A Photo Finish for Sync or Swim at Victoria Dragon Boat Festival
Photo finish in the Women’s B final in Victoria on Saturday, August 10. Sync or Swim is paddling in boat 1.
If you blinked, you might have missed it. Even if you didn’t blink, you probably still couldn’t tell who crossed the finish line first. Nobody knew until the official times were posted. It was that close and definitely a race to remember.
On August 10, Sync or Swim paddled their way to glory at the Victoria Dragon Boat Festival, securing gold in the Women’s B category by the slimmest of margins. With a final race time of 1:16:190, our team clinched victory in the tightest final race of the entire festival. And when we say tight, we mean it! The difference between gold and the other top contenders was barely anything. Gig Harbor Dragons came in at 1:16:357, Gals on the Gunnel at 1:16:491, and Snappin’ Dragons at 1:16:574.
This year’s festival saw the debut of a new 250-meter race course. With float planes soaring overhead, harbour taxis zipping by, and the looming presence of the Coho and Clipper ferries, the harbour was as busy as it was stunning. Amidst the hustle, there was a sense of focus and determination in the air as about 40 teams and 1,000 paddlers battled it out in a series of four races each. The festival atmosphere was filled with live music, dance shows, and even Chinese cultural performance. A huge shout out to all the organizers of this festival!
For Sync or Swim, the road to the final was anything but smooth. With race times that varied from 1:13:06 in Race 1 to a less fast 1:19:182 in Race 3, the competition was intense. But in the end, it all came down to that B-final sprint.
With this win, Sync or Swim has three gold medals this year, and there’s just one more race left in Comox on September 14. As we gear up for our final showdown of the season, we’ll be holding on to that unforgettable photo finish in Victoria.
