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That just one dragon-boat festival could turn a loner athlete into a committed groupie is no surprise to Jeff Campbell. He watched his first dragon-boat festival in Portland, Ore., in 1993 and left transformed. "[It] has this visceral feel that appeals to everyone," Campbell says. "The beat of the drums, the spray of the water from the crashing bow of the boat, and 20 people working as one to breathe life into the dragon...
Campbell, who had previously played golf and beach volleyball, eventually raced on the U.S. national team at two world championships. After leaving a career in corporate security, he decided to devote himself full time to organizing dragon-boat festivals. He is now one of a handful of dragon-boat diehards--race organizers, boat suppliers and equipment designers--who are trying to turn the ancient Chinese pastime into the next big thing in American team sports...
...only reason the sport is not more widespread now is the lack of equipment," Campbell says. No dragon boats are currently manufactured in the U.S., so most teams have to import them from Germany, although more affordable models from other European and Asian manufacturers are catching up in quality. In the meantime, a Canadian marketing company, Great White North Communications, is filling the void. The Toronto-based firm owns a fleet of 40 boats and charges some $30,000 to provide consulting, technical support and boat hire for dragon-boat festivals...
...years ago, the only way to see a dragon boat was to visit one of the handful of festivals organized primarily by Chinese-American cultural organizations in cities with large Asian-American populations, like New York City and San Francisco. The popularity of those events (the annual race held in Flushing, N.Y., attracted 50,000 spectators last year) spread their appeal to community groups looking for a fun summer fund-raising event. Last year, according to Campbell, more than 75 dragon-boat festivals were held in 31 states and 70 cities across the country, with participation up 20% over...
...gets to the finish line without a boat. A dragon boat weighs as much as 2,000 lbs. and can cost $6,000 to $14,000, depending on the design, craftsmanship and materials used. That doesn't include the recurring cost of trailering the boats to different competitions. Given such expenses, many teams don't even own their boats; they share them. The California Dragon Boat Association, for example, has a complicated practice schedule to allow more than 20 crews, including the City College of San Francisco and the Rainbow Koi, a team of gay and lesbian paddlers, to train...