One Last Thought for Sunday

You wanna know how I did it? This is how I did it, Anton.

I never saved anything for the swim back.

-- Vincent, to his brother (Gattaca)

Sunday is almost upon us, fellow Space Dragons. let's do it.

Paddler Spotlight -- BJ!!

Hometown:

Long Beach, CA

Dunking day (Birthday):

June 2nd

Favorite Nom(s):

Paoli's Pizza with pineapple, ham, & roma tomatoes and Spitz Pita Chips with hummus

How long have you been paddling and who got you into Space?

Since May 09 due to Rico (aka wifey)

Who got you into paddling and why do you do it week in and week out?

Rico. It's either paddle or stay home and mow the lawn... so my lawn hasn't been cut since May 09

Are you a better Paddler when you are Happy or Angry?

Happy, just more focused. When angry, get all wild and paddle all weak... kinda like how Rico paddles

Favorite or notable Space Dragon moment(s)?

My first tourney and I watch Kam's eye get sucked... made me wonder if this is what I have to look forward too?!?!

How do you prep yourself for a Race?

Follow the golden rule "Joe says no" and proper diet.

Any hobbies, activities, interests outside of paddling?

Like to go off sweet jumps

Any advice for new paddlers?

First day kinda sucks, I got pwn'ed trying to keep up. Then the constant "you're doing it wrong" from fellow paddlers. After a few practices felt I was able to contribute and receive more pats on the back from fellow paddlers. So if you're a noob looking to come out and enjoy getting your ego stepped on and look forward to having that awesome feeling of throwing up... come on out :)

Paddling-wise, any particular goals for yourself or the team?

Well, some know this already since I decided to drink too many on New Year's Eve. In my drunken state felt like I didn't deserve to reach Red boat. Hopefully the coaches don't hold that night against me... would really like to paddle on red boat one day :o

If you could change one thing about the Team what would it be?

Rod has been hiding out at the back of the boat steering, that man needs to paddle more. Propose a ban on Rod steering!

Favorite part about being a Space Dragon?

The people and the other hobbies many of you have sparked my interest in.

Assuming you had a single brother or sister, what Space Dragon might you consider hooking them up with?

MegaTran! My bro needs his butt kicked every now and then. ...and if my Sis was single, guess Kmak... don't know why, just makes me lol.

Most interesting character you've met through the team?

Hafer, the man has no bounds... but I do wish he wouldn't wear tiny shorts, those things are disturbing.

If you were to trade any SD teammate for an RFX (Ripple) paddler, who would it be?

AJ gots to go. We got a BJ and a CJ that both share a common theme. AJ.... well... not so much. Would like to see SJ (aka Jeremy Lee aka Skwinty Jeremy [shout out to Jackie for coming up with a perfect name!]) come roll with us.

If you were to be stranded on an island with any 3 SD paddlers, who would you choose to get-by and pass the time with?

Rod, Raja, and MegaTran so we can surf all day

First thing that comes to mind when you hear the word(s):

1. pounce - Fat Cat
2. voluptuous - Muffin Top
3. predator - Hafer
4. prey - Noobies
5. Space Dragons - Paddle

Name something that our readers don't already know about you.

I carried the olympic torch

SD Digest 4.28.10

Hello Space Dragons,

1. PRACTICE!
TWO practices remain before Baby LB (this Sunday!)

Please remember to visit the BLOG to let us know if you'll be coming to practice.

There is practice this SATURDAY, attendance poll closes at 7 PM Wed (today) 4/28.

2. BABY LB -- this SUNDAY, 5/3
Call time for ALL paddlers is 7:30 AM at the race site (Marine Stadium). Here: http://www.lbdragonboat.com/location.htm

Parking: please DO NOT park on any street, you may park at:
-- Marine Stadium north lot (all the way down Appian Way)
-- Mother's Beach lot (pay meter)
-- Boy Scout lot

Please allow time (30 minutes!) to park and get to the race site at 7:30 AM.

For those interested, volunteers are needed to paddle boats from Mother's Beach to race site, meet at Mother's Beach at 8 AM.

Things to bring:
-- Sacred royal blue team jersey
-- Black bottom (shorts, pants, skirt, kilt, sarong, etc)
-- Paddle & PFD/Vest
-- Chair
-- Potluck dish
-- Towel
-- Sun protection
-- Water bottle
-- $10 race fee

3. BOSTON -- 6/12 & 6/13
RSVP deadline: 5/1

Capping at 20 paddlers: confirm your spot by updating Evite with your flight & lodging info!

