CELEBRATING WITH KARAOKE | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team | San Jose, Peninsula, San Francisco Bay Area

 

Racing all day at the LA County Dragon Boat Festival left us exhausted and sore. But then, we discovered that we had won a medal. The news sent our spirits soaring. Suddenly, our exhaustion gave way to excitement. We needed to celebrate this achievement, so we decided to hit the town. How would we celebrate? Let’s just say we were ready to make some noise.

We decided to sing our hearts out. The lights dimmed as we entered the room. 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 our trip was about to start. We spent the next two hours belting out loud and enthusiastic renditions of our favorite pop songs. After all that training and racing, singing our favorite songs together felt fantastic. At that moment, there was no other place we wanted to be.

As the night ended, we turned off the sound system and looked at each other. Our shiny medals caught the light and glimmered like disco balls. We’ll never forget this race and the unforgettable night we spent singing, laughing, and celebrating together.

➡ Experience the fellowship, excitement, and joy of dragon boat racing for yourself. Email me now at DFcaptains@gmail.com for FREE lessons in Redwood City.

- Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness 🐲

Copyright 2026 DieselFish Dragon Boat Team. All rights reserved.

DANCING FOR JOY | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team | San Jose, Peninsula, San Francisco Bay Area

 

Last weekend, we traveled to Southern California to compete in the LA County Dragon Boat Festival. Our time at the festival was filled with moments of doubt, flashes of hope, and a massive swell of joy that made us lose control of our bodies.

The competition was going to be tough. So we prepared by running endless drills and hitting the weight room hard. But would this training be enough?

We found out on race day. During our last heat, we took a deep breath together:

INHALE. HOLD IT. EXHALE.

Then the horn blared and we exploded into action.

Time stood still as we paddled our hearts out. Every stroke counted. Every gasp of air was needed. Every boat we passed was a small victory that gave us hope. But were we fast enough to reach the winners’ podium?

We looked around as we crossed the finish line. The race was too close to call. So we waited for the awards ceremony to discover our fate.

When the announcer called our name, our hearts skipped a beat. We were so ecstatic, we kicked up our heels and danced onto the stage. That wonderful moment was a release: the hard work and sacrifice were worth it.

Because at that moment, we became heroes. Our medals felt solid and heavy. But the heft felt good, so we kept dancing.

➡ Experience the intensity, excitement, and joy of dragon boat racing for yourself. Email me now at DFcaptains@gmail.com for FREE lessons with DieselFish in Redwood City.

- Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness 🐲

Copyright 2026 DieselFish Dragon Boat Team. All rights reserved.

LA County Dragon Boat Festival Victory | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team | San Jose, Peninsula, San Francisco Bay Area

DIESELFISH JUST MEDALED AT THE LA COUNTY DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL! 🏅

DIESEL! DIESEL! DIESEL!

→ YOU can feel the thrill of racing and winning a medal, too! Just email me now at DFcaptains@gmail.com for free dragon boat lessons in Redwood City.

- Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness 🐲

📸: Sunny

Copyright 2026 DieselFish Dragon Boat Team. All rights reserved.

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

Redwood City Dragon Boat | Pie and Paddling for Pi Day

Today’s practice was different because of the national holiday. We’re a sports team, but in honor of Pi Day, we introduced empty calories into practice. (This was an irrational but fun move.)

What We Ate

The Pi Day festivities began right after we got off the boat. We celebrated an informative practice with delicious slices of apple pie. Dessert... what a great reward! Don’t worry, we’ll burn off the calories during our next practice.

What We Learned

We started off with a special paddling clinic taught by Coach Sean. Sean was fixture at DieselFish practices for many years as both a paddler and coach. We’re glad he’s back at the front of the boat because he’s an experienced instructor. A number of newcomers showed up today, so we went over the various parts of the basic stroke technique. His constructive feedback and willingness to answer our questions was greatly appreciated. Oh and we should plan more practices that end with pie.

DieselFish has fun off and on the water! Email me at dieselfishcaptain@gmail.com now to join our next adventure!

Dragon Boat Dine About Town: The Lunar New Year Outing

Dim Sum with DieselFish Dragon Boat Team

DieselFish Dragon Boat Team celebrated the Lunar New Year with a delicious dim sum meal at China Village Seafood Restaurant today. We enjoyed traditional dishes including har gow (shrimp dumplings), cha siu bao (BBQ pork buns) and phoenix talons (OK, they’re really chicken feet). We also played games and welcomed new friends. What a fun way to kick off the year of the sheep!

Alfred and Jen generously gave everyone lai see (red envelopes filled with money). Here, Wayne and Ellen show off their new prosperity.

Marynka, Robert, Julie and Victor get into the holiday spirit.

Jen won a prize!

The menu. Can you believe we plowed through 45 plates of dim sum?

(Don’t worry. We’ll work off the food at one of our killer practice sessions. We’ll save a seat for you.)

GUNG HAY FAT CHOY! HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!

DieselFish has fun off and on the water! Email us at dfcaptains@gmail.com now to learn how you can join our next adventure!

Happy Lunar New Year

DieselFish Dragon Boat Team wishes you a happy Lunar New Year filled with fun and fitness!

Dragon Boat Success Stories — Jen and Alfred’s First Race

  

Our married couple found a new challenge they could enjoy together

 

You never forget your first dragon boat race with DieselFish! Jen and Alfred just rocked their first race at Treasure Island in San Francisco. Here’s what they had to say about it!

DF: Welcome to DieselFish! This is Jen and Alfred.

Jen: Hi!

DF: They’re our team’s married couple. They just had their first race with DieselFish at Treasure Island. How do you feel?

Alfred: It was intense!

Jen: Yeah, it was really intense!

Alfred: It was wet, it was all fun

Jen: In the end, everyone gave it their all

DF: Why did you join DieselFish?

Jen: Well, my cousin joined dragon boating and joined the team

Alfred: And I’m married to her

Jen: And we were really happy to find an activity that we were able to do together.

DF: What do you want to do this season? What are your goals?

Jen and Alfred: TIMING!

DF: Well, timing is the most important part of dragon boat racing. Hey thanks for paddling with us! Have a good season!

Jen: All right!

Alfred: Thanks! 

Looking for a fun family activity? Try dragon boat racing with DieselFish. Introductory sessions are free and exciting. Email us at dfcaptains@gmail.com now for details!