Upcoming Events! =)

New "Lost and Found" section on right side of blog. Please send any/all lost and found items to Pearl for posting on the blog.

Upcoming Events

1. November Happy Hour - Thurs 11/15/07 @ Cozymel. Happy Hour 4pm-7pm.
2. Boat Repair after Sat 11/17/07 Practice
   
3. Year-End Banquet - Sat 12/8/07 @ Ocean Star Seafood in Monterey Park, RSVP asap!
   
4. Volunteer Opportunity - 12/15/07 12pm-4pm, Wheels for Humanity (20 max)
5. Space Dragons & Ripple Effect Mammoth Ski/Snowboard - Thurs 1/24/08 to Sun 1/27/08, RSVP by Fri 11/16/07

Details

1. November Happy Hour - Thurs 11/15/07 @ Cozymel. Happy Hour 4pm-7pm

• As if we need a reason for a happy hour, but in case you do: Congrats to newlyweds Tina/Jimmy (Sept) and Wade/Jennifer (Oct)!
• Cozymel Mexican Grill, 2171 Rosecrans Ave, El Segundo, CA
• Happy Hour is 4pm-7pm, sit in the bar or patio if you get there first!
• Margarita, Beer, Appetizer specials
  

2. Boat Repair after Sat 11/17/07 Boat Repair after Sat 11/17/07 Practice

• Stay after practice on 11/17/07 10:00am - ??
  
• Help revarnish, sand-down and repair a dragon boat

3. Year-End Banquet - RSVP for Sat 12/8/07 @ Ocean Star Seafood in Monterey Park

• RSVP asap, space is limited!
  
• Denise/Pearl/Galen are in charge of the banquet menu - so if you have any recommendations or comments, please contact them
• Volunteers for decorations, any ideas for games, let Janet know!
• Submit videos to Janet (give her a CD) by Oct 13 if you want the video clips in the 2007 season end video or recruiting video
• Submit photos to Janet (giver her a CD or upload to picasaweb) by Nov 10 if you want them shown at the Banquet - based on the quantity of certain photos, there may be some games ;-) - so submit them all!!

4. Volunteer Opportunity 12/15/07 12pm-4pm for Wheels for Humanity (20 max)

• http://www.wheelsforhumanity.org/index.php
• Help refurbish donated wheelchairs and hand fit them to children and adults with disabilities in developing nations
• This is a 4hr volunteering event, maximum of 20 people only, so sign up if you're interested!
• There will be a 20min intro to the foundation, they teach us how to build wheelchairs, and then we go do it!
• Wear clothes that you don't mind getting dirty in, because you WILL get dirty!
• If bringing anyone <18,>

5. Space Dragons & Ripple Effect Mammoth Ski/Snowboard - Thurs 1/24/08 to Sun 1/27/08, RSVP by Fri 11/16/07

• Hang out w/ sister team Ripple Effects off the water for some major bonding! We currently have equal representation from SF and LA!
• Lodging costs <$150
• More than 25 people gets us group discount lift tickets
• Drivers get automatic bed space. Bring an air mattress if you have one (to help those that don't get bed space)
  
• RSVP (refundable): 11/16
• RSVP (non-refundable): 11/21
• Payment due: 12/05

Call for Sponsors

Space Dragons' Sponsorships are now welcome for the 2008 season & beyond!

Now is the perfect time to establish win-win sponsorships, as we begin preparations for the 2008 competition season (which begins March 2008).

We are a member-operated, not-for-profit team that you will be proud to be associated with!

Sponsoring the Space Dragons means quite a bit!
It means:

• helping good people in your community live healthy & happy lives
• helping sustain & grow a true team (family) that is open to all & that exemplifies sportsmanship, perspective, & good healthy fun!
  
• being associated w/ a competitive winner
  
• 2007: Brought home Trophies/Medals from every competition attended, including multiple 1st place finishes
• helping promote cultural awareness while being associated w/ one of the fastest growing sports in the world (Olympics here we come!)
  
• And of course -> BOUNDLESS MARKETING & BUSINESS GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION (and tax-deductions)!!!

So whether you are a fortune 500 company or a small business (or individual!),
we look forward to hearing from you!

Please email us @
lb.space.dragons@gmail.com

We will forward you more interesting info & put you in contact w/ our dedicated & friendly Sponsorship Coordinators, Caesar & Brian!

Space Dragons:
Sponsorships are an important way for us to both sustain & continue to grow our team.
Sponsor contributions will help us keep dues low & open new doors to travel to additional away tournies, build up our equipment base, etc.

So lets ALL get to it!!
To solicit sponsors please forward along our beautiful Team Sponsorship Proposal (click here, see "SpaceDragonsProposal" under files) & put the candidate sponsors in contact w/ Caesar & Brian, our handsome Sponsorship Coordinators, & they'll take it from there!

Thank You Everyone for Friends & Family Day!!

What a great start to our 2008 Year! Our kick-off event to the training and recruiting season brought in 67 paddlers!! Great job vets in bringing out those newbies - keep them coming!!

So again, THANK YOU vets for displaying the true Space Dragons spirit to your friends and family and we hope they weren't TOO sore after Saturday ;-) Just remind them that it's a "good" kind of sore...really!!

And to the Newbies - WOW! Thank you for waking up early and spending your Saturday morning with us! You all did a fantastic job, and if the mock races were an indication of what you learned in 1 hour, please please come out again!! =)

The races we do in competitions are more adrenaline-filled, more competitive and definitely a lot more fun. Our tournaments (especially away tourneys) bring about major team bonding, a lot of "fun/partying" and a chance to compete w/ the best!