3 SPOTS LEFT!!!

4. BEACH CLEAN-UP
Thanks to all who helped keep "our" beach clean; thanks Roger for a great recap.

Next beach clean up: 6/26 10 AM

5. BOAT MAINTENANCE
Please mark your calendars: May 8 & 9

6. LAKE GREGORY TOURNAMENT-- 8/14
1 day tournament! Sign up via Evite (in the Weekly Digest).

More details to come...

7. 2010 SCHEDULE of TOURNAMENTS
Please check all your Evites to ensure you've RSVP'd...
-- Boston (deadline 5/1) -- 6/12 & 6/13
-- Big Long Beach -- 7/31 & 8/1
-- Lake Gregory -- 8/14
-- San Francisco -- 9/25 & 9/26

8. FUN BIKE RIDE
Join Mary & Kat on a fun bike ride the weekend after Baby LB!

2 options:
-- tour 30/62 mile, $45
-- Justin Rudd Family Fun Ride 4 miles, $20

The Wells sisters will ride the 30 mile tour. All proceeds go to Miller's Childrens Hospital in Long Beach.

-- Paddles up,
Pearl & Tran

this is OUR house.

Space Dragons.

The largest team (and dare I say, the premiere team) on Mother's Beach. We take care of our beach.

That's why the Space Dragons adopted Mother's Beach as our own. On Saturday, April 24, we put ourselves to work cleaning up the beach. After practice, a group of dedicated teammates volunteered their time and stuck around for the beach clean-up. Not the most glamorous volunteer project, but a very important one nonetheless.

We filled lots of trash bags full of junk, and even got a bunch of kids involved! It looks like doing good deeds are contagious.

Our volunteers, with these cute kids, combed the entire beach, picking up trash that simply does not belong on our beach. All of the sudden, the beach seemed kinda big.

Coaches, it seems, are used to barking

orders at paddlers. Apparently it's no different during volunteer events. But no worries, Em was put to work a little later as well.

During beach clean-up, there are always some interesting finds. There's the usual napkins and other paper products, the cigarette butts, but it looks like Ez might have found an easter egg. How random is that?

Special Thanks on beach clean-up goes out to:

- Marina, who organized the event.

- All of our volunteers: Kim, Roger, Pearl, Galen, CJ, Allan, Robert, Mayana, Karen, Esther, Denise, Rod, Blanca, Scott, Devant and Esmer.

Thanks for a job well-done!

Now, for all Space Dragons. On Sunday, let's remember who's beach this is. This is OUR beach. OUR house. DEFEND THIS HOUSE!

Paddles up!

rajaree

O lawds! Jason is joining another dragon boat team!

(but dont worry, he's not leaving us)

From Jason:

*****
"A dragon boat full of blind paddlers? Now that sounds like a challenge I want to be a part of!"

Those were my thoughts when I heard that Blind Start of America was forming a dragon boat team of blind paddlers and they were looking for volunteers to help coach, recruit, and paddle. I had absolutely no idea what to expect, but with most things in life, I’ve found that if you jump into it wholeheartedly something wonderful will happen. So I volunteered to be a coach for the fledging Blind Start team, and after only two practices, I haven't been disappointed!

Teaching a blind person to paddle has its obvious challenges. With some input from the Blind Ambition team from Portland, OR, we learned that one-on-one coaching is needed, so each vision impaired paddler is teamed up with a coach on the bench next to him or her. Coaching a blind paddler requires literally taking their hands and running them over the paddle, the gunwale, and the bench in front of them so they can form a clear mental image of the boat. Then we take them through the paddling positions, again by holding their hands on the paddle and physically moving them through the positions over and over until they get the feel for it.

I quickly got used to describing the paddling stroke by body mechanics and not with visual cues. Instead of showing how to set the paddle and pull through the stroke, I describe holding their top hand close to their forehead and extending their bottom hand all the way forward, then twisting from the waist. I tell them to feel for the water with the paddle and then move up a few inches to get into the set position. Then, Go! push the paddle in, feel the water touch your hand, now pull back, untwist and rip that water! There is a lot of adjusting and repositioning that makes the one on one coaching a must, so volunteer coaches are vital to the success of this venture.

