From left, Dragons on the Lake Paddle Club member Trudy Turner and co-Presidents Denny Kolb and Amy Gulzow point out areas of the dragon boats that need repair Thursday, April 28, 2022, behind the old Edelweiss Inn at Wallowa Lake. The club plans a work day to refit the boats for a June launch.

WALLOWA LAKE — After being mothballed since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the dragon boats that regularly appear on Wallowa Lake are getting ready to breathe fire again.

The Dragons on the Lake Paddle Club had a meeting Tuesday, April 26, and is planning a ceremony to “resurrect” the boats in coming weeks, said Trudy Turner, one of the organizers of the club.

She said this time around, the club is to include more than the dragon boats. It is to include kayaks, outriggers and canoes, as well. The boats also will focus more on physical fitness than just racing.

“We wanted a club that was more recreational and not so race-focused,” Turner said.

Work day planned

But to get the new version of the club launched will take some work. The club is planning a work day Saturday, May 7, to get the boats fit to go in the water, Turner said.

“Before we can get them into the water, we have to get them water worthy,” she said.

The boats have been stored behind the old Edelweiss Inn at the base of the Wallowa Lake Tram. Turner said she needs volunteers to help move them to her place in Joseph, where there is a shop and they can sand, refinish, repair and pressure-wash the 41-foot-long crafts.

Each boat has a beam (width) of just over 45 inches and weighs 551 pounds. They have 10 seats for the oarsmen.

“We’ll get them all seaworthy and ready to go,” she said.

Turner said she hopes to have the dragon boats ready to go by International Dragon Boat Day that is June 12. However, if they can’t make that deadline, they’ll just get them ready as soon as possible.

“We will have an ‘awakening ceremony’ and launch right after (they’re ready),” she said. “All that is contingent upon having the boats water-worthy.”

She said that ceremony consists of a special finish to the boats.

“You awaken the dragon by painting its eye so he can see on the water,” she said.

Turner said the plan is to launch the boats at the gated dock near the Wallowa Lake Marina where the club has two slips where the boats tie up.

Racing and fitness, too

The boats generally are crewed by 22 people, who sit in close quarters rowing. Each boat has a helmsman to steer and a caller who sets the pace for the oarsmen. Smaller dragon boats have 12-person crews, Turner said.

The boats lift a bit out of the water during the race, which is a quick, one-minute sprint. She said they race at about 45 mph.

“The boat has to rise out of the water and get to the other end quickly,” she said. “It’s quite a popular sport.”

The racing aspect of dragon boats “burns a lot of calories, like running fast,” Turner said. “We’re hoping to have involvement from physical-fitness trainers to help improve not only our physical bodies, but also our paddling skills.”

But, she said, it’s not all about racing. She said dragon boat crews use not only their arms to row, their legs and hips get a workout, too, as they twist and move to use the oars.

“It has a lot of fitness effects,” she said. “This year we’re more of a recreational team and focusing more on fitness. There are several of us who race. And use it as practice.”

The club

Right now, the Dragons on the Lake Paddle Club only consists of three people — Turner and co-presidents Denny Kolb and Amy Gulzow. They’re hoping to get more members, particularly as it takes about 12 people to move each boat.

Turner said the boats are owned by the Wallowa Lake Tourism Association and in order to use them and pay for their upkeep, the Dragon Boat Club has to form its own 501(c)(3) group. They also have to join the Pacific Dragon Boat Association.

“That’s partly so those members who want to race with other clubs can do so, but mostly because we get a group rate for insurance that specifically covers our sport,” she said.

Other costs are associated, such as slip fees, lifejackets, paddles, a place to store the boats during the offseason and other items.

But the big cost right now is what she estimates will be $1,200 to repair four of the boats.

“We’d also like to plan for upgrading equipment, everything was pretty old when they were first acquired in 2016,” Turner said.

International concept

The dragon boat concept came from China after President Richard Nixon reopened relations with the communist country during a visit in 1972, Turner said. That led to a sister city relationship between Portland and Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in 1988, with one of the benefits being the introduction of dragon boat-racing to the United States. Thus began the annual tradition of the Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Races on the Willamette River each June, hosted by the Portland-Kaohsiung Sister City Association.

The international facet also extends to Venice, Italy, renowned for its canals where the Vogalonga race is held each year with a dragon boat component. She said she’s seen a photograph of a dragon boat from Portland going under the famous Bridge of Sighs in Venice.

“I would love to see a team go from here,” Turner said. “That’s my personal goal.”

Turner just might see that goal come to fruition. She emphasized that anyone of any age can race.

“I’m 75 years old and I can compete,” she said. “I just want to make sure people have the chance to race.”

For more information, contact Turner at 541-432-1121 or dragonsonthelakepaddleclub@gmail.com.