First DieselFish Dragon Boat Race - Rene and Charles

DF: Hi! This is Rene and this is Charles. These guys just did their first race with DieselFish! How do you feel?

R: I feel good! I feel tired, but happy.

DF: Excellent! So when did you guys first join DieselFish?

R: About a month ago.

C: About a month-and-a-half.

DF: Why did you join DieselFish?

R: To get into shape, and get in a team again. It’s easier to keep it up and step up to the plate.

C: Similar. I was [wanting to] work out. Something outdoors. Without being stuck in a gym.

DF: What are you excited about this season? What do you want to do?

C: Beat these guys!

R: I’m with that!

DF: Thanks, guys! Have an awesome season! 

 -Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness

 

Hello Internet friends! Doesn’t dragon boat racing with DieselFish sound like fun? Go to http://dieselfish.org/ now to sign up for a free practice session!

First DieselFish Dragon Boat Race - Ellen

You never forget your first dragon boat race with DieselFish! Ellen rocked her first race back in May. Here’s what she had to say about it!

- The Minister of Newbie Happiness

DF: This is Ellen Reichert. She just joined DieselFish. She just finished her first race with the team. So how do you feel after your first race, Ellen?

ER: I feel exhilarated. I’m tired, but a really good kind of tired.

DF: What did you like most about your first race?

ER: I really liked the feeling of crossing the line for the first time. We’ve done it at practice, but it wasn’t the same. So it felt real good.

DF: Do you like practices?

ER: I do! I love practices! They’re the best! That’s what ends my day.

DF: Perfect! When did you join the team?

ER: About four months ago in January.

DF: And what do you like most about the team?

ER: I like the social aspect the most. It’s because when I moved here, I didn’t know anybody, and now I’ve met 40-plus great people that love to hang out and do fun things.

DF: What do you want to do this season?

ER: What do I want to do this season? I want to have a perfect race.

DF: There we go!

ER: A personal perfect race.

DF: You’re having a good start, Ellen!

ER: Awesome!

DF: Congratulations! DieselFish!

-Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness

Hello Internet friends! Doesn’t dragon boat racing with DieselFish sound like fun? Go to http://dieselfish.org/ now to sign up for a free practice session!

Congrats DieselFish! May Race Gold!

The California Dragon Boat Association’s May Race is a big deal for the Bay Area’s dragon boat scene. It’s the first race of the season for many teams, so the day is packed with opportunities. For the veteran paddlers, the May Race is a chance to shake off the cobwebs that may have accumulated during the off season. For the beginners, it’s a chance to get their feet wet in their first dragon boat race. For the coaches, it’s a chance to scope out the competition. This season’s May Race was packed with exciting developments for DieselFish. Our veteran Blue Boat paddled long and strong, and powered their way to gold medal. Our beginner Green Boat paddlers welcomed four new paddlers and continued their upward trajectory through the ranks. These are the kinds of performances that trouble the competition!
RACE HIGHLIGHTS
Here’s DieselFish Blue’s championship race. Notice how much wake the team generated near the front of the boat!
Here’s DieselFish Green’s preliminary race. Great timing, newbies!
This season’s May Race was an exciting taste of things to come! FREMONT SPRINTS, HERE WE COME!
-The Minister of Newbie Happiness

Hello Internet friends! Doesn’t dragon boat racing with DieselFish sound like fun? Go to http://dieselfish.org/ now to sign up for a free practice session!

May New Member Alert

from: The Minister of Newbie Happiness

to: DieselFish Dragon Boat Team

subject: [DieselFish Blog] New Member Update!

[GONG! I’m going to sell the New Member Gong to take advantage of the recent uptick in industrial metal commodity prices!]

Hi Fishies:

DieselFish’s recruitment boom continues unabated! I’m pleased to report an additional five new members have joined our ranks.

*Julie Ballard is the only newbie that Coach Tiffany ever told me to work on. Probably because Julie has a lot of grit hiding underneath her pleasant demeanor. She just completed her first time trial, and managed to pull a boat through the water all by herself despite her newness to our sport.

*When Emma Choi isn’t burning the midnight oil watching Korean dramas (안녕하세요!), she’s paddling hard at BIAC. Even when it’s raining hard! Emma was referred to us by our friend Adrian, but she coincidentally went to school with our very own Christine Lee.

*Dennis Cheung decided to give paddling a try after witnessing the power and grace of our sport at last year’s Treasure Island festival. Unlike most jaded New Yorkers, Dennis is capable of showing enthusiasm, and made it a point to attend every single practice he could. From now on, to avoid confusing him with Coach Dennis Chen, we shall refer to Mr. Cheung as “New York Dennis.”

*Ellen Reichert is recent transplant from Minnesota. She moved to the Bay Area for a job, and decided to try paddling with DieselFish to meet new people and stay physically active. Did you know there’s dragon boat racing in Iowa? Ellen competed in the Dubuque Dragon Boat Festival a couple of years ago with colleagues from a Girl Scout camp.

*David Liu, like myself, is a fellow son of San Mateo. This seasoned veteran paddled for four years with Boston’s Living Root team while studying at M.I.T. He came out for a practice session with us a few years ago, but couldn’t join because he was still in school at the time. This reunion truly proves the adage that nothing good gets away.

Please welcome these new members to the DieselFish family!

-The Minister of Newbie Happiness

Hello Internet friends! Doesn’t dragon boat racing with DieselFish sound like fun? Go to http://dieselfish.org/ now to sign up for a free practice session!