There are many things that you can imagine doing in South Africa, but Dragon Boat racing may not be one of them!
Well, now you too can enjoy this ancient sport! Dragon Boats are long paddled boats crewed by a team of 22 people, with a drummer on board to give rhythm to the stroke. It is a fun and interactive activity. This spectacular and exciting team sport originated in China over 2400 years ago and was introduced to South Africa in 1992 when two beautiful wooden flag-catching dragon boats were presented to Cape Town by a city in Taiwan.
Johannesburg now has a fleet of these boats and in February 2006, the Western Cape Dragon Boat Association took custodianship of two more, bringing Cape Town's fleet of flag-catchers to four.
The Western Cape Dragon Boat Association is based at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, and this is thus a perfect way for you to gain a unique experience exploring the V&A Waterfront basins from the decks of a Dragon Boat! It is fun and adventure filled.
Members of the public can join in the practice sessions, you just need to contact either the Western Cape or Gauteng associations and book your place. This unique sport is also fast becoming a top corporate team building exercise as it is a fun day out and makes people work together in order to get the maximum potential from the boat. It takes great team work just to make the boat move forward properly!
So, paddles steady! Ready, steady go!