We hope you had a lot of fun and got some exercise and got a great workout, ate some good food, played some beach vball, but most of all, had a lot of fun - because the Space Dragons are all about fun! So if you liked it or want to continue working those abs, buttocks, arms, backs, legs, etc, then join us every Saturday at 7:30am (yes, 1 hr earlier) - barring extreme weather or water conditions.

Check back to this blog often for updates and the right side of the blog for the Schedule/Events Calendar for special events and our practice schedule!

So just some Special Thank You's:

• the lovely JANET - for organizing this great event!
  
• Vets - for bringing out your friends/family and lending newbies your extra equipment
• Newbs - for waking up on such a cold early morning and paddling
• L&L for catering us some amazing food!
• AeroDragons, Killer Guppies and LARD for lending us their boats
• The coaches at the bow (Emily, Joe, Wade) and in the boat (Janice, Cz, Pearl), and Steers (Chiu, John, James)
• Marty - for being such a great guy and volunteering to sit out when we were over by just 1 paddler!
• Julian - for bringing the ice so we all had cold drinks after paddling
• Denise, Cz, Rod for the equipment

2007 IDBF 8th World Dragon Boat Racing Championships

http://www.dragonboat07.com.au/

September 17-23
While you guys were in SF (so sad I missed it!!!), I was in the Land Down Under racing with Team USA at the 8th World Dragon Boat Championships.

What is "Worlds"?
The World Dragon Boat Racing Championships, or "Worlds," is a race that occurs every two years where different countries bring together their best paddlers and compete in a series of races over four days. There are Juniors (under 18), Premier (18-39), Masters (40+) and Grand Masters (50+) divisions, each with a mixed, mens and womens team. Each team participates in 200m, 500m, 1000m (except mixed) and 2000m races to earn points toward the Nations Cup for each division.

Some of you vets may remember Brent Burns (Brent drinks!!) went to Berlin to race for Team USA's Grand Masters team in 2005. That was also a Worlds race, and many of the people I paddled with had been in Berlin too.

The Team
Last year, the USDBF held US Nationals in Tampa, FL in August. The majority of the races went to the Philadelphia Dragon Boat Association, and hence most of the USA paddlers came from that area. Team USA was a very strong team, and even included some Olympic kayakers!! After time trialing in San Diego, I was given the opportunity to be a part of the USA Premier Womens Team.

Monday - Wednesday: Practice
Team USA arrived at the hotel at noon on Monday, and 45 minutes later, we were on our way to practice (talk about hardcore). We practiced for an hour on Monday and two hours on Tuesday and Wednesday, working on blending and starts... and basically all our rest on the boat was "active rest." (Don't you guys want that at our practice??)

Wednesday night: Opening Ceremonies
Paddlers and guests from all the participating countries gathered in Paramatta to watch the opening ceremonies. This featured the usual lino dance and "dotting of the eye" ceremony as well as some Australian entertainment!

Thursday - Sunday: RACES!!
The racing was amazing! Each team had a different techniue, but the teams had a lot in common as well - perfect timing and perfect technique!! All the paddle angles lined up, entry and exit timing matched. These boats looked beautiful! Team USA did a fantastic job, winning the PREMIER NATIONS CUP for earning the most points across the mens, womens and mixed races in the Premier division throughout the weekend!

The Future:
US Nationals 2008Next year, US Nationals will be held in LONG BEACH!!! There's going to be some very competitive racing going on, and I'm excited we'll have some as-close-to-professional dragon boat racing right at home!

SPACE DRAGONS DOWN UNDER!

(Check back later... more pictures/video to come!)

2007 Year-End Banquet!

Saturday, Dec 8, 2007

6:30 - 11:00pm

Ocean Star Seafood Restaurant
145 N. Atlantic Blvd
Monterey Park, CA 91754
626-308-2128

Please RSVP ASAP via Evite!
Space IS limited, so RSVP now - you snooze, you lose!

Attire: Semi-formal!
(Are we going to recognize anyone??)

Let's celebrate a great 2007 season & get ready for 2008 together & in style!

During the night we'll have a year-end video/slideshow, awards, games, etc, & ...
permission by the restaurant TO BE AS ROWDY AS WE WANT!

• Submit videos to Janet (give her a CD) by Oct 13 if you want the video clips in the 2007 season end video or recruiting video
• Submit photos to Janet (giver her a CD or upload to picasaweb) by Nov 10 if you want them shown at the Banquet - based on the quantity of certain photos, there may be some games ;-) - so submit them all!!

2007 / 2008 Friends & Family Day is Here!

This Saturday, 10/6, 8:30am start!
On the water 'til 11:00am, followed by a hearty BBQ lunch & some volleyball & fun @ the beach!

$10 per person for food & drinks.

YOU, too, can be a superhero Space Dragon!

VETS - If you could be so kind, please bring along any extra paddlers, PFDs, etc! Thanks!
Equipment from SF will be brought to F&F day for pick-up.

AND ...

F&F day will be a perfect opportunity to sport that snazy jersey you traded for!

Please don't forget to sign-up & keep your evite current so we can plan accordingly!

Special Thanks to:
JANET for organizing!
AeroDragons, Killer Guppies, & LARD for allowing us to use their boat time to accomodate!
Julian, Denise, Marty for helping out w/ food set-up!
Rod, Denise, Janet, Ceez for bringing tables, tents, ice chests, etc!