DIESELFISH LEGENDS: CLAIRE| DieselFish Dragon Boat Team | Serving San Jose, Peninsula, San Francisco

We’re celebrating DieselFish Dragon Boat Team’s 25th season by sharing memories from our past. Read on to learn about Claire. She was one of our strongest paddlers and a member of the leadership team.

DF: When did you paddle with DieselFish?
CLAIRE: I paddled from end-of-season 2004–2009. I showed up at the very last meeting of the season and started in the off-season. And I ended my season three months pregnant in July at Paragon point and I knew physically I couldn’t paddle any longer. It was so sad to leave.
 
DF: Why did you join DieselFish?
CLAIRE: I was looking for something outdoors, exercise, and the chance to meet people. Once I met everyone at that first meeting, everyone was so friendly and encouraging and explained they are heading into off-season and they wanted to make sure I came back and I did!
 
DF: Tell us your favorite DieselFish story:
CLAIRE: I met some lifelong friends while paddling and boy did we have some great times. I remember being in Long Beach for a race and we were all flying home Sunday evening. There was a mad rush for most of us to get to the airport. But after a stinky hot day on the water, we knew we all needed to shower.
 
One person had a room to let us shower in and we were given two minutes each to shower and they timed us, of course. In our best competitive fashion, it was on and paddles up!
 
I made it to my shower, just under two minutes and some of us decided we’d change in the closet since other fishies were in the room. I forgot that someone went in the closet to change and I opened the sliding door to the shower and a loud scream came out. I freaked out and totally forgot the fishy was in there! I was so embarrassed as I’m sure this fishy was too.
 
DF: How did DieselFish change your life?
CLAIRE: I paddled, traveled, ate, and drank with this team and we bonded. It was an amazing experience I still remember fondly and I miss it all the time. I met my now husband, Sean, while paddling as we know a lot of love boat relationships happened. :)
 
DF: Thanks for sharing your memories, Claire!
 
→ Start your own legend with a FREE dragon boat lesson. Email Alex at DFcaptains@gmail.com to get started.
 
- Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness 🐲
 
Copyright 2023 DieselFish Dragon Boat Team. All rights reserved.
 
#dflegends #dieselfish #paddle #canoe #dragonboat #fitness #sanfrancisco #visitrwc #redwoodcity #siliconvalley #sanjose

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team | Serving San Jose, Peninsula, San Francisco

Our 25^th birthday was filled with hugs, stories, paddling. Read on to learn more about this fun and meaningful event.

October 21, 2023, was one of the most important moments in DieselFish’s history. On that day, we celebrated our 25th birthday. The celebration was filled with long hugs, colorful stories, and mouthwatering food. Oh yeah, we paddled, too.

 

We started the celebration with a practice session. Many DieselFish alums (the “Salty Fishes”) dusted off their paddles and combined with the team’s current lineup for a cruise around Bair Island. Not surprisingly, the practice began late. Because most of the Salty Fishes hadn’t seen each other in ages.

 

“IS THAT REALLY YOU?”

“You look the same…”

“I can’t believe we’re all here again…”

 

Time stood still as we hugged and joked around. We cut this reunion short when it was finally time to get back into our boats.

 

Most of the alums hadn’t paddled since leaving the team. So we took it easy. Gradually, the Salty Fishes remembered their techniques and the boats gained speed and power. Soon, we were chugging along at a brisk clip. The memories began flooding back:

“Remember when we medaled at TI?”

“Ken, I’m finally using the technique you taught me 20 YEARS AGO!”

 

After we docked, we gathered at Sports Basement’s community room for a joyous gala. There, we played games, gobbled catered food, and created new memories. Occasionally, the store’s customers peeked into the room to investigate the source of the boisterous laughter coming from inside.

 

The celebration was fun and meaningful. As we paddled, partied, and chatted, we remembered that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. We’re part of a family that has been growing for a quarter of a century. We may not see each other often, but we’ll always be connected.

