Give the Drummer Some! | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team

You have to be strong and confident to drum in a dragon boat race.

Photo: Ed Nguyen Photography

Look at Angeline! She’s drumming her heart out in this race at last month’s Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival.

Look at the determination in her eyes! She’s scanning her boat for timing issues.

Also, do you see the way she’s pounding the drum? That steady beat keeps the crew in time.

Angeline is also belting out commands at the top of her lungs. She knows when the boat needs to speed up.

She’s whiteknuckle gripping the seat for her dear life. That means the boat is surging through the water. Angeline is getting heaved back and forth with each monster stroke.

What a wild ride! What a great performance!

You see, Angeline’s commanding presence helped our women’s team win a silver medal in that race. It shows you the importance of drummers.

Drummers act as the boat’s brains and COMMAND the crew with their voices.

DieselFish takes drumming seriously. Every season, we train select members to run the boat from the drummer’s perch.

The trainees learn how to fix timing issues. They also learn how to give the boat an extra burst of speed at just the right moment. The trainees also learn how to get into the crew’s collective conscious and push it in the right direction.

But more importantly, they learn how to lead with confidence.

“Teaching someone how to drum is rewarding, because you get to see that person blossom into a leader,” said Coach Marynka Rojas.

Coach Marynka also said, “We had two new drummers at the festival, Angeline and Bryan. We built up their confidence and that allowed them to control and motivate the boat.  I knew they had the ability to lead the boat. My job was to show them that they could do it.”

“Drumming helped me learn how to project my voice,” said Angeline. “I feel more confident, and I like that I am leading my team.”

“I was nervous about drumming my first race,” said Bryan. “But I felt better after I sat down on the seat. I remembered all my training and felt ready to compete.”

Bryan also said, “It’s interesting that I can help win a race by thinking. I have to read all the boats on the racecourse and issue commands.”

Bryan's drumming debut

It’s not easy becoming a drummer, but it’s worth the effort. Drummers lead the team to victory with their brains, voices and beats. They learn how to be strong and confident along the way, too.

Dragon boat racing is not just a sport. It’s a life-changing experience. You will become stronger in ways you never imagined. Contact me now at DFcaptains@gmail.com for free dragon boat lessons in Redwood City.

-Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness

Don’t Call It a Comeback…| DieselFish Dragon Boat Team

By Alex Ling

It’s a reunion

Akash first came to us a kid. Now he's back!

Nothing good gets away. Like Akash Singh, for example. He first came to DieselFish when he was a kid. Akash then took some time off to focus on school and work, but now he’s back. Almost by accident.

A chance encounter provided Akash the opportunity to reconnect with the team and the sport he loves. Now, Akash is back on the boat and better than ever. I spoke with him about his career in dragon boat and his thoughts about DieselFish.

DF: How did you get started in dragon boat?

AS: I was introduced to dragon boat racing by friends who were members of the Mountain View Dragon Boat team when I was in high school. I joined Mountain View Dragon Boat in 2008 and continued with them until early 2010

DF: Why did you start paddling with DieselFish?

AS: I graduated from high school and needed a new team. I started paddling with DieselFish because the scene was so young and most colleges were just in the phase of building a team, so I didn’t have an option for college. The adult teams seemed more interesting and competitive at the time.

DF: That’s when you initially joined DieselFish?

AS: Yes. I was one of the youngest people on the team.

Young Akash during his first stint with DieselFish

DF: You took some time off from paddling. What did you do during this period?

AS: During my time off, I focused on finishing my undergrad and wrapping up my graduate degree. I started my career shortly after graduating.

DF: How did you get back into paddling as an adult?

AS: It happened because of a coincidence…

I got back into paddling after finding out my friends Bryan and Conely were paddling with my old team. I was surprised and this gave me a reason to return. It’s great seeing them every week at practice.

Akash and his friends Bryan and Conely

DF: Is the experience of paddling on the dragon boat team different now that you are an adult?

AS: I find it’s just a change of pace due to experience. My time off from the sport gave me the chance to reflect. I missed paddling, and I began to think about what I would do if I returned to dragon boat.

DF: What do you like about the sport?

AS: I honestly enjoy the peaceful and relaxing atmosphere that comes from being a boat and paddling. Although the actual activity is physically demanding, just being on the water is a nice break from my normal schedule.

DF: What do you like about DieselFish?

AS: DieselFish for me has always been about enjoying the sport and the people you’re with. Races are a perfect example of this. People show up to compete but also enjoy their time together as a team.

DF: Thanks for sharing this! See you on the water!

AS: Sure!

