Perfect weather and big crowds awaited competitors at the Harrison Dragon Boat Festival this past weekend.
All day long on Saturday, July 27, racers in more than 50 teams competed to be the best in the time-honoured competition. Teams gathered at the lake hailed from across the Lower Mainland, the Pacific Northwest and right here in Agassiz-Harrison.
The results for mixed and womens' teams 500-metre races were available on Monday (July 29). The Vancouver-based FCRCC SrC Women's club took the grand 500-metre race with a time of 2:20.939, beating their next closest competitor – Cowichan Bay's Stroke the Dragon – by a solid five seconds. False Creek BCP, the Fort Langley Canoe Club (FLCC) Titanium Dragonboat and Seattle Flying Women teams rounded out the top five.
Vancouver's JUICE took the top spot in the mixed 500-metre race with a time of 2:03.779, out paddling the UBC Current Blue by just over a second at 2:04.513. WCFC U18, Dragon Hearts Crew and JUICEBOX came in third, fourth and fifth, respectively.
Local clubs had another strong showing this year. The Thunder Strokers represent Mission, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Agassiz, Harrison Hot Springs and Hope. Their strongest race was the mixed semi-finals, where they placed third behind Dragon Zone Twisted Hips and Blue Bloods London Drugs, making the top three by a considerable seven seconds ahead of fourth place. The Thunder Strokers are a co-ed team with members ranging in age between 30 and 78.
The Harrison Wild – an all-ages mixed team – placed fourth in the qualifying round, fourth in the semi-finals and sixth in the finals. Their fastest time was 2:21.021.
