Race Schedule 2012
Depending on interest and availability, additional races may be added.
Tempe March 31 & April 1, 2012
Since 2004, the Arizona Dragon Boat Assocation has been hosting this festival at Tempe Town Lake in Tempe, Arizona.
Even though this is one of the smaller festivals that we attend, it is a very fun race venue that has grown significantly each year since LARD started participating in 2005. The warmer weather in Arizona allows for an early start to the racing season and is used as an opportunity for newer paddlers to the team to race with veterans as a warm welcome to the team.
Long Beach Spring Race April 29, 2012
Affectionately nicknamed "Baby Long Beach", this is a one day event for local ICEA/SCDBC teams. It is a fantastic means of providing the new recruits with valuable race experience in a relaxed atmosphere and this race has been on the LARD race schedule since the early 2000s.
Club Crew World Championship / Hong Kong Festival July 4-8, 2012
For the first time in its history, the LA Racing Dragons competing in the 2012 Dragon Boat Club Crew World Championships to be held in Hong Kong the first week of July. The LA Racing Dragons earned this privilege by winning the PDBA West Regional Championships held in San Diego. In addition to fielding a team to compete at the World Championships, the LA Racing Dragons will also field mixed and men's crews that will participate in the Hong Kong festival races to be held the same week as the World Championships.
Long Beach Festival July 28 & 29, 2012
Held at the Long Beach Marine Stadium since its inception in 1997, the Long Beach Dragon Boat Festival has steadily increased in popularity and competitiveness over the years.
LARD has participated in this event since 1998 when LARD was known as the Pomona Valley Chinese Association (PVCA)
Lake Gregory Aug 19, 2012
Founded in 2007, the Lake Gregory Dragon Boat Festival (affectionally called "Camp Gregory" by LARD members) is the creation of the local Parks and Recreation department with equipment donated by the ICEA/SCDBC.
This festival is not run in the typical festival format. While it is a two day festival, Saturday is reserved for all the locals to compete and Sunday is for the "professionals" (the festival designation of teams that have practiced more than a handful of times) to come in to compete. The most challenging aspect of this race is the location's elevation which causes lifevests to swell and heads to lighten with the lack of air pressure.
LARD's first year of participation was in 2009. It is the only venue where we spend more time packing BBQ goodies than our paddling gear.
San Francisco Sept 15 & 16
While it might have been a small festival in 1995 when it first started, the San Francisco Dragonboat Festival has grown to be one of the largest on the West Coast drawing over 100 teams to paddle 500 and 300 meter races.
LARD has participated in this festival since 1998 when LARD was a small team and the races were held in Foster City.
San Diego October 20 & 21
Last year (2010), LARD was happy to participate and assist with the first annual San Diego Dragon Boat Race. If the first year was any indication, this festival has the potential to grow and become another favorite "local" race.