Mirror of the Paddle

Flat water..no waves, no ripples..just glass. Calm, quiet, the only sound is the coach and the swoosh and drips of 20 paddles. Perfect day for a try out paddle! And the first one of the season! Looking forward to our first official practice next week!

Saturday, March 3: Check out Dragonboating

Click the picture to see a bigger invitation!

Once you see the bigger invitation, choose print from your menu bar to print off all the details you need to find our team next week!

March 3, 2007
9:30am - 12pm
Sunnyside Marina, Cultus Lake, BC
Sunnyside Blvd

We will be launching the boat and paddling with anyone who wants to try out the sport.

Park in the Sunnyside Marina parking lot.
Head down to the beach.
Join us for a great paddle!

For more information, call:
Krista Petrie (captain)
604.859.0412 or cell:604.897.8484
kryssee@hotmail.com

Thinking of Joining for 2007?

Most Frequently Asked Questions:
Download the 2006 WaterWarriors Handbook

1. How often do you practice?
We practice once a week from March 10th until April 14th.
We practice twice a week from April 14th to mid-September.
The season ends with the Kelowna regatta: Sept. 15,16.
We practice at Cultus Lake.

We lease a boat from Spirit Abreast (a breast cancer survivor team). They will be practicing Monday evenings (6:30-8:30pm) and alternating Thursday evenings (6:30-8:30pm) / Saturday mornings (8:30 - 10:30 am).

Practice Times: Pre-Daylight Savings:
Before daylight savings time, we will be practicing on Saturday mornings at 10:30am - 12pm, once per week.

Practice Times: Post-Daylight Savings:
After daylight savings time, we can practice in the evenings. We practice twice per week.
We have yet to determine which times/days we will practice.

The team has been giving their input now that we know which times Spirit Abreast will practice. It seems like Tuesday evening (6:30pm - 8:30pm) will be an agreed upon choice. The second practice has yet to be determined, although it could be: Friday evenings, Sunday evenings or some alternating like we did last year (Sat. morning/Thursday evening). There is also a possibility that we could practice on Saturday mornings.

Practice times will be decided on March 3rd at our Team Meeting. If you are thinking of joining and want a voice in the practice times, please email Krista Petrie, kryssee@hotmail.com with your preferences.

2. When do you compete?
Last year, we competed in 5 regattas and festivals. Two of them were "away" for the night - Nanaimo and Kelowna. The other 3 were day regattas in the Lower Mainland (Cultus, Harrison, False Creek). The thrill of practice together is to see our team blend in sync to win!

In 2007, we are considering the following regattas:
1. False Creek Women's: May 26
2. Either Nanaimo (July 6-8) or Whistler (June 30 - July 1)
3. Harrison (July 21)
4. Cultus Lake (August 115. Kelowna (September 15,16)

3. Do you win?
Yes, we win! You can see from the photos in this blog that we received medals in 4/5 regattas in 2006. We are the defending champions at the Harrison regatta. We also won the gold at the Cultus Lake women's regatta. We won bronze at Kelowna - out of 47 women's teams!
Cultus Lake: Gold Medal
Kelowna: Bronze Medal
Harrison Gold! Defending Champions!

4. How much does it cost?
Equipment:
PFD (personal flotation device). A PFD that is meant for paddling (not much padding around the shoulder area) can be purchased for $65 - $150 at either Western Canoe and Kayak or Mountain Equipment Co-op. Most of us started with any PFD and eventually bought one that fits and works for us.

Paddle: A dragonboat paddle costs about $35.

Gloves: This is a personal preference - you may want to ask women on the team about the gloves that they wear and why they like them. Some women don't wear gloves. Paddling gloves are available at Mountain Equipment Co-op (online or in the store) for $16.

Fees:
Each member of the team pays $100 at the start of the season to cover the initial cost of boat rental and insurance. After that, we pay $25 per month to cover the regattas and coaching costs for the season.

Regattas / Festivals:
Our team participates in fundraisers to ensure that we can go to each regatta / festival if the costs are over and above the monthly fees collected and to have money in the bank at the end of the season to cover the next season's initial costs.

Each member of the team covers the cost of their own transportation, food and accommodations on the "away" festivals. This is generally about $200 / festival. The team likes to drive together, stay in hotels together and enjoy some dinners together over the course of the weekend (Friday - Sunday).

If you have any further questions about joining the WaterWarriors dragonboat team, be sure to download the 2006 Handbook. There will be changes for 2007, but much of the material is still pertinent.

