Mardi Gras Challenge Dragon Boat Race

By Sally Monteith

The boats were lined up under the bridge.  The starter called the commands, and on “GO!” we were off.  Frantic paddling and enthusiastic shouting and counting was the order of the afternoon as 11 boats teamed up against each other to race around the Kallang Basin and to complete crazy tasks.

What kind of event was this you ask?  It was the Mardi Gras Challenge Dragon Boat Race, hosted by the American Dragons.  The 11 participating boats were a mix of people from all dragon boat teams that paddle out of the Kallang River. They were made up of members from the Canadian, American, British, Australian, Irish, Spanish and Filipino teams.  What a great way to meet people!  Some of the tasks consisted of drinking beers dropped from a bridge via a bucket. Each team member had to polish one off and the empty cans were returned as proof that the task was complete. Lots of cheering came from the boat members as well as people who were crossing the bridge and simply got caught up in the excitement.

With paddles and water flying, there was some jostling while teams raced to get to the basketball throw first. By far the longest and most tiring challenge was to paddle all the way to the Merlion to receive some
lingerie for our cox (the steersperson) to wear.  What a sight that was for all the visitors to the Merlion that day.  Many were cheering as the boats came up to the Merlion and the hollers got even louder as the cox added the lingerie to their current state of dress.  Once this task was done, depending on the order in which you attacked these stations, there were three more to complete: the football toss, the whiskey shots and the pie eating station.  This 7 km challenge paddle is not the normal practice for a Saturday afternoon. Nonetheless, great fun was had by all during the race and at the afterwards there were celebrations on the banks of the Kallang River while we shared food and drink.

We practice 3 times a week, Saturday afternoons from 4 – 6pm, Sunday mornings from 10 – 12pm and Thursday evenings from 6 – 7pm. Come about 20 minutes early to get set up with a life jacket (a requirement for paddling) and a paddle and, if needed, a quick introductory lesson to help you through your first practice session. New paddlers are always welcome, so come on out! There is no need to be Canadian if you’d like to join, all nationalities are invited to participate and enjoy the fun and socialising that always comes with a paddling session. The more the merrier! See you at the next practice.