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

"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 ."

"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 as they race. 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."

Crews of young paddlers row and beat drums on Vasona Lake as one of the few South Bay dragon boat teams prepares for an international race. Dragon boat evolved from a traditional Chinese holiday into a competitive sport with twenty-person crews, a steerer at the back, and a drummer setting pace at the front. The San Jose State University team began when paddlers continued training after high school in 2013 and now balances competitive and recreational goals while preparing for the Northern California International Dragon Boat Festival on Sept. 20–21. The club practices at Vasona Lake, an Association-approved site among only a few Bay Area locations, and is one of the rare South Bay-based teams.

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