LIFESTYLES
WEEKEND, MAY 14-15, 2016
Elane Dickenson/For The Chieftain
A pause in the middle of the lake for a lesson on paddle technique from Colleen McLaughlin as Dragons in the Wallowas club members take their boat on the water.
Two Hong Kong-style racing boats arrive in
Joseph for maiden Wallowa Lake voyages
By KATHLEEN ELLYN
EO Media Group
Dragon boats glided across the waters of
Wallowa Lake last weekend, and legend has
it they will return later this summer.
The boats are part of a centuries-old tradi-
tion in China, where a crew of paddlers, a
captain and a tiller race long watercraft deco-
rated with ornate dragon embellishments.
Michael Lockhart, president of both the
Wallowa Lake Tram and the Wallowa Lake
Tourist Committee, has been working hard to
get dragon boats on the water this spring and
he managed to bring two Hong Kong-style
racing boats to the lake.
It’s all leading up to the “7 Wonders Cup
Races” on Aug. 27-28. The event will feature
a 250-meter race, a 500-meter race and a
slalom race unique to Wallowa Lake.
The boats that came last weekend are
loaned on a “swap lease” that requires the
local club — Dragons in the Wallowas — to
do a few repairs while they have them.
A group of 24 club members and inter-
ested residents gathered for a presentation by
Colleen McLaughlin, 73, head coach for the
200-member Golden Dragons race club in
Portland.
McLaughlin talked about how she began
paddling in a dragon boat when she was 60.
The 73-year-old later demonstrated that she
could easily out-paddle any of the Wallowa
County contingent.
“Most of our paddlers (in Golden Dragons)
are 60 and over, and many of our paddlers are
in their 80s and still compete and we have
women over 90 who paddle,” McLaughlin
said.
Her presentation included tales of wins
over younger teams, an inspirational reading
of why she is involved in dragon boats and
stories of the tight friendships that dragon
boating engenders.
“I have paddled with people who just came
back from their chemo treatments,” she said.
“I can’t begin to tell you how many people
have said ‘thank you for saying you paddled
well today’ — it’s a small thing, but they were
in a bad spot just then and they needed that.
It’s wonderful having people around you who
support you.”
The crowd was wowed by the Awakening
Ceremony, which featured painting the red
pupils on the black eyes of the dragons on the
two boats and an uplifting prayer by United
Methodist Minister Cherie Johnson of Joseph.
Sparklers were lit and two lanterns were
set fl ying into the skies as part of the cere-
mony.
The boats were taken out four times over
the weekend with regular members of the
club taking up the lion’s share of benches and
paddles, returning again and again to make
the most of the training. Three members
stepped up for tiller training on how to steer
the boat and three for captain/coaching/caller
positions to lead the crew.
No one is obligated to be on the “race
team,” and casual boaters are welcome in the
club.
Megan Bowen of Enterprise, who has
experience with two Portland crews — a
medal-winning traveling team and The
Golden Dragons — will both captain boats
and create a fl exible paddling schedule with
the assistance of several other members.
Practices (three a week) will move the teams
toward the August races.
McLaughlin left the group with an image
they can’t wait to replicate: “A dragon boat
is a spirit of two things: water and air. When
you get to that point — you’ll feel the boat
fl y.”
Elane Dickenson/For The Chieftain
The fi rst running of the Dragons in the Wallowas Club coasts into the dock after
an intense practice with Rick McLaughlin at the tiller and Colleen McLaughlin
(both of Golden Dragons) instructing. The two Hong Kong-style racing boats
arrived Friday and hit the lake over the weekend.
Elane Dickenson/For The Chieftain
Kathleen Ellyn/The Chieftain
Wallowa County Dragons in front of The Outlaw on Friday. The dragon boats are on
loan to the Dragons in the Wallowas club for the summer.
Members of Dragons in the Wallowas improve their paddling technique under
the critical eye of Colleen McLaughlin, head coach of The Golden Dragons of
Portland.