At our first practice, I worked with a young man named Christian. He got the stroke down in less than five minutes. Good paddle depth, awesome rotation, and tons of power! I couldn’t believe how quickly he progressed. He looked better than some of the sighted paddlers on the team! After our blind paddlers got the stroke down in a separate boat, we put them into the boat with our sighted paddlers and went through a few 20 stroke sets, both sighted and then blindfolded. Timing is going to take some work, but I think everyone is getting a feel for the motion of the boat and getting timing cues from that. We’ve also been calling each stroke and recovery to help keep everyone in time. We’ll be ready for Big Long Beach!

So far, my favorite part has been getting to know the blind paddlers and seeing their excitement about the sport and life in general. One young girl took a train and a bus to get to practice, by herself! Christian has completed 9 marathons and is signed up for another one and also a 500 mile bike tour! These individuals have so many obstacles, yet they just don’t seem to care about them. They are going to have a great time no matter what seems to be in the way!

I think that is the greatest thing that I have taken from this experience. You cannot be afraid of what will happen or if you can meet a challenge. Just do it!

Team Blind Start set a goal to have a full boat of paddlers ready for the Big Long Beach tournament. Currently we have six blind or visually impaired paddlers on the team, and we are recruiting additional impaired paddlers (if you know anyone, please share this blog with them and encourage them to contact me). The rest of the boat will be filled with sighted paddlers wearing blindfolds so the whole boat will be blind (except for the caller and steersman, of course). Our current practice schedule is Sundays at 2:00 PM at Mother's Beach. Please come check us out or let me know if you're interested in learning more. We specifically need..... (coaches, sighted paddlers, recruiters, cheerleaders, money, equipment, shenanigans, and after the tournament beer!). You can also learn more about Blind Start of America at http://www.blindstart.org/.

--- Jason

Beach Clean-Up TODAY

LAST MINUTE REMINDER: Beach Clean-Up after Practice TODAY. 10AM.

Space Dragons, as the largest dragon boat team at Mother's Beach, has adopted the beach as our own. This is your beach now, so let's help heal her. Beach clean-up will follow immediately after practice. Please help the team and stay for beach clean-up. Thanks, and see you on the beach!

paddles up!
rajaree

Space Dragons have a whole lot of Friends and Family!

To the untrained eye, it's just another Sunday morning at Mother's Beach. A few groups of people gathering together over here and over there. But then they appeared. A whole gaggle of people. Taking over the beach! There's SO MANY of them!

Who are they?

They're the friends and families of the crazy nutcases affectionately known as Space Dragons. They come to see this "paddling" thing that somehow has the power to get people up at near-dawn hours on the weekend so they can get some sore backs, shoulders and cores.

Three boats full of newbies - a total of 45 newbies (+1 who didnt paddle) - and a minimal sprinkling of veterans piled onto the boats for practice. It was a cold day with the threat of rain all morning, but that clearly did not deter so many loved ones from showing up to test the waters. After an hour and a half on the water, the newbies looked like true Space Dragons!

And like true Space Dragons, they all had one thing on their minds: FOOOOOOD! Luckily, another attribute of the Space Dragons is always having plenty of food on hand.

Good times, great food, and even better company. What else can you possibly ask for?

Sometimes, Space Dragons get so hungry after paddling that the just simply start shoving food (or, in this case, super yummy home-made cupcakes) right into their faces. A really odd way to eat food, but who am I to judge?

Look at all of those awesome newbies! Hopefully we'll be seeing more than a few of them in the near future at practice and tournaments!



Paddles up!
rajaree

Biggest Loser/Fitness Challenge 2010 starts THIS WEEKEND!

From Esther:

************

Hey, Space Dragons!! 

I need you guys to spread the word about the Biggest Loser/Fitness Challenge that is going to start THIS WEEKEND!!! (Sunday, April 25, 2010 to be exact).

Here's the gist for participating:

1. Challenge begins this Sunday, April 25th & finishes Sunday, July 25th.

2. Gotta sign a waiver & pay a $50 entry fee.

3. You must set a personal goal for the challenge (e.g., lose at least 5 lbs, a dress size, etc.).
If you accomplish your personal goal, you will receive $30 back from the fee you paid. 

Remaining $20 will go to the winner pot.

4. To WIN the challenge:  

There are three parts to winning: 

a) % weight lost [calculated: (Beginning weight – End weight)/(starting weight)], 

b) # practices attended, &

c) # workouts outside of practice. 

Each person will be ranked in each category and the overall ranking is the average of all three.
He/she with the highest overall ranking will be the winner.

