WE HAVE FUN ON DRY LAND, TOO | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team | Serving San Jose, Peninsula, San Francisco

Looking for fun activities in Silicon Valley? DieselFish has got you covered—on AND off the water. Read on to learn more.

DieselFish plays just as hard as it practices. Last Saturday, we organized a full day’s worth of fun events for our members.
 
The day began with a heart-pumping dragon boat workout. We reached, rotated, and pulled our way through the wild waters of Redwood City. The workout energized us. That’s a good thing because our day of fun together had just begun…
 
The team then met up at Red Door in San Mateo for an escape room experience. There, we worked together to solve a series of increasingly difficult puzzles.
 
Later, we gathered at the home of our teammates, Siva and Iris. We spent the rest of the night carousing over food, drinks, and board games.
 
The team had a wonderful time together last Saturday. The day’s events allowed us to connect on a personal level and further strengthen our camaraderie outside of practice sessions. We don’t need a boat to have fun.
 
→ Would you like to join the fun? Email me now at DFcaptains@gmail.com for FREE dragon boat lessons with DieselFish. We’ll offer FREE lessons in Redwood City on 9/2, 9/9, and 9/16.
 

- Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness 🐲
 
Photos: Alex and Poky
 
Copyright 2023 DieselFish Dragon Boat Team. All rights reserved.

CELEBRATING OUR ACHIEVEMENTS, ONE SONG AT A TIME | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team | Serving San Jose, Peninsula, San Francisco

DieselFish capped off a successful season with an epic party. Read on to find out how the team celebrated its winning season.

On December 10th, DieselFish Dragon Boat Team met up at Grand HotPot for its end-of-season party. There, the team enjoyed simmered foods, celebrated its achievements, and damaged its vocal cords and eardrums (more on that later). This event allowed the team members to cut loose and enjoy the gains they worked hard to achieve.

The evening began with a hotpot feast. In between bites of beef and shrimp, the team members chatted about the team’s incredible season. In 2022, DieselFish won gold medals in back-to-back races, doubled the size of the crew, and experienced new adventures. “I still can’t believe it,” gushed team captain Alex Ling. “Most seasons have highs and lows. But this season kept getting better and better. Every week, we got a little bit faster. New members joined all the time. We EARNED tonight’s celebration.”

Then, the lights dimmed. A smoke machine blanketed the room with a hazy mist. A laser projected a frantic light show onto the ceiling. The epic karaoke portion of the night was about to start. We spent the next two hours belting out loud and enthusiastic renditions of our favorite pop songs. At the end of the night, a team member joked that the restaurant’s all-you-can-eat menu should have included throat lozenges and ear plugs.

This raucous celebration lifted our spirits and marked an end to one of the most successful periods in DieselFish’s long history. The team’s recruitment and performance gains during the season enabled the crew to end the season with a winning record. “I’m proud of everyone here,” exclaimed Head Coach Marynka Rojas-Gorgen. “You worked hard, and it showed. I can’t wait to see what we’ll be able to do next season!”

→ DieselFish will return in 2023 for its landmark 25th season. We hope you will join us for more fun, fitness, and friendship on the wild seas of Redwood City. Email me now at DFcaptains@gmail.com to learn how you can join our adventures.

- Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness 🐲 (favorite karaoke song: “I Don’t Want to Wait” by Paula Cole)

Copyright 2022 DieselFish Dragon Boat Team. All rights reserved.

Photos: Alex, Marynka, Poky, Siva

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!