Local residents and visitors alike, if you’ve yet to catch dragon boat racing, now’s your chance!
The renowned annual Vancouver Island Dragon Boat Festival is set to return to the beautiful Gorge Waterway this Saturday, August 24th and Sunday, August 25th.
This two-day event showcases the thrill of dragon boat racing in a variety of races, featuring more than 600 athletes from across Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, Alberta, Washington State and Oregon.
“The Vancouver Island Dragon Boat Festival is a highlight of the summer. Our unique ‘pentathlon’ format really pushes teams to give their all across a variety of races,” said Erik Ages, general manager and race director at Fairway Gorge Paddling Club.
“It’s a great way to wrap up the season.”
Pentathlon refers to a rigorous five-race format, designed to test the teams in intense competition in a series of races, including a 500m, 200m, 100m, the iconic flag relay, and the crowd-favorite “Guts and Glory” race.
The Guts and Glory race is a grueling 1,500m race that really shows the athletic prowess of the dragon boat racers participating.
After these are completed, the top three women’s and mixed teams will have a final opportunity to battle it out in a 500m showdown.
It’s sure to be a dynamic and thrilling conclusion to the weekend!
“We’ve crafted the race schedule to challenge teams in different ways, and it’s always exciting to see how they rise to the occasion,” added Marcus Kreiger, paddling director at FGPC.
“The ‘Guts and Glory’ race is particularly demanding, and it’s one of the most anticipated events of the festival.”
The full schedule is as follows:
Saturday:
- 9 a.m. 500 metre races begin
- 10:50 a.m. 200 metre sprint races begin
- 11:30 a.m. 100 metre sprint races begin
- The last races of the day are scheduled to start shortly after 3 p.m.
Sunday:
- 9 a.m. 1,500 metre Guts and Glory races begin
- 1:30 p.m. Flag relay races begin
- 3:30 p.m. Grand finals begin
Gather with family and friends and join the community in celebrating the complexity and excitement of dragon boat races!
Vancouver Island Dragon Boat Festival
- Where: Gorge Waterway
- When: Saturday, August 24th and Sunday, August 25th—race times vary (see above)
