Application to mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is Pending in Pensacola, FL
This Community Newspaper is a weekly publication of Escambia Santa/Rosa Bar Association Page 1 Vol. 15, No. 32 VISIT THE SUMMATION WEEKLY ONLINE: www.esrba.com August 11, 2015
4 Pages
Enter the Dragon: Pensacola Dragon Boat Festival & Race By Dawn Gresko
Are you ready to tame and ride the dragon (boat)? Then prepare yourself for the second annual Pensacola Dragon Boat Festival coming to Downtown Bayview Park on September 12. The only fire you have to worry about with these dragons is the blazing trail you leave behind as you paddle past your opponents. That’s because the element for these dragons is strictly water. For those unfamiliar with dragon boating, it’s a racing water sport that takes place in a boat decorated to resemble the scaly, brightly-colored mythical creature. Each boat is manned by at least 20 paddlers, a drummer and a steers person who work together to cross the finish line faster than their competition. “Right now we have 23 teams already signed up for this year’s race,” said festival chair Chris McIntosh. “Our goal is to have 40 teams by the time the festival starts in September.” The festival’s Opening Ceremony and Dragon Dance will launch the start of the six-lane, 300-meter race course. Contestants will begin near the east side of Bayou Texar and make their way to the finish at Bayview Park. Races will run all day with an hour break at midday. But there’s more to look forward to at the event than the actual race. You can expect to see unique, professional dragon dancers and a skilled kite flyer. There will also be a children’s area and miniature water park for festival goers to enjoy. Coastal Fire and other bands will perform for the festival crowd this year. You can look forward to an appearance by special guest DJ Duck, too. Local food, jewelry and clothing vendors will also be showing off their wares. There’s even talk of having a trained masseuse available for those who want to schedule a relaxing massage. Windcreek is a major sponsor for the 2015 Pensacola Dragon Boat Festival & Race, but other sponsors include UWF’s Confucius Institute. Dragon boat racing originated over 2,000 years ago in the southern provinces of China. According to the story behind this mythical celebration, a scholar and adviser to the emperor of the Chu Kingdom named Qu Yuan jumped into the Mi Luo River to protest against government corruption. When he did this, local fisherman raced out in their boats to save him from the water dragons. They beat drums and pounded their paddles on the river’s surface and threw rice dumpling wrapped in silk into the river to distract the dragons from eating Qu Yuan. Dragon boating evolved from the re-enactment of this legend at annual festivals. (continued page 3)