| A Dragon boat is a very
long and narrow human powered boat used in the
team paddling sport of dragon boat racing, which
may also be known as dragon boating. For racing
events, dragon boats are always rigged with decorative
Chinese dragon heads and tails and are required
to carry a large drum aboard. At other times the
decorative regalia are usually removed, although
the drum often remains aboard for training purposes.
Dragon boat races are traditionally
held to commemorate the death of Qu Yuan, a Chinese
poet who lived about 2,500 years ago. In the year
278 B.C., upon learning of the upcoming devastation
of his state from invasion by a neighboring Warring
State, Qu is said to have waded into the Miluo
River in today's Hunan Province holding a great
rock in order to commit ritual suicide as a form
of protest against the corruption of the era. The
common people, upon learning of his suicide, rushed
out on the water in their fishing boats to the
middle of the river and tried desperately to save
Qu Yuan. They beat drums and splashed the water
with their paddles in order to keep the fish and
evil spirits from his body.
The standard crew complement
of a contemporary dragon boat is around 22, comprising
20 paddlers in pairs facing toward the bow of the
boat, 1 drummer or caller at the bow facing toward
the paddlers, and one steersperson at the rear
of the boat. The leading pair of paddlers (called "pacers," "strokers," or "timers")
set the pace for the team. For racing dragon boats
of 20 paddlers, which are most often used in competitive
sporting events, the drum is located just aft of
the dragon headed prow.
The drummer or caller may be
considered the "heartbeat" of the dragon
boat, and leads the crew throughout a race with
the rhythmic beating of a drum to indicate the
timing and frequency of paddling strokes (that
is, the cadence, picking up the pace, slowing the
rate, etc.) A caller/drummer is mandatory during
racing events, but if he or she is not present
during training, it is typical for the steersperson
to direct the crew. Good callers should be able
to synchronize the drumming cadence with the strokes
of the leading pair of paddlers, rather than the
other way around. An expert level caller will be
able to gauge the power of the boat and the paddlers.
If paddlers are not synchronized,
each successive pair of blades hits the water
a fraction of a second behind the blades in front
of them. To an onshore observer, this effect
resembles the movement of a many-legged caterpillar
or centipede; thus, a coach may discipline a
team for "caterpillaring." During a
race it is difficult to stay in sync as the sounds
of other drums make it confusing or unreliable
to time off the drumbeat. |
