2005-08-05

By TERESA BELL, kgw.com Staff

A co-ed Portland dragon boat team won the 2005 Pacific Dragon Boat Association Championships in California last weekend, earning it a spot in the upcoming world races.

Only the first place winners in each division qualify to race in the 2006 Club Crew World Championships, scheduled for August of 2006 in Toronto, Canada.

The Portland team, Kai Ikaika, won the mixed, or co-ed, division with a time of 2:08:32 in the 500-meter sprint.

Many months of work on the water and in the weight room prepared the team for the pivotal, two-minute race at the national event in Long Beach, California.

“There are a lot of dedicated, competitive people on our team,” said head coach John Tejada. “The hard work really paid off. We put it all together in the race that we worked for all season long.”

Now, Kai Ikaika will represent the United States in Toronto, an honor they take seriously.

“Next year in the world championships our goal is gold and that’s against all the other countries,” caller Chris Phillippe said.

Kai Ikaika practices in the Willamette River at least three times a week and the workouts will intensify as the world races inch closer.

Tejada said while it was important for the team to be in peak physical condition, the paddlers on Kai Ikaika also have a lot of heart and great timing, which really separates them from the competition.

“With paddling, it’s the timing and the technique and then the power. And there’s a lot of blending,” Tejada said. “I think that’s what makes us better than most teams.”

Another Portland team, Wasabi Power Surge, also qualified for the World Championships. The team won the Masters division for women age 40 and over. Teams from San Diego, Calif. swept the four other divisions.