5. You must attend a minimum of 5 practices during the challenge or you will be disqualified.

6. You must agree to take before and after pictures.

 

As you can see, the challenge isn't just for those interested in shedding a few pounds - all Space Dragons are encouraged & invited to participate in this experience that will help simultaneously improve our individual health and team performance!

So let me know if you're interested by emailing me at esther219@aol.com or simply commenting against this blog post.  Be sure to let me know if you'll be at practice this weekend.

Thanks!

Esther 

************

Thanks, Esther!

Be sure to check-out/re-read our interview w/ the 2008 Biggest Loser Champion HERE for some sure-fire inspiration!

Practice is ON tonight

6pm - if you're running late give me a call/text.

Will be relatively chilly, dress and bring warm clothes accordingly.

We'll be doing some race sets interspersed w/ some technique drills in preparation for Baby LB.  Baby LB race grid/schedule has been released here.

Hope to see ya tonight!
W

SD Digest 4.21.10

Space Dragons!

Happy (early) EARTH DAY--what ONE thing will you do to be GREEN?!

1. PRACTICE
RSVP your attendance on the BLOG or via email to us by MON @ 7PM (weekly) for WEDNESDAY practices.

RSVP your attendance on the BLOG or via email to us by WED @ 7PM (weekly) for WEEKEND practices

2. BABY LONG BEACH TOURNAMENT-- SUN MAY 2
If you have not already signed up, please do so via EviteTeam Potluck lunch-- sign-up your contribution at practices!

3. BOSTON TOURNAMENT -- JUNE 12 & 13
FAST approaching-- We would like to bring TWO crews! Please RSVP & update Evite with your flight and lodging info

3. UPCOMING TEAM EVENTS
Mother's Beach Clean-Up (SD adoption) -- THIS SAT APRIL 24 @ 10am-after practice (thanks, Marina for organizing!)

Boat Maintenance-- Mark your calendars for May 8 & 9

4. PROUD TO BE A SPACE DRAGON
Check out our heroes!

Marina once again is riding in the Cure de Tour (Ride for Life) with her grandson Andrew (American Diabetes Association). Way to go Marina!

Support & ride with Jason Hafer and other SDs in the MS Bay-to-Bay Tour 2010. Thanks, Jason for leading!

To sign up for either event, please see/contact either Marina or Jason.

5. CONGRATULATIONS to the US COLLEGIATE DRAGON BOAT CLUB!
International site: http://icdbf.org/
U.S.. website - http://uscdbc.org/index.htm
Forum - http://icdbf.org/subpages/icdbf/index.php?sid=16e70c6a96f5003d2f782618f880c988
Become a Fan on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/United-States-Collegiate-Dragon-Boat-Club/111611765525738?ref=mf

And as incentive for checking out the sites and links, here is a coupon for BOGO drinks at Jamba Juice (coupon expires the 24th) -http://www.jambajuice.com/20thcoupon/index.html

Much love,
Pearl & Tran

Y is for yard sale!

Gray.

That's exactly how the day started. Chilly too. But I knew it was going to be a good day. It's devastatingly early and we're about to make our way up to Redondo Beach for the Space Dragon Spring Yard Sale. The plan would be to spend the day with loving teammates while raising money for the team.

At every Yard Sale, there are lots of goods to be sold and lots of money to be made. This was no exception. On top of that, Space Dragon events attract certain mischief; it’s just the nature of our team. And wouldn’t you know it, a Space Dragon Yard Sale is no different.

Various teammates donated lots of goods to be sold. Furniture, clothng, electronics, the list goes on. In total, we raised $562!

Special thank you's go out to:
- Denise: organizing another successful yard sale; putting up with all of our shenanigans; keeping things running all day long!
- CJ: hosting (again), letting us use his yard and most importantly, his restroom!
- Volunteers / Donators: there were a good number of volunteers and a bunch more people who donated stuff to the yard sale. without these people, we wouldn't have yard sales. without yard sales, we wouldn't have subsidized tournament fees. So I say: yay us!

Volunteers who helped with set-up, sales, and clean-up included: Denise & CJ (obviously), Marina, Kat, Pearl, Deej, Ceez, Grace, Robert, Mayana, Jason, Rod, BJ, Tom, Eymard, Mary, Tran, Roger, Blanca, Turtle, Allan, and Jackie. The following people dropped by for a visit and lend some moral support: KMak (take care of those knees, man!), Yilin (veterean paddler who hasn't paddled with us in a while. what's up with that?!), Joe, Yonnie, and baby Kiana (cute overload).

