MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Ten people, one boat and one drum. One might question what could possibly be accomplished with this combination of items, but for a group of Station residents it was all that was needed to win.
The Dragon Ladies, a 10-woman team, won 1st place in the woman's division of the 13th Annual Yasaka Lake Sports Festival Dragon Boat races Sunday.
The event consisted of an entire team loading up in a dragon-shaped boat and using a combination of teamwork and technique, raced down a 500-meter course marked by buoys in the center of Yasaka Lake. Eight of the team members were tasked with paddling while one was in charge of the rudder, and the final team member sat in front of the boat beating out a rhythm on a drum. The purpose of the instrument is to keep all the paddlers in sync with one another.
Dragon boat racing is thought to have originated from China more than 2,000 years ago as a form of worship to their gods to ensure plentiful crops.
Although the Dragon Ladies walked away with a plentiful harvest at the end of the races, they were by no means professionals, and Connie Hudson, Dragon Ladies paddler, said it wasn't due to hours of practice either.
"I don't think anyone on the team has ever competed in something like this before today," noted Hudson. "We all just came out here to have some fun and enjoy the weather."
Katrina Adams, Dragon Ladies paddler, was equally surprised by their team's success just after the first race.
"The last time I can remember being in a boat was when I was in the Brownies," laughed Adams. "I was kind of shocked when we won the first race because at first they were ahead. But we all started to get in sync, and we made it happen just before the finish line."
While the Dragon Ladies came out of their first race on top, another Station team, "Anchors Aweigh," competed in the four knuckle boat races and didn't fare so well.
After being eliminated in their first race, the five-man team packed up and headed home, but Tim Tinker said it was a day well spent.
"It was all about timing. We had timing, it was just off," joked Tinker. "But the biggest reason we came out was to have fun and enjoy a bit of the Japanese culture, and that was definitely a success."
Taking what they had learned from their first race and from watching their fellow Station residents compete, the Dragon Ladies focused on coordination and teamwork going into their final race.
"We focused on maintaining a high level of motivation and rhythm," said Sequoia Johnson. "From the time we first stepped in the boat until our final race, as a team we made vast improvements. But more important than the win was the opportunity to interact with the Japanese people and culture."