 

→ The DieselFish family is still paddling long and strong in Redwood City. Contact Alex now at DFcaptains@gmail.com for a FREE lesson.

 

- Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness 🐲

 

CREDITS: Alex, Brian, Julie, Kyra. Thanks to Cruel Donuts in San Mateo for the delicious desserts. Photos by Poky.

Copyright 2023 DieselFish Dragon Boat Team. All rights reserved.

 

#dieselfish #DFlegends #paddle #canoe #dragonboat #fitness #sanfrancisco #visitrwc #redwoodcity #siliconvalley #sanjose

DIESELFISH LEGENDS: RENE | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team | Serving San Jose, Peninsula, San Francisco

This is DieselFish Dragon Boat Team’s 25th season! We’re going to celebrate this milestone by sharing memories from our past. Read on to learn about the team’s greatest triumphs and challenges—as told by the people that were there. Buckle up! This is the story of DieselFish.

Remember our old buddy, Rene? Everybody loved Rene—so funny, kind, and strong. He also served as the leadership team’s technical advisor.

DF: When did you paddle with DieselFish?
RENE: Started at a New Paddler Day in May 2012
 
DF: Why did you join DieselFish?
RENE: It was a great workout and interesting as it’s been practiced for hundreds or even thousands of years. And a fun crew!!!
 
DF: Tell us your favorite DieselFish story:
RENE: Long Beach was cool, it was my most Southern California visit ever!
 
DF: How did DieselFish change your life?
RENE: It was a great and healthy way to start a Saturday
 
DF: Thanks for sharing your memories, Rene! We miss seeing you at practice.
 
→ Start your own legend by trying a FREE dragon boat lesson. Email Alex at DFcaptains@gmail.com to get started.
 
- Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness 🐲
 
Copyright 2023 DieselFish Dragon Boat Team. All rights reserved.
 
#dflegends #dieselfish #paddle #canoe #dragonboat #fitness #sanfrancisco #visitrwc #redwoodcity #siliconvalley #sanjose

DIESELFISH LEGENDS: JOYCE | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team | Serving San Jose, Peninsula, San Francisco

This is DieselFish Dragon Boat Team’s 25th season! We’re going to celebrate this milestone by sharing memories from our past. Read on to learn about Joyce, our former team manager. Joyce brought a wonderful combination of brains, brawn, and warmth to our lives.

Joyce in 2023

DF: When did you paddle with DieselFish?
Joyce: 2008–2012

Joyce in 2011

DF: Why did you join DieselFish?

Joyce: Prior to paddling, I tried many team sports in the Bay Area and found them too intense. Who knew recreational five-a-side soccer means minimum collegiate athlete level?

I showed up to my first DF practice with Aussie friend/long time paddler Briony, who was recommended to the club by her neighbor Boston Jenny. Briony was not able to commit to practices, but I stuck with it and was Jenny’s carpool buddy for years along with Corinna.

DF: Tell us your favorite DieselFish story:
Joyce: Cake off...

Corinna and I often stayed at Jenny’s before local races. On one of these occasions, we decided a 9pm Safeway run for ingredients was in order. The result was the first race-day cake during my era...homemade, crudely decorated sheet cakes for us and our foster team (possibly LARD).

The standard of cake just got more and more elaborate with each race, to a point where there was a three-foot 3D dragon in 2011. If I remember correctly, we called off the cake tradition after this epic design because all of us have day jobs and there is plenty to get done without worrying about your Showstopper Creation.

The infamous showstopper cake

DF: How did DieselFish change your life?

Joyce: Weekend trips for one family is easy peasy when you’ve figured out how to plan away races with 40+ friends #teammanagerlife

DF: Thanks for sharing your memories, Joyce!

→ Start your own legend by trying a FREE dragon boat lesson. Email Alex at DFcaptains@gmail.com to get started.

- Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness 🐲

Copyright 2023 DieselFish Dragon Boat Team. All rights reserved.

#dflegends #dieselfish #paddle #canoe #dragonboat #fitness #sanfrancisco #visitrwc #redwoodcity #siliconvalley #sanjose

DIESELFISH LEGENDS: MIKA | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team | Serving San Jose, Peninsula, San Francisco

This is DieselFish Dragon Boat Team’s 25th season! We’re going to celebrate this milestone by sharing memories from our past. Read on to learn about the team’s greatest triumphs and challenges—as told by the people that were there. Buckle up! This is the story of DieselFish.

Here’s a conversation I had with Mika. For many years, Mika was a fixture at our practices and social events. She also stroked for our competitive race crew on many occasions.

DF: When did you paddle with DieselFish?

Mika: 2010–2014

DF: Why did you join DieselFish?

Mika: I had had an interest in paddling for a very long time, also wanted to meet people and loved that it was a social event, a physical workout, and a mental meditation all in one!

DF: Tell us your favorite DieselFish story:

Mika: Winning a medal at the Long Beach festival was a career highlight. The championship race was intense. We gave it everything we had and won.

DF: How did DieselFish change your life?

Mika: While paddling with DieselFish I made reason, season, and life-time friends! I was also in the best shape of my life thanks to DieselFish (and fortunately that level of fitness carried me through for several years beyond!).

DF: Thanks for sharing your memories, Mika. We miss you!

→ Start your own legend by trying a FREE dragon boat lesson. Email Alex at DFcaptains@gmail.com to get started.

- Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness 🐲

Copyright 2023 DieselFish Dragon Boat Team. All rights reserved.

#dflegends #dieselfish #paddle #canoe #dragonboat #fitness #sanfrancisco #visitrwc #redwoodcity #siliconvalley #sanjose

DIESELFISH LEGENDS: FRANK | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team | Serving San Jose, Peninsula, San Francisco

This is DieselFish Dragon Boat Team’s 25th season! We’re going to celebrate this milestone by sharing memories from our past. Read on to learn about the team’s greatest triumphs and challenges—as told by the people that were there. Buckle up! This is the story of DieselFish.

Here’s with a conversation I had with Frank. Frank was one of the founders of DieselFish Youth (DFY), DieselFish’s high school division. When he wasn’t managing and nurturing the DFY kids, Frank paddled with the DieselFish adults.

DF: When did you paddle with DieselFish?
Frank: My first association with DieselFish was in 2009 when we approached the team with the crazy idea of forming a high school dragon boat team to represent youth paddlers residing in the Peninsula and South Bay.
 
DF: Why did you join DieselFish?
Frank: We were looking for experience and willing coaches and a team to call home. DieselFish was the adult team willing to sponsor and support a youth program. Of which we were very appreciative.
 
DF: Tell us your favorite DieselFish story:
Frank: There is no one story to be told but of a life experience. Without dragon boating, we would have never met a finer group of people and developed lifelong friendships, on and off the water.
 
DF: How did DieselFish change your life?
Frank: For me it isn't how DieselFish changed my life but how DieselFish changed the lives of youth paddlers. I had the pleasure of watching the youth paddlers mature and become adults themselves. My greatest pleasure was providing a platform for creating memories and experiences for young paddlers.
 
DF: Thanks for sharing your memories, Frank. But more importantly, thank you for helping create DFY! DFY provided its members with character-building experiences that they’ll never forget.
 
→ Start your own legend by trying a FREE dragon boat lesson. Email Alex at DFcaptains@gmail.com to get started.
 
- Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness 🐲
 
Copyright 2023 DieselFish Dragon Boat Team. All rights reserved.
 
