Dragon boat racing a Chinese tradition

Published October 20, 2006

Albert Wong is a first-generation Chinese-American. He was born a Texan, but he still embraces his family heritage. That’s one of the reasons he loves dragon boat racing, a 2,500-year-old Chinese tradition.

Well, that and the fact it’s also a great way to stay in shape.

“It’s a good cardiovascular workout,” the 57-year-old Houston architect said. “It pretty much challenges you to use every part of your body.”

Wong also likes the fact it requires teamwork — 20 paddlers, one drummer and a steersman working in unison to get a 40-foot boat across the water faster than the other teams.

“This has kept me young,” Wong said. “I’ve always been involved in sports — tennis, golf and just a lot of different things. But this is something I do with the family. My wife does it. My stepson does it also. I think we’re the only family unit, per se, in our dragon boat club. Between the three of us, we probably represent the oldest and youngest in the club.”

So an old Chinese tradition, one that originates in the same southern China region in which Wong’s family grew up, has come to be a family tradition, too, in Southeast Texas.

“This past Sunday, we were out there in the rain at Clear Lake,” Wong said. “We all worked out together. It’s something we enjoy doing together. We compete as a team together. We’re a mixed team, so my wife and son, Bernie, are all in the boat with me. It’s a lot of fun. It really is.”

They’ll be competing together with the Houston Heat Dragon Boat Club at the third annual Gulf Coast International Dragon Boat Regatta from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on Pasadena Lake at Clear Lake Park, near the Johnson Space Center on NASA Road 1.

The Houston Heat Dragon Boat Club started up about six months ago, but Wong has been competing for six years. He was one of the original founders of the Texas Dragon Boat Association that started six years ago and put on its first race on Buffalo Bayou in Houston. Wong said the association was the genesis of the Houston Chinese-American Lions Club.

“Culturally, it represents something we like doing — representing part of our culture to the community,” he said.

It has since evolved into a second annual race at Clear Lake Park each October.

“It’s attracted teams from all over the country and internationally,” Wong said. “We have teams from Tampa (Fla.), California and Arizona. It’s a fun event for everyone.”

This year, Wong is coaching a blind team. Dragon boat racing really isn’t a stretch for the blind. Since a sighted steersman keeps the boat on course, the blind paddlers just have to know the fundamentals of the sport and listen — and follow — the proper cadence so they can work together as a team. That sounds easy, but it’s not in the relatively short time they’ve had to prepare for their first race.

After working with the blind paddlers at several poolside practices, Wong let them get out on the water for the first time Saturday at Clear Lake Park.

“We had a great time,” he said. “It was fun.”

However, the challenge for the team has nothing to do with sight, but strength. Wong said some team members are 300 pounds, some less than 100, and he put them through paces less than half of what they’ll have to cover — 500 meters — in one race on race day.

“It will be a challenge physically for them, because they will have to race more than once or twice,” he said.

But Wong hopes they’ll stick with it and fall in love with an old Chinese tradition — just as he did.

“They’re very receptive, and it’s very encouraging to have a group that wants to try it and is very excited about it,” he said.

Joey D. Richards is a staff writer for The Daily News. If you have any recreational sports news, call him at 409-683-5212 or 800-561-3611, Ext. 5212 or send e-mail to joey.richards(at)galvnews.com.