Pirates Invade Roloff Farm - Photos Three members of the Pirates Dragon Boat Team decided to take a trip to Portland to visit the now famous Roloff Family of TLC Little People Big World. The trip was quite an experience. Meeting the family was the highlight of the trip. Grandma Roloff was very accommodating and talked with us for about 30 minutes. She gave us a brief history of the family and how the show was started. After finding out we were from Canada she went looking for family members for us to meet and take photos with. All in all a great experience.
Getting to the farm was more of a challenge as the popularity of the show has created a large fan base. It was our luck that the whole fan base decided to show up on the same day we did. At one point the local police force was called out to help control traffic. It was just luck that we ended up in the long lineup to get parking. After entering the property you are greeted with a large pumpkin patch. Hundreds of people were looking for their perfect pumpkin to buy and take home to carve. Children were everywhere playing on the attractions that Matt had built for his family. These include a Tree house, an old west town and of course our favorite, a Pirate Ship. More luck was with us that afternoon as the film crew was recording. We were able to watch (by shear accident..I walked across the scene. Wonder if I will make it into the show?) the crew do some filming. It was really a good time. If ever in Helvetia Oregon in October, please stop by the Roloff Farm and say hello. Oh and don't forget to get there early.
Just When You Thought It Was Over - Cranberry Festival - Photos How do you confuse a dragon boat team? Put them in a Voyageur Canoe and make them paddle in circles. That's what happened over the weekend as a bunch of Pirates descended onto the Cranberry Festival in Fort Langley. This excitedly small and fun one day event is a great way to welcome in Fall. The Pirates enjoyed themselves as they paddled their collective butts off in three races. When all the dust had settled, the Pirates had a respectable fourth place finish in the Final B division.
All Done For Another Year. - Kelowna Regatta - RacingWine Tour So why do we train? We do we sacrifice our weeknights and weekends? Why do we do it each and every week from the end of February to the middle of September? To compete. That is why. For the love of the sport. For the friendships and the laughter. We do it because we can accomplish more collectively as a team than we can as individuals. This year saw the Pirates bring in new paddlers for the first time. It saw the Pirates bring in a coach to guide us and give us focus. It saw the Pirates dedicate itself to a common goal. And the goal was realized over the weekend in Kelowna. The Pirates battled hard and brought home third place in Gold Division B. That is an incredible jump of 3 divisions from last year. As a second year team that is a great leap forward. Congratulations Pirates. You should be proud of yourselves for a job well done.
So this is it for another year. Time to put away the paddles and hang up the PFD's. Time to let the walking wounded heal. Time to let the body rest and recover. To the many members returning next year, we will see you soon. To the members that may not be returning, best wishes on whatever you do. To the families and friends that forgot what we looked like because we've been in a boat for 7 months, we will be home soon.
Goodbye until next year.
Where Has The Time Gone? It just seems like yesterday that the Pirates were paddling out to their first regatta of the year on beautiful White Rock. Low and behold our last regatta of the season is fast approaching. The Kelowna Dragon Boat Festival (September 15th through 17th) gives the Pirates the chance to defend their Bronze Medal in the Emerald Division from last year. The team is training hard and with the guidance of coaches and captain should have a great turnout. Good luck everyone.
Victoria Dragon Boat Festival - Photos "What an incredible event"
The location, the weather, the competition. It was all great. Snaps to the organizers of the 12th Annual Victoria Dragon Boat Regatta. What a very well run event. The Pirates and Gung Haggis Fat Choy
combined forces to compete in Victoria over the weekend. Using paddlers from both teams, the group put in four good races (Placing as high as 3rd in their second race). Sometimes competing is not always about winning. Saturday night Gung Haggis planned a group dinner for Dieselfish (from San Francisco), Cultus Lake Dragonflies, and The Pirates. An incredible night of food, drinking and singing was enjoyed by all. Haggis was on the plate and some very brave souls ventured forth to taste this Scottish meal. I tip my hat to the brave ones. The Pirates would like to thank Todd Wong and Gung Haggis for helping us enjoy a great weekend. Hopefully lasting friendships were formed, and new traditions were created. Until next year.
On a side note the Pirates would like to acknowledge the other teams from the Fraser Valley Dragon Boat Club for their well deserved medal placements. Congrats to Chilliwack Thunder Strokers for bringing home Silver and for Sudden Impact for bringing home Gold in their respective divisions.
