Be forewarned. April 14, 2012, there will be a little war in the Southwest Florida city of Punta Gorda and it’s called War on the Peace. Don’t worry, this little brawl on the Peace River won’t involve a rumble between Jaws and the Loch Ness Monster but will involve teams of 22 people paddling a 40-foot dragon boat 400 meters (a quarter-mile) in about 2.5 minutes during the 2nd Annual Punta Gorda Dragon Boat Festival.
Did you catch that? Paddling a quarter-mile in 2.5 minutes? Dang! That’s fast!
Hosted by the Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce and Charlotte Harbor Paddlers, festivities kick off at 9 a.m. Each boat is manned by 20 paddlers, a drummer to keep the pace and a steersperson at the back of the boat who’s job it is to steer and maintain the safety of all members.
About 30 teams are anticipated to race and Laishley Park is where the festivities will happen. (120 Laishley Ct. Punta Gorda, Fla.) Learn more about the Punta Gorda Dragon Boat Festival by visiting the Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce website.
And did you know, you paddle a dragon boat, not row it. Paddling a boat is moving forward while rowing is moving backwards.
Be sure to check out the video from last year’s event. Pretty cool, huh?
Click here if the video won’t play.
This post is part of the 2012 Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Check back daily for a different letter!
This sounds so cool!
Sounds (and looks) like a great event!
That sounds like so much fun!
Very cool stuff!
dragon boat races are so cool! When I lived in Portland I used to go downtown and watch them every summer (I even though about joining a team). Such a fun sport to watch and I love the boats!