Practice Days: Your Input

We would like your input in deciding our practice schedule. Please fill out the form (below) by February 21st to have your preferences considered.

Our team gets second choice for practice times for the Spirit Abreast boat. Spirit Abreast has chosen Monday evenings and alternating Thursday evenings / Saturday mornings (8:30am). The executive has put together five options for practice times for the 2007 season, recognizing that Monday evenings and every other Thursday evening is booked by Spirit Abreast.

At our team meeting on January 25, 2007, there were comments made by team members that it would be preferable to not practice on Saturdays for a variety of reasons - among them were: low attendance on Saturday practices, holidays and work schedules. In light of this, we have created options that don't rely on a Saturday practice time.

It is also important to note that Shelly will be attending one practice per week and she is not able to make Wednesday evening practices.

Please consider the following options and fill out the form (below) by February 21st with your practice time preference.

We would also like to know which practice time you will be able to be most consistent in your attendance. Our hope is that we can count on 18 in the boat at least once a week for a more intense practice. The minimum in the boat for a practice is 14, but we can't practice race pieces with ony 14 in the boat. We want to pass this information on to Shelly so that she can plan our practices accordingly.

Your comments will be considered carefully as we plan our practice times.

Thanks,
WaterWarriors Executive

Please fill out the form (below) to send your preferences to the Executive. Forms received after February 21st will not be considered.

Which option do you prefer for practice times? Tu: 6:30pm / Fri: 6:30pm / Sat 10:30am til Apr 14Tu: 6:30pm / Sat 10:30amWed: 6:30pm / Sat 10:30am Tu: 6:30pm / Sun 2pmTu: 6:30pm / Sun 6:30pmPick One Which practice time will have your highest attendance? Tuesdays: 6:30pmWednesdays: 6:30pmSaturdays: 10:30amSundays: 2:00pmSundays: 6:30pmPick One Comments: E-mail Address: * * Required Create Your Own Contact Form

"Chesty-Nuts Roasting by an Open Fire"

Well, it's that time of year again..yep..pajama parties! Food (and lots of it!), punch, games, gifts and a very funny, yet unrehearsed skit! It was a great excuse to celebrate the team, and oh yeah, Christmas! You could say it was an end to a great season, or maybe the start to another successful one with some new paddlers. Nothing better than getting together with your girls in pj's and laughing till your sides hurt. We have such an amazing group of ladies who are always up for a good time! The gift exchange was..well..interesting to say the least! Rather than buy presents, we were challenged to "regift" items found in our home..hmm...With Sharon and Jacqui on the team, that coulda gotten crazy! But, it was Shelly H. who surpised us all by handing out, well, a very lovely item that had Lara's mouth drop to the floor! Let's just say, it counter-acted with the baby names book that she gave as well..LOL Brittney was very resourceful, searching high and low in her laundry hamper for the perfect gift of used socks, and Shelley K. was the (un)lucky recipient. Sylvia got her first peek at a lava lamp and somebody (I won't say who..but her name starts with an "L" and ends in "ESLEA") went all out and wrapped up a used pack of gum in a Canadian Tire Bag..LOL In the end, we had a wonderful time, especially having our "exchange paddler" Amy there before she heads back to her homeland of Australia. We'll miss you! Merry Christmas, Water Warriors! Next season is literally around the corner!

Finishing the Season STRONG!

Wow..what a great regatta! Kelowna was our biggest this year, with stiffer competition and earlier races! But even with sleep deprivation, we managed to have the fastest race of the regatta for the women's teams (beating many mixed teams times along the way, too, I might add..) and ended up coming in 3rd overall! So, a bronze medal in the platinum division...a HUGE improvement from last year! And that's all we can ask for..continual improvement. We had built up so much confidence in ourselves, that at first, I think the majority of us were a bit disappointed with the bronze, but it only took a few minutes for us to realize that we still did great and we still would go home with some hardware! So, this season, we got one of each. A gold, silver and bronze..perfectly balanced! So, now we have a goal for next year - beat our times, beat the bronze! So, to all the Warriors this season, I tip my hat to you all and to all of the strength and stamina you brought with you! No one of us is more important than the other (well, if you're steering..maybe..lol) and we all contributed to the success of the season! So, I thank you all!!!

Another First Place Finish!

WOW! Another successful Regatta under our belts! We sure had some great races! I think Sharon's red boots may have inspired us straight to the winner's podium! We steadily improved our times throughout the day, and by approx. 5 secs each race! So, not only did we take first in the Eagle Div, but we continually upped our game all day. Much to be proud of! And...congratulations to Sylvia! Who became an official steersperson today! And she sure had to work her butt off in that blue boat for it! Great job girl! So, last but not least, is Kelowna..we sure have some tall shoes to fill! Let's work our butts off from here on out and be at the top of our game for the last one of the season!!!!