Cultas Lake Regatta - Photos Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a medium large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution. "Why" do you ask, "is there an explanation of an Osprey on a website about a Dragon Boat Team?" Well, as it turns out, The Pirettes (The all female version of The Pirates) took first place in the Osprey division at Cultas Lake Ladies Only Regatta today. After a good first place finish in their first race and a strong second place showing on their next race, The Pirettes put in a stellar effort to win their last race and bring home Gold. The Pirettes would like to thank the ladies from Elephant and Castle Booze Cruise for coming out to help in this endeavor. A Big Thank You goes out to Bonnie, Jennifer, Carman, Venesa and Cheryl for all their help.You ladies were awesome. Another Thank You goes out to Manfred Preuss for helping The Pirettes steer their way to victory. Of course no victory is complete without a sound caller. Adam was marvelous again. Thanks Adam for your calm and assuring voice. The Pirettes would also like to thank their management for doing a wonderful job. Anyone can jump into a boat and paddle but without knowing what boat to get into they would be lost. Scott did such a great job that without him we would still be looking for the boat. All Hail Scott. (As you might have guessed, Scott controls the website).
Great Races But No Bling At Harrison - Photos The Pirates put together four great races over the weekend at the second annual Fraser Valley Dragon Boat Regatta in Harrison Hot Springs. Two very strong races in the morning propelled the Pirates up the standings and into the REC A division. This was a pleasant surprise as the Pirates had yet to compete that high up the REC ladder. The final two races showed both consistency and determination. Though no medals were awarded this year, the team can hold their heads high as they competed against some very strong and experienced teams from Vancouver.
Hats off to Fraser Valley Dragon Boat Club for a job well done in organizing such a great regatta. Though there were some hiccups, all in all, it was a great day. Even though the weather was hot, our spirits were not. Hats off also to all the volunteers for their hard work above and beyond what was called upon. Some cool things that stick out were the complimentary fruit baskets and water that were handed out to all the teams, the GIANT Big Screen TV which allowed the teams to watch the races real time and the great turnout from all the other teams (over 47 teams). The Regatta doubled in size from last year.
MIZZ Drag On Boat Contest - Photos
Last but certainly not least was the Mizz Drag-on Boat contest. This contest allowed some of the hairiest men alive to get in touch with their feminine side. The locals must have thought we were nuts. A big pat on the back goes out to Ian Paul and the Pirates for organizing a hilariously great Drag-on Boat Contest. I can't hardly wait until next year.
Second Annual Camping Trip - July 14th to 16th - Photos Some of the Pirates took a few days off and adventured up to Lightening Lake in Manning Park. Good weather, good drinks and good food were the order of the day. The boys stayed up late Friday singing and parting. The ladies played it smart and got a good nights sleep (except for Angela who was on the lookout for bear). Scott was awakened early Saturday morning by the sounds of nature. "Who the hell brought the Wild Life?" was all he could say. Karen went fishing Saturday. She caught and released one fish and another got away. As the story goes, the fish that got away was "40 lbs if it was an ounce." Better luck next time Karen. Master Chef and all around nice guy Janik brought his culinary tools with him. A full camp is a happy camp. Good meals were enjoyed by all. For the second straight year the legendary Hilton was erected to the marvel and amazement of all. At one point Robbies tent was put inside the north wing of The Hilton. There was enough room left over for people to walk around Robbies tent inside The Hilton. Scott enjoyed his birthday in style. A surprise tent decorating clinic was put on. Streamers and balloons adorned the massive structure. There was cake and gift giving. Clothing, books, cash holding units and cards all made their way to Scott's hands. Hugs were given to everyone. We can't hardly wait for next year. Good times.
UP NEXT - F.V.D.B.C Regatta The Pirates are practicing hard for their next Regatta. This one is in their own backyard. The Fraser Valley Dragon Boat Clubs Harrison Festival will feature over 50 teams, competing in 3 divisions, from BC and beyond. This is the second year for the annual event and it has grown leaps and bounds from last year. Back for the second time is the infamous (or maybe just in famous) Mizz Drag-on Boat contest. All the male participants will but their best foot forward and get in touch with their feminine side. The gents will see what's its like from the female side of things. All contestants will dress up in drag and strut their collective stuffs. Prizes will be awarded.
New to the FVDRC Festival is the Survivor Challenge. This "TOP SECRET" race is open to all teams. The race is based loosely on the TV series. This race will take place after the finals on Saturday.
THE SECOND FIRST ANNUAL TEAM CAMPING TRIP AND BBQ. Pirates cannot live by pillaging alone. They too must rest and recoup. The Pirates annual camping trip will be at Lightening Lake in Manning Park this year. The crew will make their way to Manning on Friday the 14th and come back late Sunday the 16th. For those not camping, please come up for lunch or dinner on Saturday. It will be nice and relaxing for all. Scott will be celebrating his Day of Birth over the weekend. Money in lue of presents is always excepted. As was the case last year he will donate all cash contributions to the Scott Farrell Relief Fund and Kegger.
