CEntral Coast Dragon Boat Association Dual Mission:

-To build a community of dragon boat teams for all levels of competition,

AND

-To empower and support cancer survivors in the sport.

Our Purpose:

Central Coast Dragon Boat Association is a non-profit public benefit corporation organized for charitable, educational, and fostering national and international competition purposes, within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

History of Dragon Boat Racing

The use of dragon boats for racing dates back 2500 years in China, along the banks of the Yangtze River (during the same era when the games of ancient Greece were being established at Olympia). Dragon boat racing has been practiced continuously since this period as the basis for annual water rituals and festival celebrations.

Dragons were traditionally believed to be the rulers of water on earth: rivers, lakes, and seas; they were also thought to dominate the waters of the heavens: clouds, mists, and rains. There are earth dragons, mountain dragons and sky or celestial dragons in Chinese tradition; but it is the water dragon that is associated with Dragon Boat racing.

The modern sport of Dragon Boat racing began in 1976, when the Hong Kong Tourist Association decided to boost tourism by hosting an international dragon boat festival. The IDBF (International Dragon Boat Federation) now has 62 member nations, and the sport continues to grow in popularity throughout the world; that includes the Central Coast! TRY IT! PADDLE WITH US!

HISTORY OF CCDBA

Since 2014, the Central Coast Dragon Boat Association (CCDBA) has operated as an all-volunteer nonprofit organization in Morro Bay, California. CCDBA was founded by a team of cancer survivors, friends, family and community supporters called the Central Coast SurviveOars. The incorporators hoped to expand and promote the international sport of dragon boat racing on the central coast by welcoming new teams and paddlers of all ages and genders.

A college-age team, the Voyagers, paddled from 2018 until the pandemic shut-down (2020). A new team, the Central Coast Adventurers, are starting up in 2024! The Adventurers are open to Cal Poly State University and Cuesta College students, alumni, faculty and staff.

New teams are welcome!! New paddlers are welcome! Help us build a community of dragon boaters! Click the blue PADDLE WITH US!

History of Breast Cancer Survivors and Dragon Boat Racing

Breast cancer survivor dragon boat paddling began in 1996 at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, Canada. Doctor Don McKenzie challenged the prevailing medical thinking that breast cancer survivors should avoid rigorous upper body exercise for fear of developing lymphedema, a debilitating side effect of treatment. He chose to do his study using dragon boat paddling, since it is strenuous, repetitive upper body exercise. He trained 24 breast cancer survivors in the gym and on a dragon boat for 6 months; at the end of the study, none of the volunteers had lymphedema. Also, the women found they were fitter, healthier and happier; the camaraderie and support helped them regain control of their lives. Since the team ‘Abreast In A Boat’ discovered the physical and psycho-social benefits of dragon boating, the cancer survivor dragon boat movement has grown and is celebrated worldwide. According to the International Breast Cancer Paddlers Commission, in 2023 there were 316 breast cancer survivor teams in 37 countries.

HISTORY OF the CCDBA DRAGON BOAT FLEET

Donors like YOU have brought dragon boats to the beautiful waters of Morro Bay!

Dragon Dancer and Rosana’s Ride, 20-person dragon boats, arrived in May 2022, thanks to the generosity of paddlers, friends, and the community. Rosana’s Ride is named for beloved paddler Rosana Ortiz. A 10-person dragon boat, Puff, was purchased in 2018 with a donation from a SurviveOars paddler. The current fleet of three dragon boats allows maximum flexibility for CCDBA teams.

Joanna’s Joy was purchased in 2011 with a donation from paddler Joanna Frawley. Unfortunately, the hull took on water, and the boat was retired in 2022. The dragon boat stayed close to home; she is displayed at the Morro Bay Maritime Museum.

The first dragon boat to arrive on the Central Coast was donated by local doctor Thomas Spillane in 2008. After 14 years of fun in Morro Bay, our Champion was sold to Dragon Max dragon boat team in Berkeley.

CCDBA is grateful to SubSea Tours, our ‘home base’, for allowing the first dragon boat team in Morro Bay to practice in their ‘war canoe’. Kevin and his staff are welcoming to paddlers and always keep a watchful eye on the dragon boat fleet!