South Bay dragon boat team is making waves through competition, community

"Early risers might have seen crews of young people rowing boats and beating drums on Vasona Lake in Los Gatos, where one of the few South Bay dragon boat teams was practicing for an upcoming international race. Dragon boat evolved into a competitive sport from a traditional Chinese holiday. Twenty-man teams sit in rows of two and paddle on each side of the boat while the steerer directs the boat from the back and the drummer keeps the paddlers' pace in the front"

"The dragon boat team at San Jose State University traces its lineage from a group of paddlers that wanted to continue their training after high school in 2013. After years of ebb and flow between competitive and recreational goals, the team is gearing up to compete in the Northern California International Dragon Boat Festival in Foster City on Sept. 20 and 21."

"San Jose Dragon Boat, which refers to both the team and the club, has been practicing at Vasona Lake since they started, said Qiu. It's the closest practice site approved by the California Dragon Boat Association, a nonprofit organization that promotes the sport of dragon boating in the Bay Area. There are only three other practice sites listed by the organization in the Bay Area: Lake Merced in San Francisco, Bair Island Aquatic Center in Redwood City and Suisun City Waterfront"

Crews row and beat drums on Vasona Lake as a South Bay dragon boat team prepares for an international race. Dragon boat racing uses twenty-person crews seated in pairs, paddling with a steerer at the back and a drummer at the front to maintain pace. The San Jose State University team originated from paddlers who continued training after high school in 2013 and has shifted between competitive and recreational focuses. The team is preparing to compete at the Northern California International Dragon Boat Festival on Sept. 20–21. The club practices at Vasona Lake, an approved California Dragon Boat Association site, and is one of few South Bay and CSU-based teams.

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