(right) We also had this non-Space Dragon visitor literally pop up next to our tent during the day checking out our goods!

WEDNESDAY and WEEKEND polls.. please respond!

Look, over there!

Won't you please respond to both the WEDNESDAY practice poll and the WEEKEND practice poll?

By MONDAY, April 19: Please respond to the WEDNESDAY practice poll.

By WEDNESDAY, April 21: Please respond to the WEEKEND practice poll.

Not sure if you want to come out? Don't forget, the Baby Long Beach tournament is on Sunday May 2. That's only 2 weeks away!

By responding to the polls, you help make life easier for our coaches. That will make the coaches happy. Which means more shining smiles on our boats.

Coaches. Smiling. Isn't that always a nice sight? Won't you help put some smiles on their faces?

SD Digest 4.14.10

Space Dragons,

Wednesday practice starts TODAY. Reminder to please DO NOT park on the street-- the entire dragonboat community is at risk for being kicked off Mother's Beach.

1. WEEKEND 4/10 & 4/11 RECAP
Thanks for everyone who contributed and helped at the yard sale!

Thanks for bringing out your friends & family, it was a huge success: 46 newbies! Please encourage your friends & family to come out to practice & participate in Baby LB (2.5 weeks away).

Great job to everyone who partook in Coach Em's 300m Challenge

2. PRACTICE
RSVP your attendance on the BLOG or via email to us by WED @ 7PM (weekly) for weekend practices.

RSVP your attendance on the BLOG or via email to us by MON @ 7PM (weekly) for Wednesday practices.

3. BABY LONG BEACH -- SUN MAY 2
It's just around the corner! Practice, practice, practice! If you have not already signed up, please do so via Evite. Potluck lunch-- sign up sheet available at practices.

4. BOSTON -- JUNE 12 & 13
Let's show the East Coast what a sea of Space Blue looks like! Encourage others to sign up!Please update Evite with your flight and lodging info.

5. BEACH CLEAN UP -- SAT APRIL 24 @ 10am
Our first event event since adopting Mother's Beach. Beach clean up to be held after practice

-- Pearl & Tran

SD in TEMPE: Starting it off Right!

"LET'S GO! TIME TO MARSHAL!" shouted Marina, "come on blue boat, line up!" That's how it starts. The team leader gathers her crew like a mother hen and her chicks. Time to get our head into the game, focus in and paddle up.

This time, we had the privilege of paddling together in Tempe, Arizona, a venue the Space Dragons have visited numerous times and has been pretty good to our team. How did we do? Read on and find out!

Saturday was a sunny but chilly morning. Pulling ourselves out of bed, with a call time of 6:30am, we all trudged down to the lake area and searched for our tent to set up our stuff. After numerous warnings that we are not being hosted and there will be no food, it was refreshing and surprising to arrive in the tent to find a huge spread of food laid out over three long tables. The team really came together, it seemed like everyone brought enough food to feed a few people; together, we had more than enough food for the entire weekend. Another reason to love the Space Dragons.

Everything was looking good so far. Our first race would be an early 8:10am race for our intrepid Blue Team. In all, each of our teams would race two times on Saturday (except Masters, who only raced on Sunday). Saturday was quite successful, and results were rather suprising. But more on that later.

The team would end up spending a lot of time at the marshalling area on both days, and relatively little time back at our tents. It allowed for a lot of intra-team mingling (read: goofing around) and also gave us a great vantage point to view the races.

So onto why we were in Tempe. After a number of heats where our various boats did pretty well, the divisional placement and seeding for Sunday's semi-final races were set. Red boat did well and placed into Mixed B Division. And so did our Blue boat! In fact, Sunday would see the Red boat race against the Blue boat head-to-head in the semi-finals. Unfortunately, only one would be able to move onto the Finals. While Blue boat put in a very good race at the Semi-Finals, Red would move onto the Finals. Blue was undoubtedly strong, but the team also acknowledged that there is definitely room for improvement (isn't there always?). No doubt about it, everyone was pretty impressed by the Blue boat (and the large number of newbies on that boat). Red boat would wrap up their day with a 2nd place finish in the Finals with a time of 2:07.50.