Harrison GOLD!!!

We did it again! We are now a team to be reckoned with! 2 years running of winning gold in the Women's Comp. A Division at Harrison...WOW! And we did in blistering heat! I don't know what was sweeter, the gold medal, or taking a dip in the lake after the races! Phew! Our times were great, we raced some great teams and in the end, sweet victory was ours...by a very narrow margin! Well, we definitly have high hopes and our work cut out for us at Kelowna! But, I think we can do it! Cultus will be a great stepping stone, so let's go for gold again! Great job, Warriors!

Nanaimo 2006!

WOW! What an amazing time! I don't know what was more exciting..getting a silver medal in the women's race, beating several mixed teams on our journey to the Gold A Division, or celebrating in the beer gardens! A great weekend, with a great team! I think we will all hold many memories dear to us for a very long time...including Shelly's pole dance, Jen's one legged "chug-a-lug", Pam and Christelle's Macarena, Room 200 ('nuff said...), and just generally getting crazy! And if anyone forgets..well..I just may have some proof floating around! Oh, and there's a handful of us who will have the vision of Jacqui "marking" her chair seered into our brains for a lifetime! Can't wait to defend our gold at Harrison! We truly will "PADDLE TILL WE PUKE!!!"

Download the Water Warriors Handbook 2006

Click here to download the WW Handbook 2006.
This is the yellow handbook that you received when you became a member of the Water Warriors. It is now available in digital format.

The WW Handbook is in PDF format and requires the free software, Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to read the form. Click Here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.

FCW~Maori Warriors on Water!

False Creek Women's...May 27, 2006...the first REAL test our "new" team would face...

WE PASSED! Our team, though approximately 70% new, came together beautifully for our annual women's regatta! And our Warrior mentality scared the other teams..well, okay, the warrior face/body "tattoos" helped, as did our wonderful chant (thanks Jen!). We raced against some very competitive teams and kept up with them nicely! In our first race, there was a photo finish for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th place teams. We did get 4th, but it was so close, it felt like 2nd! After a close 3rd in our 2nd race, we psyched ourselves up with some great warm up music and lots of Maori chants, and came in first..by a LONG shot! We shot out of that start like a ferrari on the Autobahn! And, we held the lead throughout the entire race! Awesome! Looks like we're off to a great start for the season! Nanaimo, here we come!!!

Thank you Team!

Thank you for filling out this form. If you have any other comments, suggestions or thoughts, please email one of the WaterWarrior Executive.

You can reach any of us by emailing: dragonboatlife[at]gmail[dot]com.

Our Team: The Water Warriors 2005

A Taste of Blackberry Pie...mmmm

Blackberry Glaze Pie (with a baked pie shell)

1 cup blackberry juice
3/4c. Sugar
3 tbsp. Corn starch
Pinch of salt
2 cups or more of blackberries

To Make Juice:
Take 1 cup of berries, crush and add water to measure 1 cup.
Simmer 3 minutes.
Strain and add water if necessary to make 1 cup juice.

Cook juice, corn starch, sugar and salt over direct heat stirring constantly until thick.

Cool slightly.

Wash berries and arrange in a baked pie shell.
Coat with glaze.
Chillw 2 or 3 hours in refrigerator.

Serve topped with whipped cream if desired (duh)

A Taste of Inspiration

This is a selection of Inspiring Quotes gathered by Shelly for the team. As is her practice, Shelly gives us a quote every time we train together and every time we race together. Sometime, the quote she gives us before a race wins the mental game for us as we are racing.

Early in the season:
If you’re willing to declare, “I am an athlete”, even for a little while… your relationship with your body will change. Perhaps your posture will be the first transformation. Then your expectations. When think of yourself as an athlete, it might begin to seem perfectly normal-imperative, even to devote time each day to physical fitness… you’ll begin to feel competent to join a yoga class or bowling league or neighborhood Ping-Pong game-even if you don’t win, even if you weigh more than you should, even if you’re too embarrassed to say, “I am and athlete” out loud.

