Paddlers propel dragon boats on Flathead River

Red, blue and yellow balloon-shaped markers on the Flathead River laid out the start and finish lines for Montana Dragon Boat Races and Festival, which were held Saturday and Sunday, July 19 and 20 at the Polson Fairgrounds. Three dragon boats, painted bright yellow, green and red (one with eyelashes) were the stars of the show.

Paddlers from Kansas, Colorado, Oregon, and across Montana gathered for the races, 14 teams in total. Each boat had 20 paddlers and one drummer. The teams all used the same boats with two teams unloading as another two teams loaded and paddled to the starting line.

The teams had inventive name such as OWLS Dragonflies, Capsizadors, the Flying Growlers, and the Buzz. The colorful, noisy crowd of paddlers were good sports, too.

The Buzz, paddlers from Helena clad in screaming yellow, won their heat and were hanging out at their tent. Paddler Rosie Goodrich is in her second full season of paddling.

“It’s a great group of people,” she said. “We practice three days a week ... It’s so great to paddle after work when you’ve been sitting in the office all day. Just getting out on the water and paddling with good people.”

Joanne Pearson Thun started the Buzz 13 years ago. She also teaches kayaking. “I’ve been in the water my whole life,” she said.

The Buzz crew explained that the race distances were 200 meters, 500 meters, and a 1,500-meter challenge race.

Choppy water and wind caused a break in the action Saturday, right before the Survivors Ceremony and Race at 11:15 a.m.

“We’re more than paddlers,” Nan Condit said, as she asked all the breast cancer survivors to come forward and stand in a semicircle.

Condit is president of Silver Lining Montana, the group that coordinated and produced the Dragon Boat Races and Festival as well as last weekend’s Paddle Palooza. Their goal is empowering breast cancer survivors in Western Montana.

Condit is a member of the original group of Missoula “sisters” that formed in 2015 when they were all dealing with, and recovering from, breast cancer.

With a master’s in exercise psychology, Condit knew exercise – including building upper-body strength – has been shown to reduce risk of breast cancer recurrence by up to 50 percent, so the “sisters” became paddlers. The group raises money for breast cancer survivors and awareness.

The ceremony also featured flowers placed in the water in support and remembrance of breast cancer warriors.

“We look at exercise as medicine,” Condit said, in an earlier interview.

After the moving ceremony, the entire fairground got back to the “medicine” of exercise, supporting breast cancer survivors, and having fun.

    A dragon boat disgorges its paddlers and will carry another group of contestants to the starting line for the next race. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
  

    A dragon boat capsized as paddlers were loading for their race. All the paddlers were okay, but the water was chilly. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)