#dflegends #dieselfish #paddle #canoe #dragonboat #fitness #sanfrancisco #visitrwc #redwoodcity #siliconvalley #sanjose

DIESELFISH LEGENDS: CHRISTIE | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team | Serving San Jose, Peninsula, San Francisco

This is DieselFish Dragon Boat Team’s 25th season! We’re going to celebrate this milestone by sharing stories from our past. Read on to learn about the team’s greatest triumphs and challenges—as told by the people that were there. Buckle up! This is the story of DieselFish.

Here’s a conversation I had with Christie. Christie was a crucial member of the team for many years. She stroked our lead boat and served as our manager.

DF: When did you paddle with DieselFish?

Christie: I paddled from March 2010 until November 2012.

DF: Why did you join DieselFish?

Christie: I joined DieselFish because I had always wanted to try dragon boating. I had a friend who was a mutual friend of Coach Birk’s, who suggested I try paddling with DieselFish. I emailed Birk who connected me to Alex, and the rest is history. Sidenote: At the time, I was living in Oakland and no one on DF mentioned that I could join an Oakland team that was closer to my home. I found this out at my first race and was really impressed with how aggressive DF recruited paddlers.

DF: Tell us your favorite DieselFish story:

Christie: For the two years I was in DF, it was a major part of my life. I went to practice 2–3 times a week and met so many new people. I went to meals after practice, and traveled to Long Beach, Boston, and Phoenix for races. I was the Team Manager for a few years and helped to govern DF for a few years. I consider my time with DF a really great time in my life (it was also when I was the fittest) and have kept in touch with many of the friends I made from the team. I also still do an annual camping trip with friends I made with another team through their partnership with DF and Team Moochy (a combined women’s team).

My favorite race for DF was one that I did at Lake Merced. I had been paddling with the team for a few years, and one of our coaches, Colin, had been telling us that we would know when we had the perfect race and the perfect boat. This particular race was the last heat of the day, and it was the perfect race. I still remember the feeling of the race where the entire boat was in synch, and the feeling of the boat surging through the water. Birk was steering from the back and calling so I think Colin may have been stroking at the front. What I still remember was in the last 1/3 of the race when you could feel the boat was surging and in the timing of the boat was perfectly synched and remember hearing Colin saying “I see open water! I see open water!” I still think about how Colin was right that you know when you are in the perfect race, because it just feels amazing. I’m grateful I got to experience a “perfect race” once in my life.

DF: How did DieselFish change your life?

Christie: I met my husband while paddling in DieselFish! Birk was the head coach when I was the Team Manager. We’ve been married 10 years and have 2 kids. I also have lifelong friends from DF and am so grateful to DF for all the good times and happy memories.

DF: Thanks for sharing your memories, Christie. We miss seeing you and Birk at practice.

→ Start your own legend by trying a FREE dragon boat lesson. Email Alex at DFcaptains@gmail.com to get started.

- Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness 🐲

Copyright 2023 DieselFish Dragon Boat Team. All rights reserved.

#dflegends #dieselfish #paddle #canoe #dragonboat #fitness #sanfrancisco #visitrwc #redwoodcity #siliconvalley #sanjose

DIESELFISH LEGENDS: TAMARA | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team | Serving San Jose, Peninsula, San Francisco

This is DieselFish Dragon Boat Team’s 25th season! We’re going to celebrate this milestone by sharing stories from our past. Read on to learn about the team’s greatest triumphs and challenges—as told by the people that were there. Buckle up! This is the story of DieselFish.

Here’s Q+A session with Tamara. For many years, Tamara provided big power and positive energy to our practices.

DF: When did you paddle with DieselFish?
Tamara: 2006–2010
 
DF: Why did you join DieselFish?
Tamara: I was looking for an activity and new friends after moving back to California.
 
DF: Tell us your favorite DieselFish story:
Tamara: The 2007 Women's Race at Treasure Island stands out. We technically won in speed, but a false start killed us. We made up for it with speed and heart.
 
DF: How did DieselFish change your life?
Tamara: I met some of my greatest life-long friends when I was on the team.
 
DF: Thanks for sharing your memories, Tamara. We miss seeing at practice.
 