You can begin your own dragon boat journey, too! You’ll get stronger, meet new friends and join a supportive community. Email me at dfcaptains@gmail.com for free dragon boat lessons in Redwood City!

Now is the Best Time to Dragon Boat

Downtime is fun time when you learn something new

No big races coming up?

No problem!

We used the downtime to try new things.

Angeline and Bryan tried steering.

D-Jae and Wolverine tried setting the pace.

Today was an opportunity to grow and learn.

We ended the day with hearty German food. The team learned that sausages and good company help you recover after working out.

➡️ Now is the best time to try dragon boat racing. We have lots of time to workwith you and show you how strong you can be. Email me at dfcaptains@gmail.comfor free lessons in Redwood City.

- Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness

DieselFish Wins at CDBA Sprint Race

DieselFish Dragon Boat Team paddled away with a victory at the CDBA Sprint Race!

Coach Marynka shows off the hardware

Fun times with Bryan and Conely under the tent

Okay, just one drink. Then we go home. Hanging out with our partners, Summon the Dragon at Speisekammer

Raise a glass to victory!

What a fun race! Photo: Edric Kwan

DIESEL! DIESEL! DIESEL!

If we can do it, so can you! Email me at dfcaptains@gmail.com for free dragon boatlessons in Redwood City!

-Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness

Your Food Will Taste Better… | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team

…After you’ve paddled a dragon boat!

Anna, Conely and Bryan enjoyed some dumplings after a tough practice.

Dragon boat workouts will fill you with energy and make you hungry for life. Email me at dfcaptains@gmail.com today for free lessons!

-Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness

Thrills and Chills at Lake Merritt | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team

 DieselFish braved the elements and won another medal

The weather at this year’s Halloween Howl race was scary. A storm system swept through Lake Merritt on race day and battered the race course with three-quarters of an inch of rain and wind speeds that reached 25 miles per hour.

“It was wild out there! The rain was coming down hard and the wind was strong. Everyone got drenched,” said Marynka Rojas, DieselFish Dragon Boat Team’s coach. Bryan Lee, one of the team’s newest members was shocked by the intensity of the winds. “One of the tents blew away and landed on top of a building!” he stated.

Luckily, DieselFish was prepared. Many of the team’s veterans had experience racing in similar weather conditions. “The race at Treasure Island was like this every year, so we got used to it” recalled team member Sivagar Natarajan. Iris Fung agreed and noted that “whitecaps are exciting!”

This experience and sense of adventure helped DieselFish win a medal in the 1,000 meter race. “We kept calm and fought with everything we had,” said Coach Rojas.

“We got another medal! Our second in two months at Lake Merritt!” exclaimed Conely Chan. “It was worth getting wet!”

Email us at dfcaptains@gmail.com today to learn how you can join our outdoor sports adventures!

The 3 P’s of DieselFish | Redwood City Dragon Boat

Dennis shares his thoughts about DieselFish’s experience at the Northern California International Dragon Boat Festival

Every time I think about this past weekend, I smile.

Yes, we got gold medals. Hurray! But we also got to enjoy the 3 P’s of DieselFish life: Paddling, Phamily, and Phood. (I have an MBA - I'm required to do stuff like that.)

Paddling: Our boats got stronger throughout the festival. We poured our hearts and souls into each stroke and it showed – we got faster in every single race, shaving off seconds! Congratulations to our new teammate Bryan! This was his first festival, and he rocked it.

Phamily: We had lots of downtime between races. It was fun hanging out with the team under our tent, getting to know everyone better. I am super glad I got to meet so many new people over the weekend like Angeline, Brian, Rosie and our new friends from the TAP Chicago Dragon Boat Team.

Phood: You’ve got to make up for those calories burned on the water, right? On Saturday, we went to Oakland’s historic Chinatown for dumplings and hand-pulled noodles at Shan Dong. On Sunday, we celebrated our win with cocktails and steaks at Tribune Tavern. And who can forget the amazing wonton tacos that some of my teammates got from the food trucks at the festival. Maybe we got the gold because we ate so well!

I’m happy that DieselFish grew stronger, closer, and became more of a family during the festival. Because that’s what’s always been at the core of Dieselfish.

- Dennis

Come join our family! Email us at dfcaptains@gmail.com today for free dragon boat lessons!

This is Dennis

At the award ceremony

Rosie, Dennis and Conely

Love this crew!

Kent and Marynka give it their all.

Anna and Angeline show off their bling.

Angeline and Anna fly through the water!

Coach Marynka's new toy

Alex probably wore his medal to work the next day!