Summer Program

This page was last updated on May 21, 2009

 

On this page you'll find information about:

 

 

 

Pickering Dragon Boat Club

Pickering Dragon Boat Club is home of:

 

Vision

Our vision is that:

 

Mission

The PDBC will provide opportunities and encourage participation at all levels of competitive and recreational dragon boating in the Durham Region and surrounding area.

 

 

Summer Program Overview

The Pickering Dragon Boat Club (pdbc) summer program is designed to provide a physical and mentally fulfilling activity for paddling enthusiasts of all ages.

Using dragon boat racing as the vehicle, the program has been designed to help participants improve health and wellness, meet new people and maximize knowledge and performance as a paddler.

The pdbc operates out of the Frenchman’s Bay Marina located at the south end of Liverpool rd, north of Pickering’s Millennium Square and boardwalk. This location is easily accessible by vehicle and is approximately a 2km walk from the Pickering GO station. (Please see map section below.)

The club gladly accepts members of all ages (12+) and provides an instructional atmosphere designed to optimize personal performance, team success and club spirit.

Membership features in 2009 include:


Philosophy

Club - to combine or join together, for a common purpose.

With this in mind, it is our mandate to bring members of all ages together to create shared experiences.

We accomplish this by having all club members participate in practices at the same time. By utilizing 8 dragon boats we can accommodate 200+ members during weekly practices. We believe this philosophy of ‘joining together’ differentiates us from other ‘crew’ based organizations in the dragon boat community and will result in efficiencies of working towards a ‘common purpose’.

 

Governance

The sport of dragon boat racing is governed by the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) which is represented nationally by Dragon Boat Canada (DBC). All members of the PDBC summer program will become registered members of Dragon Boat Canada and as a result contribute towards the local, national and international development of the sport of dragon boat racing.

In accordance with IDBF regulations member age categories are as follows:

IDBF Age Divisions
Division

Age

 Born
Junior 12 - 17 on or after Jan. 1, 1993
Under 23 18 - 22 on or between Jan. 1, 1988 to Dec. 31, 1992
Premier any age n/a
Master 40 + before June 1, 1970
Grandmaster 50 + before June 1, 1960

This guideline is used at the PDBC to arrange athletes into the appropriate crew for practice and racing purposes.

 

 

Location

The pdbc operates out of the Frenchman’s Bay Marina located at the south end of Liverpool Road in Pickering, just metres north of Millennium Square and the Waterfront Trail Boardwalk. Our practice location is easily accessible by vehicle and is approximately a 2km walk from the Pickering GO station.

 

Map

The following Google map shows the Pickering Dragon Boat's location. Several placeholders (blue) show key locations such as our Docks, Parking, Millennium Square, and Progress Park. Click on a placeholder for more information on a particular location and use the Google Map engine to search for directions. To view a full page map on Google.com click here (or on the "View Larger Map" link below the map).


View Larger Map

 

 

Membership Information

Membership into the PDBC summer program is from April 19th – September 13th. Registered athletes will receive practice, competition and social opportunities within the club. We gladly accept members of all ages and athletic intentions.

The following is a list of what is and is not included in your membership:

 

Membership Includes:

 

Membership Does Not Include:

 

 

Membership Benefits:

The following is a detailed description of the benefits accorded to each member of the PDBC:

 

High Quality Coaching Services

The pdbc has assembled a quality coaching ‘team’ designed to meet the individual needs of each athlete and the collective goals of their assigned crew.

The coaching staff has a collective goal to promote ‘club spirit’ and overall sport development. This year’s coaching staff features the entire Junior & U23 Canadian National Team Coaching Staff.

Together the coaching staff has an accumulation of over 60 years of paddling experience. The average age of this year’s coaching staff is 28.5.

