum as well, are still kept to carrying the Asian tradition, and the rules set by the International Dragon Boat Federation are abided.

As a competition, some techniques are necessary. When 20 paddlers are sitting in a slim boat, it is a test of grace, flexibility and synchronicity. Paddlers have to receive training to keep the boat going in the most efficient way.

"This is like the ultimate team sport," said Armando Gong, another Catch22 paddler, before he gets on the boat with others. They are preparing for the Riverfront Dragon Boat & Asian Festival at the following weekend, in Connecticut.

"For basketball and football, there are a lot of superstars who are very important to the team," Armando said. "In dragon boat, everyone is equal, everyone has to pull their own weight to the boat."

The difficulty is organizing a boat of 22 individuals, including one steersman, one drummer and 20 paddlers, to come at the same time, to practice and to produce one sound stroke, said David. To prepare for a race, all members come together and take part in race planning and strategy, and they have to get on an agreement before going onto water.

"There are 19 other people, who might have a different point of view, for all 20 to be all on the same boat is actually very difficult to be on sync," echoed Qing Liao, who paddles on the front row of the boat.

Once the unison is reached, the friendship they have achieved along the way makes the paddling experience more valuable, according to the paddlers.

"The unified bond between teammates and individual paddler can make or break a team," David told Xinhua before getting his group together for some pep talk.

"When you have that kind of chemistry, it's a lot easier to have one unified stroke to make a really fast boat," he said.

The camaraderie on the water stretches beyond the boat. To get better as a team, paddlers take their time to bond, to hang out, and to travel. Even during off seasons, they still work out together in gyms.

"I got sucked in, once you are in, it is just so part of your life," Qing said. Turning back to her teammates with a smile, she joined other Catch22ers for another round of paddling practice.