Racing dragons

Duluth’s Bob MacLean says the city’s dragon boat festival inspired them to bring the event south of the border.

MacLean, team co-captain of Deadly Dragons of Duluth, attended the 15th annual Dragon Boat Festival at Boulevard Lake on Saturday. His team has competed for the past 14 years. The American team travels more than 300 kilometres because MacLean said the festival is incredible.

After seeing the kind of fun that could be had, MacLean said they wanted to bring the same experience back home.

“We thought we could do this at the twin parks and we actually have our races at Barker’s Island in Superior,” he said. “It’s a combination effort between the rotary clubs and Duluth Superior. The spirit of this festival is incredible. There’s the warmth and welcoming community of Thunder Bay. Every time we come back, we feel like celebrities.”

Years ago the Duluth team used to bring their own dragon boats to the festival. MacLean said that he always found it entertaining when the border guard asked him why he was coming into the country they would see the boat and know instantly that he was going to the festival.

MacLean believes the appeal of dragon boating is the team building.

“You got all these people from all different vocations who are having to work together to make it an efficient boat,” he said. “It’s just great teambuilding and camaraderie.”

MacLean’s team wasn’t the only veteran paddlers on the water.

The Dragons of Hope, made up of mostly breast cancer survivors, showed what they could do at the festival.

Jeannie Costanzo and Sam Robinson were among the group of women paddling in this year’s festival. The two paddlers are breast cancer survivors and both said that the group helped them through their difficult journey.

Doctors diagnosed Costanzo with cancer in 1995.  She said the most difficult part was telling her children.

“I was shocked,” she said. “I was 42 when I was diagnosed. You don’t think that will ever happen to you. My children were teenagers and how do you tell them that your mom has got the big c word. But as time goes on, it gets easier.”

Robinson has been cancer free for about four years. She joined the Dragons of Hope three years ago and she said it gave her strength to be with other women that went through the same thing as her.

“My friend and I plan on rowing until we’re 80,” she said. “We want to beat the record.”

The festival had 27 teams compete this year, which was the same as the last year. Festival chair Volker Kromm said they’re trying to make the event more family focused with rides, and food venders.

City council had planned to make major upgrades to the lake this year but later decided to hold off until after the tender for the work came back too high. Council decided to push back the work until next year.

Kromm said the upgrading to the lake wouldn’t have impact the festival if the city had decided to move forward this year but they will have to make some adjustments for next year’s festival.

“I’m really optimist with the city’s plans to rejuvenate the water, the lake bottom and the shoreline because it needs it,” he said. “I think if we’re going to be world class and attract national events we need to invest into one of the best assets this city has.”