Our Women's team paddled hard but were unable to see the results they had hoped for. Though there was some disappointment, it was a clear learning experience. The Women may not be bringing home any hardware, but it clearly was not due to a lack of heart. In the post-race debrief, Em asked the ladies, "how badly do we want hardware? How hard are we willing to train?! Are we ready to bring the pain during practice to improve our race set?!" The answer - a resounding yes!

The Men's boat had a bit more luck, making it to the Finals in the Open division. A few newbies had the good fortune of paddling with the Men's boat, and commented, "Dude, the men's boat is so intense!" Damn right, sucka! Men's boat came home with a hard-earned bronze after paddling a 2:01.42.

Master's saw some stiff competition as well, finishing just outside of the times required to medal.

Final medal count:

Red boat Silver in Comp B., SD Men Bronze in Open.

Tempe proved that there is a lot of potential and promise in this season.

But we still need to work and work HARD for it. Hats off to all of the Tempe participants, it was great fun! Now it's time to build on the foundation we laid. No time to rest, Baby Long Beach is just around the corner!

Big thank you's to:

- Dr. Chen. Without him, we probably wouldn't have such a vibrant dragon boating community.

- Denise. Her hard work and dedication helped make our Tempe trip possible. If you haven't already, please thank her for her tireless behind-the-scenes efforts to organize our successful tournament showing.

- Arizona Dragon Boat Association. The organizers of this event. They did a splendid job!

- Callers and Steerspeople. Tran, Jackie, Emily, Pearl, Russ, Marty, Pearl, Devant, Brian, and Sammi. Without them, we'd just be 20 people floating around in the lake on a fancy raft of fiberglass and wood.

- Guest paddlers. Crystal, Maureen, Tanya, Paul, Robert, Hugo, Anna and Kurt. And their teams: Splashing Flyers and Ripple Effect.

-Fellow teammates. A successful tournament requires the efforts of a great number of individuals. Bringers of equipment, tents, food, drinks... the list goes on. YOU MAKE THIS TEAM!

- 1st time paddlers. Ming, Fang, Frank & Lil Tran. All of them had a blast, and I'm confident we'll be seeing more of them!

Paddles up!

rajaree

Space Dragons Needs Your Help - Busy Weekend Coming Up!

That's right, it's looking like a busy Space Dragons weekend coming up. And we need your help!

SATURDAY, APRIL 10 - Yard Sale

On Saturday, April 10, we will be having our Spring 2010 Space Dragon Yard Sale! As many of you know, the yard sales are immense fun. They are a great opportunity to help the team while getting a little spring cleaning done as well. Plus, proceeds from the Yard Sale comes right back to you in the form of subsidized tournament fees!

But in order for the Yard Sale to be a success, we need your help!

If you have any goods to donate to the Yard Sale, please get in contact with CJ.

Location: Rockefeller Lane in Redondo Beach. Major cross streets of Artesia and Inglewood.

Setup: 5:45-7:00 AM

1st shift sales: 7:00-10:30 AM (helpers get practice credit)

2nd shift sales: 10:30 - end.

Clean up: need those with trucks/vans/SUVs to help haul left-over items to Goodwill.

VOLUNTEERING: Please email us or contact Denise to let us know when you can help. Right now, I am sad to report that we are a bit short-handed and need as many volunteers as possible.

SUNDAY, APRIL 11 - Friends 'n Family Day

Yes, we just blogged about this. And it was in the Weekly Digest that you read every week (you do, right? I mean, of course you do! ...right?). Here's a few things we want you to keep in mind:

1. 8:30am meet up time. That means on the beach! Yes, this is a little earlier than normal Sunday practices. But this isn't a normal Sunday practice!
2. Food. Please bring food to share. It's a potluck, after all.
3. Gear. Vets, please bring your extra gear. Paddles, PFD's, you know the drill! Tents, chairs, the usual stuff we ask for tournaments applies to Friends n Family as well!
4. Parking. Please ask guests to park in the boy scout parking lot. Not on the street!

Are you looking forward to this weekend?! I sure am!

SD Digest 4.6.10

Space Dragons!

Let's carry our Tempe momentum on through the Baby Long Beach Tournament (3 weeks away)!

1. YARD SALE -- THIS Sat 4/10 7 AM -- ~ 1 PM

Got goodies? Drop them off directly at the yard sale on Saturday (between 5:45am-7am). Or arrange with CJ prior to Saturday.
Where: Rockefeller Lane in Redondo Beach. Major cross streets of Artesia & Inglewood. We need helpers, let us know if you can help by emailing Denise!
Setup: 5:45-7 AM
1st shift sales: 7-10:30 AM (helpers get practice attendance credit)
2nd shift sales: 10:30 - end
Clean up: need those with trucks/vans/SUVs to help haul left-over items to Goodwill.

