Every year Lake Lanier has a Dragon Boat Festival at Clark’s Bridge. Long, narrow canoe like boats skim the water paddled to the beat of a drum. Some boats smoothly skim the water with a well trained crew. Other less disciplined crews skim the water with their paddles, splashing water into the boats and all over each other.
The individual ‘heats’ are usually close together and keep an audience entertained. There’s also food and Hong Kong merchandise. It’s a fun time. Bring your drum and your life jacket.
The drummer or caller may be considered the “heartbeat” of the dragon boat, and leads the crew throughout a race with the rhythmic beating of a drum to indicate the timing and frequency of paddling strokes (that is, the cadence, picking up the pace, slowing the rate, etc.) The caller may issue commands to the crew through a combination of hand signals and voice calls, and also generally exhorts the crew to perform at their peak.
Link to the Atlanta Dragon Boat Festival, September 12, 2009.