BLING BLING - Pirates Win at ALCAN - Racing - Party - Robbies The Pirates first trip to the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival in Vancouver resulted in a first place victory (F Division) Sunday. The guys and gals battled hard for two days and brought Gold back to Harrison Hot Springs over the weekend. Two strong races Saturday put The Pirates into the semi finals. Sunday morning saw The Pirates take first place in the semi finals and advance into the medal round. All the hard work and early morning practices paid off as The Pirates were the first to cross the finish line to claim first place. The Sunday evening awards ceremonies saw The Pirates receive their medals and a first place plaque. Vancouver Mayor, Sam Sullivan, was on hand to open the awards ceremonies.
F.V.D.B.C Corporate Challenge - Photos The 3rd annual Fraser Valley Dragon Boat Club Corporate Challenge was held Sunday on beautiful Harrison Lake. Five companies from Chilliwack and beyond dipped into their employee pool to put together teams to compete. With the help of The Pirates and Thunderstrokers these five teams came together to race, laugh and have fun. Congratulations goes out to Soprema for taking home the coveted Corporate Challenge Cup for a second straight year. Well Done. Thanks to all the volunteers that helped make this event such a joy to participate it. Special "Thank You" to Ian Paul for all his hard work and dedication.
Pre Alcan...we can do it! -Photos The Pirates got a taste of salt water and a view of the harbor as the team competed in the Comp Division Saturday morning on False Creek. Going up against some of the top teams in BC seemed a bit intimidating at first, but all the butterflies and doubts were soon put to rest. The Pirates banded together and finished a strong 3rd place in their division. Three races in three hours is just what the doctor ordered. Their times improved from the first race to the last. Well done one and all. Being as we were all in the boat, Ben was nice enough to take some pictures of us paddling. Thanks Ben.
False Creek Women's Regatta - Photos A hand full of Pirates of the female variety headed off to False Creek today to compete in the False Creek Women's Regatta. The Pirates joined forces with other teams from Vancouver and surrounding areas to create the "Lethal Angels". With the help of coach Ben Lee, the ladies paddled through four very tough races. Though no medals were won, a good time was had by all. A BBQ after the races was a great way to end the day. Thank You goes out to Ben Lee for supplying the BBQ, hotdog's, bus, condiments, etc.
Firefit Challenge - Photos So what happens when you take a Pirate off a boat? They try to become firemen is what happens. A handful of brave Pirates were out giving their all at the Chilliwack Firefit at the Prospera Centre last Friday. Angela, Cory, Janik, Ian and Gord all competed handsomely and made us proud. Between pulling 200lbs bodies all over the place or running up stairs with pipehoses over their shoulder, The Pirates represented us well. They all have a new found respect for the ladies and gentlemen that put their lives in danger everyday to keep our community safe. Well Done.
Firefit Practice - Photos Five brave souls have taken on an incredible challenge. Janik, Angela, Ian, Cory and Gord have decided to compete in this years Firefit Challenge at Prosera Centre. They were in full force Tuesday trying to figure out what was needed on them in this challenge. Running up stairs with a Pipehose, pulling a 42lbs Donut Hose up a million flights of stairs, running an obstacle course and hitting a target with water were just a few of the things they all tried out. Oh and the outfits were cool too. All smiles.
Lotus Was Great - Photos The rain held off as The Pirates took to the water for a fun day of racing at the Annual Bill Alley Memorial - Lotus Regatta. The Pirates spirits were high after winning their first two races in the morning. The team wasn't so fortunate in the afternoon.
The last two races placed the team in 3rd and 4th place respectively. The new paddlers performed admirably and now have a better idea of what it takes to compete.
Next Up...Lotus No rest for the wicked. With White Rock behind us we look forward to The Bill Alley Memorial - Lotus Regatta. A lot of hard work is in store for The Pirates as race day gets closer. The newest members of The Pirates team are eagerly anticipating their first race. They have really come along way from the first few practices. Their timing is better, their stroke is better and with some encouragement and hard work we might just turn them into Pirates. Practice makes perfect, but racing is what it's all about.
White Rock Regatta - Photos - Robbies Photos WOW is all I can say. What started out as a nice calm Saturday morning in Chilliwack turned into the Perfect Storm in White Rock.
Waves 60 feet high bombarded the Dragon Boats for most of the morning. With the tides going out and the rough waters playing havoc on everyone, the Regatta was called off due to weather conditions. Though the Pirates did manage to get to the starting position, we did not get to race. Safety is always the number one concern, and Hats Off to the everyone in charge for making the right decision.
Jolly Miller Fundraiser The trilogy is complete. A good time was had by all that turned out for The Pirates final pub night of the 2006 season. Good food, good friends and lots of laughter were witnessed by all. Proceeds for this fundraiser will help offset the costs for new Pirate Racing Shirts. The draw was made for the Pirates Treasure Map grand prize. One night at The Echo's Harrison River Retreat was won by The Pirates own France Legere. Enjoy.
