Our talented group of Hisshonians put their Core Value #6 – Work Hard, Play Hard – to the test on Saturday, May 16th, bringing home the Silver Medal in this year’s Charlotte Dragon Boat Races!
For those not familiar, dragon boats are long, paddle boats that feature a standard crew of 20 paddlers, a drummer and a steerer. Dragon boat racing is believed to have originated in China more than 2,500 years ago, during the same period that the ancient Greek games were being established at Olympia.
Dragon boat racing has been practiced continuously since then, incorporating competitive, ceremonial, ritualistic and religious traditions, as well as serving as a basis for annual water rituals and festivals. Dragon boat racing emerged as an international watersport in the late 1970’s.
Hissho started the day early, clocking in at 0:55.70 for our first qualifying heat. After a few hours of rest, the team readied for the second qualifier. Coming in at a slightly better time of 0:55.39, Hisshonians were able to secure a spot in the B Division Championship Final.
(To put things into perspective for you, around 50 teams entered the competition and Hissho was seeded 12th after the qualifying rounds! The top eight teams, comprised of mainly club-level teams, compete for the top division.)
With a few hours of rest and plenty of food to fuel our efforts, HIsshonians took to the water for the final race. Despite an amazing, tireless effort, we fell just four-tenths of a second short of the Gold Medal, with a finishing time of 0:53.59.
However, nothing but smiles could be seen on everyone’s faces as they returned to base camp. With little experience and practice, the team really pulled together to achieve the impossible!
Watch out for us next year! We’re coming for the GOLD! GO HISSHO!
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