→ Start your own legend by trying a FREE dragon boat lesson. Email Alex at DFcaptains@gmail.com to get started.

- Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness 🐲
 
Copyright 2023 DieselFish Dragon Boat Team. All rights reserved.
 
#dflegends #dieselfish #paddle #canoe #dragonboat #fitness #sanfrancisco #visitrwc #redwoodcity #siliconvalley #sanjose  
 

DIESELFISH LEGENDS: FAITH | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team | Serving San Jose, Peninsula, San Francisco

This is DieselFish Dragon Boat Team’s 25th season! We’re going to celebrate this milestone by sharing stories from our past. Read on to learn about the team’s greatest triumphs and challenges—as told by the people that were there. Buckle up! This is the story of DieselFish.

Here’s an interview with Faith, our former teammate and captain. Faith came to us looking for friends and fun. She found all that and more.

DF: When did you paddle with DieselFish?
Faith: 2010–2014
 
DF: Why did you join DieselFish?
Faith: To find a social outlet after moving to the Bay Area.
 
DF: Tell us your favorite DieselFish story:
Faith: Pranking a teammate by decorating his car as Pikachu (see photo).

 
DF: How did DieselFish change your life?
Faith: It's how I met my husband Aric :)
 
DF: Thanks for sharing your memories, Faith. We miss seeing you at practice.
 
→ Start your own legend by trying a FREE dragon boat lesson. Email Alex at DFcaptains@gmail.com to get started.
 
- Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness 🐲
 
Copyright 2023 DieselFish Dragon Boat Team. All rights reserved.
 
#dflegends #dieselfish #paddle #canoe #dragonboat #fitness #sanfrancisco #visitrwc #redwoodcity #siliconvalley #sanjose
 

DIESELFISH LEGENDS: KEN | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team | Serving San Jose, Peninsula, San Francisco

This is DieselFish Dragon Boat Team’s 25th season! We’re going to celebrate this milestone by sharing stories from our past. Read on to learn about the team’s greatest triumphs and challenges—as told by the people that were there. Buckle up! This is the story of DieselFish.

We’ll begin this series with a conversation I had with Ken, the team’s founder. Under Ken’s watchful eye, DieselFish won numerous races over the years. He later stayed active in the scene by becoming an advisor to the California Dragon Boat Association.

DF: When did you paddle with DieselFish?
Ken: 1998–2008
 
DF: Why did you create DieselFish?
Ken: The true founders that created the team were Bob Leung and Wendy Hanrahan. I joined them that first year to form a brand-new team from a group of people that didn’t know each other before meeting to try dragon boating for the first time. Joining an existing team would have been too easy.
 
DF: Tell us your favorite DieselFish story:
Ken: There are too many! Getting hit right off the start at the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival, the Alcan Van Wars, all-you-can-eat sushi, making the top finals at the Northern California International Dragon Boat Festival, traveling to Victoria after our flights were cancelled, coming out the number one team at the Jack London Race in Oakland, the birth of DieselMeat as we chased the Philippines national team and beating BAD men all in one heat. I can’t pick a favorite, memories with such a great group of people are all equally valuable.
 
DF: How did DieselFish change your life?
Ken: I’ve never asked people to give so much and seen people overdeliver time after time. The dedication to the team and the California Dragon Boat Association blew my mind.
 
DF: Thanks for sharing your memories, Ken. But more importantly, thank you for helping create DieselFish! As we’ll see in future installments of this series, the team has touched and changed the lives of many people.
 

→ Start your own legend by trying a FREE dragon boat lesson. Email Alex now at DFcaptains@gmail.com to get started.

 
- Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness 🐲
 
Copyright 2023 DieselFish Dragon Boat Team. All rights reserved.
 
#dflegends #dieselfish #paddle #canoe #dragonboat #fitness #sanfrancisco #visitrwc #redwoodcity #siliconvalley #sanjose