Cedar River Gang dominates local dragon boat scene

On a calm Sunday evening, a shriek echoes across Pleasant Creek Lake in Palo.

'Power!'

It's Marcia Sebetka-DeLosReyes, a coach for the Cedar River Gang — the local dragon boat team — shouting the command for a 'power' stroke.

A long, red canoe-like boat zips by, filled with huff-puffing paddlers, their faces tensely focused, shoulders twisting, arms thrusting paddles into the water, pushing forward in perfect harmony.

'Inside shoulder back!' she shouts again, this time signaling team members to pay attention to their form.

Dragon boat racing is a paddle sport that originated in southern China as part of religious ceremonies and folk customs. Today the sport reaches across the globe. During competitions, the long, 20-person boats are adorned with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails, and a drummer sits at the front of the boat, striking the drum to the beat of the stroke.

While the Cedar River Gang has kept some of the traditional, cultural aspects of the sport — like the drummer — it also has changed quite a bit over time, says Dave Hillman, a member of the team for 28 years.

This year is the first team members are trying a new stroke — a 'D stroke.' The 'A stroke' or 'choo choo stroke,' which they have used since the team formed in 1987, frequently caused injury to their shoulders and back.

The old stroke required more effort from the arms, which would come up above the paddlers' heads in a 'very unnatural position' for their shoulders, says Sebetka-DeLosReyes.

'We had a very vertical stroke, which was, 15 years ago, the stroke in vogue at the time,' says Hillman. 'We just kind of held on to that (stroke) because it worked for us, but we decided last year that we're going to start mutating our stroke back to what the U.S. national team is doing.'

The new stroke focuses on using the core instead of the arms to pull the paddle through the water.

'If you pull with your core and keep everything quiet up here,' Sebetka-DeLosReyes explains, gesturing to her shoulders, 'then you're using your large muscles to pull through the water, and none of this (shoulders) is overstrained.'

But for many of the longtime members, like Hillman, changes in technique are a strain.

'As an old fart in the boat, it's kind of hard,' Hillman says with a laugh.

The team has always placed competitively in races — usually between first and fourth place. Now that team members are changing their stroke, though, Hillman worries they may not perform as well.

'We're not going to be at the top of our game, at least until the end of the season,' he says. 'So that will be a little disadvantage.'

It may take some getting used to, especially for those who've paddled for many years, but with enough practice, Sebetka-Delos Reyes expects they'll be back on top in no time.

The team members practices two to three times a week — Wednesday and Sunday evenings, with an occasional Saturday morning — in the summer. It tries to attend at least three to five races throughout the March through September season, depending on team availability.

The team has about 24 active members, with only 10 or so showing up at a typical practice. It is hoping to expand its roster to at least 40 members, which would fill two practices with 20 people per boat.

A typical practice involves running race drills — short bursts of three to four minutes of paddling, sprints similar to the 100-yard dash in track, for example.

The race starts with three short 'pop' strokes, a three-quarter reach stroke that pops the boat briefly up and out of the water.

'You need to come out of the block strong,' Hillman says.

Then they go into their 'power' strokes, which require 100 percent effort to bring the boat into a glide, skimming across the top of the water.

'Midrace, you need to be consistent, in command,' he continues.

They switch to 'twists,' which keep them going 'long and strong,' as they bury their paddles beneath the surface and pull steadily through.

'At the end, you empty the tanks,' Hillman says.

A power finish

'You're just going to give everything you've got, and you're going to put it all into the water,' Sebetka-DeLosReyes says. 'When you get out of that boat, you're not going to have any legs left because you've been pushing so hard and cranking so hard on your legs that the whole side of your body is done.'

It may sound like a lot of work, but for some reason, they keep coming back for more.

'I think the physical demand is probably what draws most people more than anything, because it's a rush,' Hillman says. 'There's no bigger endorphin rush than in the middle of a race ... When you are in the groove and everyone's pounding, it's a feeling like none other.'

Although it helps to be somewhat physically fit, you don't need to be a tried-and-true athlete to participate, Sebetka-DeLosReyes says.

Hillman agrees.

'As long as you're looking for a physical activity, want to stay in shape and are willing to commit to pounding on yourself a little bit, most everyone can do it,' he says. 'We had a 75-year-old in the boat, and they did just fine. In fact, they out-paddled most of us.'

'This sport is for anyone,' Sebetka-DeLosReyes adds. 'It doesn't matter if you're an athlete or not. Just get in an try it, and I can just about guarantee you'll have the time of your life.'