2011 Hong Kong Stanley Cup
Our Day in the Sun: Paddling for Charity with the Windy Pandas in Hong Kong
By Cambria Minott-Gaines
Stanley International Dragon Championships
(6th June, 2011)
When I tell friends I paddle for a dragon boat racing team, I'm usually met with either a quizzical look or, 'Oh right, Kate Middleton does that, yeah?' In the face of relative obscurity, it was exciting to travel to a country that recognizes dragon boating on a national and continent-wide level. Films on the flight over to Hong Kong were introduced with saccharine-sweet adverts for the dragon boat festival and, once arriving in the city, we saw magazines, papers and billboards peppered with mentions of the upcoming event. It was fun to witness the spectacle, and exciting to know we would soon be paddling so close to dragon boating's culture of origin.
A bit pressed for time on the morning of the race. Simon, Fai and I called for a taxi to Stanley beach. Winding along the cliffs over the ocean, the car ride was an idyllically scenic buildup to race day. We left the window down to fully enjoy the breeze and the beautiful coastline hugging Stanley's green, forested hills.
Excitement buzzed in the air as we neared the beach. The bright red, blue and yellow of corporate and charity jerseys mingled along the road, paddlers eagerly grabbing free waters and energy drinks handed out by sponsors.
We made our way down to the beach to meet up with our fellow Windy Pandas. Behind throngs of busy, excitable spectators (over 10,000 in all), the backdrop to Stanley beach was breathtaking: expansive azure water, highlighted by tree-covered cliffs and patchy blue sky.
After settling into our tent, we slathered on the sunscreen, filled up on food and water, and walked down to the boat. Teams swarmed along the water, laughing and shouting in dozens of languages. Everyone was excited for the races to begin, and good-naturedly supportive of competing teams. There were 144 mixed teams in all, with 69 men's and 9 women's teams.
We made our way down to the beach to meet up with our fellow Windy Pandas. Behind throngs of busy, excitable spectators (over 10,000 in all), the backdrop to Stanley beach was breathtaking: expansive azure water, highlighted by tree-covered cliffs and patchy blue sky.
After settling into our tent, we slathered on the sunscreen, filled up on food and water, and walked down to the boat. Teams swarmed along the water, laughing and shouting in dozens of languages. Everyone was excited for the races to begin, and good-naturedly supportive of competing teams. There were 144 mixed teams in all, with 69 men's and 9 women's teams.
FIRST RACE
We climbed into the boat from the beach one paddler at a time, pausing to smile and pose for the photographers calling to us from the beach. Some of us braved the heat and wore the iconic furry Panda hats, while most of us altered the team tops out of desperation, cutting off the sleeves or rolling them up to cool off just that extra bit in the 33C heat.
Our helm, a tiny, seemingly ancient woman, spoke no English. Barefoot and hiding under a traditional Chinese hat, she gave barking commands in Cantonese, which Jez (our Captain) in turn relayed to the few of us who didn't understand. Twelve boats in all paddled to the start, drummers took hold of ropes to anchor us in place, and called encouragement to their paddlers. When the gunshot echoed across the bay, and we pulled together through the water. The length was 270 meters instead of our usual 200, but it felt like a fast race. We finished in 6th place with a time of 1.26.50.
After our first race, we heard an announcement requesting the Windy Pandas manager and team to come to the stage. We looked at each other nervously, wondering if we'd inadvertently broken a Stanley race rule. We trudged up to the stage with Jez, our fearless leader, anticipating disqualification or worse. Instead, we were met with huge smiles and outspread arms. The race announcer spoke to Jez rapidly in Cantonese, and then turned to the microphone to introduce us:
'All the way from London, UK, the Windy Pandas!' The chairman explained that we were there to raise money for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and asked Jez to say a few words. The Chairman's aids then gave us flowers, wine, and the promise of a commemorative Stanley shirt.
SECOND RACE
During the second race, plugs at the bottom of the boat came loose; we tried to ignore the water as it started flooding into the bottom of the boat, and we quickly paddled to the finish. Despite the hiccup, we ended in 9th place with a time of 1.28.82. We raced against the Sea Gods, the American team that ultimately won the Stanley Championships.
In between races, paddlers crowded along the beach, waving flags or hands to support their teams. My favorite team, Le Cygne Noir ('The Black Swans'), wore black leotards and matching pink tights and tutus. Petite girls and burly men alike wore the costume comfortably in the boat, not bothering to adjust wilting feathers and smudged makeup as they paddled up a sweat. There were competitors of all types, sizes and nationalities and, while most teams were Hong Kong-based, it was an impressively international festival (but only one team was there representing the U.K.!).
After racing, we lounged in the shade of our Panda tent, snacking on fresh watermelon and coconut juice. We chatted with our French neighbors, who indulged with pizza and beer.
Our post-race relaxation was happily interrupted when Jez and Wally brought the good news that the Windy Pandas had made it into the Silver Plate final. 15 minutes until our final race.
THIRD RACE
After frantically tracking down the team, we quickly paddled backward from the beach. We thought we'd lost our drummer, Lily, to her company's after-party, but, just in time, she excitedly splashed into the water and climbed into her place on the boat. While paddling to the start line, we grinned up at the corporate teams as they hooted and hollered from their yachts and boats. The Playboy boat, overflowing with bikinied Bunnies, was a minor distraction, but we paddled on and up to the start line.
After an especially intense, silent period of anticipation, we exploded onto the water for an impressive start. Flanked by boats on either side, we paddled the crowded bay in solid, controlled bursts, and finished with a time of 1.26.46, a mini-accomplishment that only enhanced the wonderfully emotional, memorable experience for us all.
After the races finished, some of us stayed in Stanley for the post-race partying. We sat on the rocks by the ocean edge, already reminiscing about the day of racing, and watched as paddlers (mostly western) shouted, danced, and fist-pumped in post-race exultation. We laughed at some of the more excitable celebrators, who climbed to swing from trees and lamp posts. It was a different atmosphere from British national Dragon Boat races, and there was a carefree ease about the day. No national standings were gained or lost; we had come to paddle and to raise money for charity, and we'd accomplished both.
The excitement of the day only fuelled motivation to plan our next race abroad. There are already rumours of Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or even San Francisco. The options are endless, and we hope you'll join us for our next paddling adventure!
If you would like to donate to this Windy Panda cause (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children), it's not too late!
http://www.justgiving.com/
Team line-up:
'Judas'* (Steph)
'The Rack' (Alam)
'Mochi'* (Jenny)
'I Love Frankfurters'* (Yin-Ting)
'No. 1*' (Chinh)
Wally (Wai-Kuen)
'I'm Worth It' (Simon)
Derulo'* (Jay)
'Fai De Laa'* (Fai)
'Casper' (Vo)
'Miss America'* (Cambria)
Slow Mo (Stef)
I Love It (Ali)
Jokey Joke Maker (Jez)
Chamone (Sat)
Girl #8 (Yan)
T Seen (Tse)
Showing You (Yvonne)
*Typhoon member