Scott Murray
Head Coach, Junior Coach (Team Canada), Grandmaster Coach

Scott founded the Pickering Dragon Boat Club in 2002. His many coaching experiences have allowed him to coach high school, corporate, community and sport based crews during the past 12 years. Scott has coached at 3 World Championship events including 2006 in Toronto.

 

Jonathon Hollins
Head Coach U23 (Team Canada), Junior Coach Team Canada

Jonathon has been one of Canada’s elite paddlers for the past 15 years. Competing at an international level in flatwater canoeing, outrigger canoeing and dragon boat racing, Jonathon has competed in countless high level competitions including Pan Am Games, World Championships and the illustrious Molokai in Hawaii. He is the founder of Fairport Aquatic Club and has a passion for junior dragon boat racing.

 

Kimiko Oikawa
Junior Coach (Team Canada)

Kimiko has competed at an elite level in both gymnastics and canoeing. She has been dedicated to coaching junior dragon boat athletes for the past 10 years. Kimiko has coached at 4 World Championship events including 2007 in Australia.

 

Anina Sakaguchi
Junior Coach (Team Canada)

Anina began her paddling career as a paddler at Sir Oliver Mowat Collegiate. She has since developed a passion for coaching and now is a member of the coaching staff for Sir Oliver Mowat, WRCC Grandmasters and Team Canada Juniors. Anina coached at the 2007 World Championships in Australia.

 

Dan Evelyn
Head Coach Under-23 Program

Dan is a Canadian champion in the sport of War Canoe racing. Dan has used a passionate and enthusiastic leadership style in guiding various crews during the past 10 years. Dan has coached at 3 World Championship events including 2007 in Australia.

 

Chris Todd
Junior Coach (Team Canada)

One of two remaining original members of the Pickering Dragon Boat Club, Chris has coached the Breast Cancer Survivor crew PDBC Pink Sensations since 2003. Chris has competed in 2 Club Crew World Championships as an athlete and brings a kinesiology degree and background in professional athlete training to the club.

 

Andrew ‘Muff’ Milner
Head Coach Masters Program

Affectionately known as ‘Muff’, Andrew brings a wealth of paddling experience and intricate knowledge of the technical execution of the dragon boat stroke to his role. He has almost 20 years of paddling experience. Muff competed as a member of the PDBC at the 2006 World Championships in Toronto.

 

Ryan Brown
Co-Head Coach Grandmaster Program

Ryan has competed at an elite level in the sports of wrestling, rugby and dragon boat racing. Ryan has guided the PDBC grandmaster program to back-to-back National Championship victories and 9 medals at the 2008 Club Crew World Championships in Penang. Ryan has competed at the 2006 World Championships in Toronto.

 

Michael O’Reilly
Premier Coach

Michael has been a critical member of the PDBC coaching and operations team since joining the club as an athlete in 2006. Michael brings an athletic background in volleyball and basketball to the sport of paddling. Michael competed in the 2006 Club Crew World Championships in Toronto.

 

Use of PDBC Equipment

Boats

The pdbc employs a fleet of 8 of the highest-quality dragon boats on Frenchman’s Bay. This fleet includes 4 BUK brand dragon boats. BUK is recognized as the international industry leader in dragon boat design.

The pdbc employs 1 War Canoe available for athletes wishing to expand their knowledge and broaden their range of paddling experience. A War Canoe accommodates only 14 athletes in a high kneel position. This position incorporates increased lower body stroke involvement and reduced boat stability.

 

Paddles

The PDBC provides its members with ‘club’ paddles for practice and competition usage.

 

PFD’s

The PDBC provides its members with ‘club’ pfd’s for practice and competition usage.

It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that athletes purchase personal paddles and pfd’s. For more information please contact us at pdbc@pdbc.ca

 

Facilities

New in 2009, PDBC athletes will receive access to The Lake House change room facilities. These facilities feature change stalls, full shower and sink facilities.

Frenchman’s Bay Marina reserves the right to prohibit usage if facilities are abused.