2. FRIENDS AND FAMILY DAY -- THIS Sun 4/11 8:30 -- 11 AM

Bringing guests? Be sure to have them complete the waiver and have them park in the lots (NO STREET PARKING). Potluck lunch served afterward (please bring a dish to share!)

3. 300m CHALLENGE -- THIS Sun 4/11

Coach Em's 300m challenge on her OC1. To be held either during or after Friends & Family Day (depending on #'s).
Email Emily if interested

4. 2010 TOURNAMENTS

Please see below for the remaining 4 tournaments and RSVP on the evites:
Baby Long Beach (May 2)
Boston (June 12 & 13)
Big Long Beach (July 31 & Aug 1)
San Francisco (Sept 25-26, 2010)

5. WEDNESDAY PRACTICES BEGIN APRIL 14!

RSVP your attendance here on the BLOG or via email to us by WED @ 7PM (weekly) for weekend practices.
RSVP your attendance on the BLOG or via email to us by MON @ 7PM (weekly) for Wednesday practices.

6. ADOPT-A-BEACH

We've adopted Mother's Beach! Our first team beach clean up: 4/24 @ 10 AM

See you on the water!
Pearl & Tran

Biggest Loser Challenge 2010!!

Great job at Tempe everyone!! I’m very excited about this season with our new stroke, new coaches, & new paddlers. Now moving on to my next project, The Biggest Loser Challenge 2010 – a competitive weight loss challenge between Space Dragon team members. Although I have not been part of the previous challenges, I’ve heard that the team have greatly benefited from the challenge. The Biggest Loser Challenge really isn’t about competing against each other. It’s about the achieving personal goals and self improvement which leads to team contribution. So really, you’re doing this for the team! 

Trust me; I KNOW how difficult it is to lose weight. I’ve been battling weight problems myself for the last decade or so. I hope that this challenge will motivate people to be healthier and perhaps even change their lifestyle. We have a great group of people that can be part of your support system for your journey to achieving your goal. If you need workout tips or healthy eating advice, ask around. They are more than happy to assist you. You can even ask me! I care about each and every one of my team members and I’m here to help. So, with that being said, I just want to give you guys a heads up. This challenge is going to happen and will start very soon...Check this blog for more updates!!

Esther

Friends and Family Day! + Coach Em's OC-1 Challenge!

Note that lunch will be a potluck, so please bring a dish. You've seen Space Dragons eat. So you know we'll need A LOT of food! :)

A waiver was emailed to you. Please have your friends and family fill it out prior to getting to Mother's Beach to help expedite the process. Remember minors need guardian signatures as well.
We're meeting at 8:30 to take care of the logistics, intro and warm-up.

For those interested, Emily will be hosting the next 300m Challenge on her OC1 during and/or after F&FD. Please email if interested.

Paddler Spotlight -- Karen!!

Hometown:

Born in China, lived in Hong Kong for a few years, grew up in San Francisco.

Dunking day (Birthday): 

4/11

Favorite Food(s): 

lots and lots.  Chicken wings, sushi, fish, soup, vegetables, prime rib, crepes with nutella and banana, tofu....  oh too many to name.

How long have you been paddling and who got you into Space?

Started paddling in May 2007 with Ripple Effect.  When I moved down to LA in 2008, there was no question what team I would join.  Special thanks to Galen and Wade though.  7:30am is REALLY early for doing anything on a Saturday morning.  If they didn't nag me to come out, I probably would have picked sleeping-in over paddling.

Who got you into paddling and why do you do it week in and week out?

Eva (a fellow Ripple) got me into it.  She joined not too long before me, and can't stop talking about the excitement of dragon boating.  I was looking for some exercise at the time so I went to try it out.  In the beginning it was the exercise, then comes the awesome people, the hugs and kisses, the encouragement, the food, the excitement from the race, the crazy jokes..... where else can I find all of this?

Are you a better Paddler when you are Happy or Angry?

Happy.  Just getting in the boat makes me happy.  It's a great stress reliever.

Favorite or notable Space Dragon moment(s)?

Paddling at night for the Naples Christmas Parade.  I've been in a handful of parades, but being in a boat parade (and end up winning something) made it super special.  The best part was when the whole boat sang Feliz Navidad while everyone on shore gave big cheers to our Santa steersman.

