The Sudden Impact Paddling Club was happy to have several returning Liquid Silver (youth) paddlers join us again this year and recruited some new paddlers for the season. The experienced paddlers were able to pass on their skills to the new members, and with the help of our coach we were able to establish great skill throughout the whole boat. I was very impressed with our team this year! Never before have we won a medal, and this year we cleaned up; winning two silver medals and one trophy. Great work Liquid Silver!! The greatest strength of our team is how well we all mesh together. We have a strong bond and we work together really well… I always love going to practice with this group of people! Like all teams, we’ve got some things to work on. Next season our goal is to step it up a notch, try and squeeze in an extra practice for a total of two practices a week, and recruit enough paddlers for a full boat. By the Rio Tinto Alcan Festival next year there is no doubt in my mind we will be a force to be reckoned with.

The following people need some HUGE thank yous:

Karmen (coach) – an amazing and motivational coach!
Dean (steer) – very talented and encouraging
Donna (team manager) – wonderful lady and a fantastic manager…she keeps us all organized
Rachel – stepped up to be our caller in some regattas…thanks Rachel!

And thank you to everyone on the team for working so hard this year…I’m so proud of you guys and I can’t wait to see what next season brings!

Written by Emma – The Liquid Silver/Youth Team Captain

For many teams, the 22nd Annual Rio Tinto Alcan International Dragon Boat Festival is the pinnacle of the race season here in Vancouver. This event attracts many teams from competitive teams from around the globe to once a week beer league teams to even 20 specialty teams/clubs all ranging from childhood cancer survivors, breast cancer survivors, MS, visually impaired and even two mental illness teams. No where else in North America can you be able to race against 8 other teams in a single heat. There were 132 teams at this years Rio Tin Alcan and including our own Blacks and Liquid Silver our youth crew.

After months of training and and searching for bling for our club our Liquid Silver brought home a Silver in the Canadian Armed Forces B Champion Division (ranked 9th out of 22 youth teams) and our Blacks came home with a Gold medal in the Competitive B Division (ranking 9th out of 94 mixed teams). One the last day of racing the top 16 teams in Competitive Mixed Division takes part in the 2000 meter Guts and Glory raced, which has 3 wild turns as all 16 teams try and turn at the same time.

The full 2010 Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival Results.

Our Blue crew may have not taken part in this festival but two of their members paddle with the L.A. Racing Dragons in the Womens and Mixed Divisions. Congrats to Debbie and Kimm who also brought home Gold in the Womens Recreational B Division.

Last but not least a BIG thank you to those paddlers from other teams who helped filled in our empty spots.