 

 

Practice Schedule

This season our crews will practice in two adjacent time slots, each Monday and Wednesday evening.

For the following crews:

Practices are:

 

For the following crews:

Practices are:

 

 

Competitions

Please note that individual entry fees for Canadian Championships are not included in membership fees.

 

 

End-of-Season Banquet & Celebration

Date: August 15, 2009

This event is designed to allow club athletes, coaches, administrators and friends to reminisce about the trials and tribulations of the 2009 season. This event also allows award recognition for outstanding achievements within the club throughout the year.

The organizing committee for this event in 2009 will be the 2008 World Champion ‘Heat’ Grandmasters

 


Practice Jersey

Each pdbc member will be fitted for a practice jersey at the ‘Season Kick-Off’ Meeting on Monday April 19th and receive a PDBC crested practice jersey that is designed to be worn during team practices. Practice jerseys will not be available until June.

 

 

Racing Jersey

No racing jerseys will be sold in 2009 as PDBC plans to unveil ‘new’ racing jerseys to begin the 2010 racing season.

 

 

Membership Prices

Early Payment Discount (5% off): Any individual who pays their membership fee in full by Sunday April 19th, 2009 will receive 5% off of their membership fee.

Here are the summer membership prices for 2009:

2009 Membership Prices
Crew

On or Before April 19th

 After April 19th
Junior $325 $340
Under 23 $325 $340
Premier $420 $440
Master $420 $440
Grandmaster $420 $440

 

 

Spring Training Camp

All members of the Pickering Dragon Boat Club are required to participate in the 2009 Spring Training Camp. The event is designed to assess strength, fitness, and paddling proficiency of each member as well as stabilize crew lists for the 2009 racing season.

 

Date

Sat + Sun May 23 & 24, 2009

 

Location

PDBC Spring Training Camp 2009 will be conducted at 2 main paddling centres; Pickering and Belleville. All athletes 39 and under will train out of the Pickering location and all athletes 40+ will train out of the Belleville location.

Spring Training Camp Location
Crew

Age

 Location
Junior 12 - 17 Pickering
Under 23 18 - 22 Pickering
Premier any age Pickering
Master 40 + Belleville
Grandmaster 50 + Belleville


Features

 

Cost

$47 per athlete

All fees payable: Pickering Dragon Boat Club

 

Accommodations

For all Athletes who will be attending the PDBC Spring Training Camp in Belleville; PDBC has organized a block of rooms on May 22 & 23 at the following hotel.

Athletes must call and secure their room via credit card by April 22nd, 2009.

 

 

Canadian National Championships

Dragon Boat Canada will be hosting the 2009 Canadian Club Crew Championships in Montreal in August. This year’s event also acts as a qualifying event for crews wishing to represent Canada at the 2010 Club Crew World Championships in Macau, China next summer. The top 5 finishers in each racing class automatically receive a berth into the 2010 CCWC’s.

The PDBC has established a goal of qualifying for the 2010 CCWC’s in as many racing classes as possible.

The event will take place over a 2-day period and will include race distances of 200m, 500m and 2000m.

 

Date & Location

August 22 + 23, 2009 – Montreal, Quebec

 

Athletes Competing:

The following chart identifies which PDBC athletes will be competing at the National Championships in Montreal and which athletes will not:

Participation in National Championships
Crew

Notes

 National Champs.
Junior Participating in Prague NOT Racing
Junior Not Participating in Prague NOT Racing
Under 23 Participating in Prague NOT Racing
Under 23 Not Participating in Prague RACING
Premier any age TBD
Development 1st Year Paddlers NOT Racing
Master 40 + RACING
Grandmaster 50 + RACING

 

Cost

2009 National Championship Costs
Crew

Notes

 Cost
Under 23 Racing in Mixed division only $60
Master Racing in Mixed division only $60
Grandmaster Racing in Mixed and Mens/Womens divisions $85

All fees payable to Pickering Dragon Boat Club. Please note that all Canadian Championships fees will be paid directly to Dragon Boat Canada to cover race fees – no administration fee will be levied by PDBC.