How do you prep yourself for a Race?

Make sure I get enough sleep so I'm energized at the race.

Any hobbies, activities, interests outside of paddling?

I try to learn something new whenever I can.  I've picked up knitting recently and I only just learned how to ride a bike a few months ago.  If I have absolutely nothing to do I will start singing.  Too bad I can never remember lyrics.

Any advice for new paddlers?

Don't feel bad if you keep splashing or can't keep up with timing or forget to rotate.  We've all been there and it only gets better.

Paddling-wise, any particular goals for yourself or the team?

I hope one day I can paddle like Em and not come out of practice feeling like a weak sauce.  

If you could change one thing about the Team what would it be?

Hm, maybe for Saturday practices to start a little later.

Favorite part about being a Space Dragon?

Everyone is very encouraging and full of laughter while being competitive.  I've overheard other boats at practice where the coaches would yell at their paddlers for not paddling well or not being on time.  I'm soooo glad I'm not on those teams.

Assuming you had a single brother or sister, what Space Dragon might you consider hooking them up with?

Scott.  What better quality in a man than one who can raise two awesome children by himself?  

Most interesting character you've met through the team?

Too many, Galen, Em, Brian, Tran, Devant... But the first that come to my mind are Ceez and Deej.  Really?  You guys are grandparents?  My sister isn't even half as fun.

If you were to trade any SD teammate for an RFX (Ripple) paddler, who would it be?

Well, I kind of already did that by trading myself down.  As for an SD to RFX, I'd say Brian or Scott cuz I really don't think any of you SoCal natives can stand the cold.  

If you were to be stranded on an island with any 3 SD paddlers, who would you choose to get-by and pass the time with?

Denise - for keeping me from starving

Brian - for building a hut or better yet a raft to get us out of there

Devant - for his rock climbing skills and singing to keep me sane

First thing that comes to mind when you hear the word(s):

1. pounce - Cat
2. voluptuous - Heidi Klum
3. predator - Hounds
4. prey - rabbit
5. Space Dragons - Circle of Love

Name something that our readers don't already know about you.

My first taste of dragon boating is actually from way back in high school.  It was maybe the second or third annual San Francisco dragon boat festival (what you know as Treasure Island now), and my school decided to join just for fun.  Back then the event was still very small, and the race was at Foster City.  Our team had 1 land session learning the techniques and 1 water practice before the race, and we had to race against other schools who actually had a dragon boat team that practices every week.  Needless to say, the race was a disaster.  I'm glad I got a 2nd chance and am doing it right this time.

SD Digest 3.31.10

Mighty Space Dragons,

Congrats and thanks to all for a great showing in Tempe! If you have any comments/suggestions about the race/technique/tournament, please don't hesitate to let the coaches and/or captains know.


1. OPTIONAL PRACTICE -- this weekend 4/3 & 4/4

Let us know if you'll attend via poll or email
Optional -- attendance not taken
Regular practice resumes 4/10

Wednesday practice starts 4/14 @ 6 PM

2. YARD SALE -- Sat 4/10 7 AM -- ~ 1 PM

Got goodies? Drop them off with Denise and/or Marina at practice this Saturday or Jeremy (CJ) at practice this Sunday. Or arrange with Jeremy to drop off at other times

Location: Rockefeller Lane in Redondo Beach. Major cross streets of Artesia and Inglewood
Need helpers, let us know if you can help

Setup: 5:45-7 AM
1st shift sales: 7-10:30 AM (helpers get practice credit)
2nd shift sales: 10:30 - end
Clean up: need those with trucks/vans/SUVs to help haul left-over items to Goodwill

3. FRIENDS AND FAMILY DAY -- Sun 4/11 8:30 -- 11 AM

Flyer and detail to be sent in separate email
Please make sure your guests signs a waiver (attached to email
We'll have potluck afterward for those interested, please bring a dish!

4. 2010 TOURNAMENTS

Hope everyone had a great time at Tempe and that you're pumped up for remainder of the season! Please respond in the evites for the rest of the 2010 tournaments:
Baby Long Beach (May 2)
Boston (June 12 & 13)
Big Long Beach (July 31 & Aug 1)
San Francisco (Sept 25-26, 2010)

5. ADOPT-A-BEACH

The team has adopted Mother's Beach- let's all help in keeping it clean!
First beach clean up: 4/24 @ 10 AM


Much love,
-- Pearl & Tran