The 5th Annual California International Dragon Boat Festival, organized by the E-Dragons of the Pacific Dragon Boat Association, was held on August 11 and 12, 2001, at Jack London Square in Oakland, California.

There were 40 teams with several different race categories depending upon previous race results. The Wasabi and Kai Ikaika from Oregon, Destiny Dragons from Washington, and Guangdong Nan-Hai Dragons, who ended their three-month tour, from Kuang Tung Province, People’s Republic of China, are just a few of the teams who participated. Youth teams and Oakland City teams were also present.

This was the first time that 4A SFBAC named the AT&T Dragons participated in this event and it turned out to be a very successful weekend. On day one, the AT&T Dragons beat out the East Bay MUD team to advance to the quarterfinals. In the afternoon heat, AT&T Dragons won against two experienced Oakland teams, the City of Berkley team, and the Taz team. With AT&T Dragons' determination, they advanced to the semifinals.

Returning on day two, the semifinal race pitted AT&T Dragons against two California Dragon Boat Association (CDBA) rivals -- the Absolute Dragons and Cal Juice from University of California Berkeley. Winning that heat put the AT&T Dragons in the finals against two other CDBA teams -- the Bay Area Dragons 4 and Dieselfish 2. The race was tough as the other teams were fierce and highly competitive. AT&T Dragons was strong and fast but not fast enough to beat the Bay Area Dragons 4. The AT&T Dragons finished second and took home the second place trophy in the Recreation A category.

The Kai Ikaika, Bay Area Dragons, and Wasabi teams had great winning results for this year’s Pacific Dragon Boat Association’s 2001 Regional Championship. The three teams will compete next month in Rome, Italy.

Next year, there will be more than 1,000 paddlers from all over the United States who will participate at the U. S. National Championship, which will be held on August 8 - 9, 2002, at Lake Merritt. The 6th Annual California International Dragon Boat Festival is scheduled for August 10 - 11, 2002, at Jack London Square. Both races will be held in Oakland.

In the meantime, the AT&T Dragons will participate at the CDBA’s International Dragon Boat Race on September 29 & 30, 2001, at Lake Merced in San Francisco. The AT&T Dragons are prepared to have better results compared to the Oakland race.

— Elaine Yee