Cultus Lake Regatta:
Ask yourself, can I give more? The answer is usually Yes.
-Paul Tergat, legendary Kenyan distance runner

Nanaimo Regatta - with her squirt gun aimed at us:
Your mind quits long before your body does. If someone pulled out a .357 magnum and said, “Do it!” you’d find a way. Your mind might say no, but I guarantee you can go on.
Robert Link member of the first American team to summit the north face of 28,169 foot Kanchdnjunga in Nepal

It's not necessarily the amount of time you spend at practice that counts; it's what you put into the practice. - Eric Lindros

One thing about racing is that it hurts. You better accept that from the beginning or you're not going anywhere. -Bob Kennedy, US Olympian

We didn’t all come over in the same ship, but here we are in the same boat. - Unknown

Good Race... Hold the Boat

Water Warriors on the Water, originally uploaded by waterwarriors.

Because we can.
Check out other Water Warrior Cultus Lake photos. Click Here.

How we hear Coach Shelly

Coach Shelly, originally uploaded by waterwarriors.

"If I held a gun to your head, you could find a way to give more."

"blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, let it ride."

"Live STRONG! Live STRONG! Live STRONG!"

"20%"

"Moo-lah-bunda"

"You can do this"

I invited Oprah to join us

Show Idea:
Dragon Boat Racing: Oprah joins the WaterWarriors for a practice and a Regatta

I am a member of the WaterWarriors all-women's dragonboat racing team: http://www.waterwarriors.ca

We are a team of ordinary women who have been paddling together for five years, although many of us are new to the team this year. This competitive, Asian sport is one of the fastest growing sports in North America and has been embraced by men and women who are looking for competition and comradarie.

Dragonboat racing is just so much fun, Oprah - you have to try it! There are 20 women in the boat working together - 18 paddlers, a drummer and a steers(wo)man - in one fluid movement racing through the water.

Our team ranges in age from late 20's to early-60's - although I'm sure Val and Karalee act more like mid-20's than early 60's.

The WaterWarriors began when two women, Cheryl and Ida decided to bring a community of women together for strength and friendship. Since that time, both the coach and steers(wo)man have lost their husbands in tragic accidents.

The Waterwarriors have proved to be their strength and the sport is a healthy escape for all of us from the hard pieces of our lives. Shelly, our coach whose world-class kayaking husband drowned that first year - is one of the most encouraging women I've ever known. She inspires us all to more than we ever knew we could be - and she's really funny while she does it!

This is my first year with the team and I can't seem to get enough of it! The stress of starting a business, parenting 4 children and keeping my home running is exhausting. This was on the heels of my husband's depression and unemployment. I was overwhelmed.

I was invited to join the Waterwarriors and have found it to be a safe place to be myself with other real women who are fast becoming really great friends. Every one of us has a story of why we Dragonboat.

Dragonboat Teams for Breast Cancer survivors began in Vancouver, BC with "Abreast in a Boat". Their story is here:
http://www.abreastinaboat.com

The women on the Breast Cancer Survivor teams are all survivors of breast cancer. At every Regatta, there is a Carnation ceremony where we honor the Breast Cancer Survivors and tribute those who did not survive the battle while raising funds for Cancer Research. This ceremony is unbelieveably emotional as most everyone at the Regatta has been touched in some way by Breast Cancer.

After the ceremony, teams like ours (not survivors) make an archway with our paddles under which the Breast Cancer survivors walk as we honor them in their battle. I wasn't expecting to be so emotional as I was at my first Carnation Ceremony, but it put so many faces on Breast Cancer. I couldn't stop crying - and the empathy extended to the survivors was palpable.

We would love for you to join our team to practice and to compete in a Regatta with us. We'd love to introduce other men and women (Breast Cancer survivors and others) in North America to an Asian sport that is so much more than paddling.

Please come out to beautiful Cultus Lake, BC, Canada to join the Waterwarriors as we practice on our Dragonboat and join us for a Regatta one day. When you meet the WaterWarriors, you'll meet a very extraordinary group of ordinary women.

ps: bring along lucky red licorice Twizzlers - we can't compete without them

Lotus results May 05

This year's results
Race 1 1:48:85 2nd
Race 2 2:28:82 3rd
Race 3 2:53:17 ?
Race 4 2:48:52 2nd

Can you see how the tide helped us out a wee bit?!!!

Last year's results, because inquiring minds might want to know

Race 1 2:19:24 3rd
Race 2 2:40:00 3rd
Race 3 2:32:99 1st!
Race 4 2:45:95 2nd

Paddling in Whitecaps

Last Thursday, our practice was in very choppy water - to say the least. We docked to change sides halfway through the practice and we were banging up against the dock while waves came right into the boat. How did you feel about practicing in those conditions? I, for one (Sharon) loved it. Anyone else?