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!

Dragon Boat Power is People Power | Redwood City Dragon Boat

Dragon Boat is the ultimate team sport

"Power now! Whoa!"
- Coach Marynka

Today, we taught a boat filled with newbies how to paddle.

The newbies quickly picked up the technique. Here, you can see Coach Marynka staggering after they unleashed a massive stroke that shook the boat.

I love this picture because it shows how powerful we become when we work together. Dragon boat racing is all about team work. The boats are intentionally heavy. To get a boat moving, the crew must synchronize their strokes. All 20 paddles need to enter and exit the water at the same time.

It’s not easy to achieve this level of synchronization. That’s the beauty of the sport. The crew shares the challenge and learns how to work together.

When the team’s timing is spot on, the boat surges forward and flies through the water. Sometimes, as a bonus, the coach gets to go for a swim.

Email me at dfcaptains@gmail.com today for free dragon boat lessons!

Spam Smorgasbord | Redwood City Dragon Boat

Thomas got hungry after practice

This was Thomas's lunch!

He ate all these Spam musubis in one sitting!

You build up an appetite after pulling a boat.

'Atta boy, Thomas. You earned them.

Email me at dfcaptains@gmail.com for fun foodie adventures and free dragon boat lessons!

Stretch Out, Then Pig Out | Redwood City Dragon Boat

We visited I Dumpling after practice

Today's practice included yoga poses and planks.

Today's menu included Shanghai soup dumplings and potstickers.

Email me at dfcaptains@gmail.com for fun foodie adventures and free dragon boat lessons!

Dragon Boat Jewelry | Redwood City Dragon Boat

Feeling very disappointed and a bit fabulous

I don't know where to begin...

I was looking for a program to watch, so I started scrolling through the TV guide. I nearly jumped off the couch when I saw this listing for dragon boat festival coverage.

I clicked the button, and found myself watching a home shopping channel. The hosts were selling baubles from a company called "Dragon Boat".

I've won medals at festivals, but never pearl pendants!

I didn't buy anything. I've got my own dragon boat #bling:

Email me at dfcaptains@gmail.com to for free dragon boat lessons! No layaway payments needed!

Making New Friends | Redwood City Dragon Boat

We goof around in the boat sometimes

We had lots of fun today with the newbies.

New friends are always welcome!

Email me at dfcaptains@gmail.com to meet new friends and share dragon boat adventures!

Paddlers who Lunch | Redwood City Dragon Boat

DieselFish goes out to lunch…again

“This croissant looks buttery,” said Victor. “Can we get some more napkins?”

After practice on Saturday, the team went to Pamplemousse Patisserie Et Café in downtown Redwood City for lunch. We go to Pamplemousse when we want to reward ourselves after a decent workout. The French-style café offers rich savory dishes including crispy croque monsieur sandwiches and cheesy quiches. Sometimes, we even order their baked goods. (Victor loved his almond croissant.) Just because we paddle like savages doesn’t mean that we have to eat like them.

The team always goes out for meals together after practices. These meals allow us to bond and relax after our exciting workouts. Sometimes, I look forward to the meals as much as the practices.

- Alex, Your Minister of Newbie Happiness

Email me at dfcaptains@gmail.com for fun foodie adventures and free dragon boat lessons!