 

Accommodations

PDBC has organized a block of rooms at the following hotel for all athletes attending the 2009 Canadian Championships in Montreal, Quebec.

Athletes must call and secure their room via credit card by July 15th.

 

 

Payment Method

The Pickering Dragon Boat Club only accepts payment by cheque for its club programs. If you require an alternate payment method due to special circumstances please email us at pdbc@pdbc.ca.

We strongly prefer to receive your cheque by mail (as opposed to receiving payment in person at practices). Please mail all payments to:

Pickering Dragon Boat Club
ATTN: Summer Program
1383 Fordon Avenue
Pickering, ON, L1W 1K1

Note: this address will be emailed to you for your convenience upon submitting online registration (below).

 

 

Registration

To register for the pdbc's Summer Program please fill out and submit the online registration form.

pdbc Summer Program Registration

(e.g. L3W 4K7 )
( YYYY/MM/DD )

Gender:

Paddling Side:

How did you hear about the pdbc Summer Program?

Registration Option:

Please choose a registration option. Registration prices listed are are "Early Bird" discounted by 5%. After Sunday April 19th prices will be raised by 5% to regular registration values.





Grandmaster Registration (ages 50+) - $420

Spring Training Camp:

Participation of Spring Training Camp is expected of all paddlers. For more information please read the Spring Training Camp section above.

Will you be participating in Spring Training Camp?

Canadian National Championships:

Only select groups will be participating in the Canadian National Championships in Montreal, Quebec. For more information please read the Canadian National Championships section above.

Will you be participating in the Canadian National Championships?

Submit

When you've finished completing this online registration form please click the "Register" button below. You will be taken to a confirmation page, and will be sent an email (at the address you've submitted) with verification of your registration options. If there are any problems with the information you've submitted (incorrect format, missing info, etc.) you will be taken to an error page, at which point you should use your browser's back button to return and fix the mistaken entries.

 

 

FAQ

Q. I'm new to dragon boat paddling, what should I wear to practice and what should I bring with me?

A. Proper attire for dragon boat paddling depends largely upon the time of year, mainly the air temperature, water temperature, and wind conditions of any particular day. In general, it's best to dress in layers of quick-drying material. After attending one or two practices you will quickly learn about appropriate attire from your crewmates (ask around and you'll get plenty of advice). We recommend attending one or two practices before you purchase dragon-boat-specific attire for this reason.

In cold conditions, especially April and May, it is highly recommended that paddlers wear an outermost layer of waterproof/water-resistant and windproof material. This is usually in the form of a jacket and pants. Wearing a hat or toques is also recommended.

In warm conditions such as June, July and August, paddlers will often wear shorts and a t-shirt, though it is wise to always be prepared with an extra layer of clothing since air temperature is usually 5-10 degrees cooler by Lake Ontario.

It is also recommended that paddlers always have fresh drinking water on hand. A sturdy, re-useable water container such as a Nalgene bottle is a great, cost efficient solution.

Other than clothing and water, the pdbc provides everything else you'll need to participate. It should be noted that you will get wet at practice, so it is wise to pack a towel and/or a change of clothing.

Q. I'd like to register for the pdbc's Summer Program, but it's well past the program's first week. How late is too late?

A. We accept new members throughout the entire duration of our Summer Program. However, your level of involvement will depend on when you join the program, as well as your relative skill level. For example, if you join the week before a regatta we might not be able to let you race with only a week's experience. The best thing to do is to register with our online form and show up at our next scheduled practice. We'll be happy to do everything we can to get you into a dragon boat, paddling, and having fun!

 

 

Contact

If you have any questions regarding the pdbc Summer Program please email us at pdbc@pdbc.ca.

 

 

© 2009 Pickering Dragon Boat Club