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Invented in China in the 4th Century B.C., dragon boats were the fastest means of travel between fishing villages. Eventually dragon boat races and festivals sprang up in Asia. The sport was introduced to the United States in 1983 when the Hong Kong Tourist Association donated boats to several cities, including Philadelphia, in hopes of igniting an interest in the sport. Surprisingly, dragon boating is second only to soccer in numbers of international participants.
A dragon boat crew of 20 propels the 48-foot boats through the water, paddling in perfect precision. A "drummer" sits in the front, encouraging the paddlers, keeping them paddling to the right beat and urging them on. A steersperson stands in the rear using a 20-foot steering oar and also acts as coach, yelling directions.
Nine pairs of well-muscled men and women are seated side by side the length of the boat, all paddling in unison with 48-inch graphite paddles. The boats themselves are made of fiberglass.
Gorman was not only a newcomer to dragon boats, he was new to paddling as well. Before starting this rigorous routine, he had kept himself in shape caring for his Red Bridge Farm in Pocopson where he lives with his wife Renee. They have two daughters, Hope and Mimi.
"The first few practices were rough," he said of the early mornings and the heart pounding paddling. He admitted he is the oldest member of the team. "I've been hitting the gym, biking and running, so I don't have a heart attack out there."
The Philadelphia team practices five days a week under the Strawberry Mansion Bridge at Boat House Row on the Schuylkill River. The organization is made up of five classes of paddlers: the most competitive Premier Open for men or women, the Premier Mixed Open for men and women, the Masters Open for men or women ages 40 and above, the Masters Mixed and Youth for ages 11 to 17.
Unlike Gorman, nearly all the dragon boaters had years of experience rowing or paddling before discovering dragon boats. Krapf and his father Dale have always raced canoes in competition.
Coach Bob McNamara has been involved with the team since the beginning. His day job is head of the Temple University Trauma Center. The paddlers "grind it out" at practice with 90 to 100 strokes per minute at the start and then "stretch it out" to a milder 60 to 70 strokes per minute with the coach yelling corrections on paddling technique and words of wisdom from his run-about. Races are 250, 500, 750 and 1000 meters. "It's not easy, but it's invigorating," Gorman said. "You have to be in unison or there will be clashing, you'll lose the rhythm and mess everyone up. It's a combination of technique, strength and desire."
Philadelphia hosted the last World Championships in 2001 and ended up in second place overall, coming away with multiple medals in all divisions. The team will compete against 20 different countries in Poland. The championships were originally planned for China, but were relocated to the Malta Lake Regatta Course on the right bank of the Warta River in Poznan after the SARS scare. Those involved in dragon boat racing are hoping it will be an exhibition event at the Olympics in Beijing in 2008.
When not grinding it out on the Schuylkill, working out at the gym, running, biking or taking care of his farm, Gorman works in West Chester as an investment advisor in active portfolio management.