Dukes Pub Fundraiser What happens when you get a bunch of Pirates together in a bar on St Patrick's Day? You raise a lot of money. Not only did The Pirates raise a bit of coin, but everyone had a great time. Food was good, drinks were good, and friends and family had fun. We are still getting compliments for the job we did. This was, by far, the Pirates best fundraiser to date. The winner of our 50/50 draw (Yvonne Henderson) was nice enough to donate part of her winnings back to the Pirates. Thanks Yvonne. Hats off to everyone for a job well done. Though it was a team effort I do want to put in a special Team Thank You to France for her work above and beyond. We cannot rest on our loral's though. Our last Pub Night is fast approaching (April 22nd at Jolly Millers). Please get your tickets sold. Remember that a full pirate map gets you entered into the grand prize.
Contest Winner - March After much thought and many long sleepless nights, I have finally come up with a winner for the March "Show Us Your Pirate" contest. I want to thank everyone that participated. Please keep sending in your jokes, cartoons or pictures. Now without any further ado and with great fanfare I give you March's Pirate winner.......Karen.
Karen was nice enough to send in a cute little joke that made me laugh. Hope you all enjoy it too.
Two pirate ships were crossing the ocean.
One had a booty full of red paint.
The other had a booty full of blue paint.
What happened when they collided?
They were MAROONED!!!!!!!!!
arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!
Contest Winner - February As you all know the PIrates monthly "Show Us Your Pirate" contest has been going strong. Each month through out the paddling season a prize will be awarded to the best thing pirate emailed to me. It can be a joke, a picture, a cartoon. As long as it is related to pirates it will be considered. With so many entrants it was hard to choose the winner this month. But after long debate and much consideration the winner of the February "Show Us Your Pirate" goes to France for her pirate joke below.
This pirate walks into a bar with a big ship's wheel down his pants. The bartender says, "Excuse me, sir, but do you know you have a ship's wheel down the front of your pants?"
And the pirate says...
Aaargh, it's driving me nuts!!
Time To Vote Fellow Paddles person Cory Strain thought it would be a good idea to get The Pirates photo on a bottle of Jones Soda. I agree with her so much that I put a link to the picture on our web site. Click on the
button below to vote. It is your duty.Maybe with enough votes we can get our photo on a bottle.
Happiness Is A Paddle In The Water After a very long cold winter, the time has finally come to shake off the cobwebs, stretch the old muscles and get ready for a new season of Paddling. On March 4th the F.V.D.B.C. will be launching the boats back into the water. Volunteers are needed to help paddle the boats back to the moorings. Contact Manfred if you are interested. The Pirates will begin their first practice on March 5th at 9:30am. Please dress accordingly.
First Fundraiser - Major League Sports Bar and Grill Thank you very much to everyone that braved the elements and made it out to the Pirates first Fundraiser of 2006. It was not a good night to be driving out in that snow and we do appreciate it. We managed to run the 50/50 tickets AND we decided to do a FREE draw of 2 separate prizes as a token of our thanks. Because not everyone had the ability to make it for the first Pub Night, The Pirates have decided to give everyone a free stamp on their Pirate Fundraiser map. Next up is Dukes Pub on March 17th. Wear your green and win.
Clean As A Whistle The Pirates were out in full force Saturday morning to help out the Fraser Valley Dragon Boat Club with the yearly cleaning of the PFD's and the repairing of the paddles. With so many members from all the teams helping out, the work went by really quick. One more week until the boats hit the water. Paddles Up.
Hot Off The Press You can say you read it here first. The numbers are in and the numbers don't lie. The awesome crew at Piratepaddlers.com have been compiling data from the web site since the last week of September 2005. The numbers have been analyzed and it seems we are a HIT. Below is a summary to date. This will be reanalyzed periodically through out the year. Keep checking back. Data Summary Sept Through Nov Dec Through Feb...
It Has Started Ok guys and gals. PIrates one and all. The official Pirates Only jokes and stuff contest has started. Each month during our Paddling season, PIratePaddlers.com will award a prize to the best or funnies thing PIrate. This can include a joke or a cartoon. A personal story or a Limerick. Send all your entries to Scott. Enter as many or as few times as you like. The more the merrier. (This is open to any and all members of the Fraser Valley Dragon Boat Club).
For Your Eyes Only Members of The Pirates Dragon Boat Team please check out the members only section for Team Only updates.
Fundraiser's Well, it is finally here at last. The Pirates 2006 fundraising schedule is out.. Please go the the Fundraising section for more info.
IDBF Newsletter
Ian was nice enough to send me a copy of the International Dragon Boat federation NEWSLETTER. You can view it here. (Acrobat Reader Required).
Lotus Ice Breaker Double Hull Races - Photos
WOW, what a day. The Pirates wedged their team into the double hulled outrigger boats and took to the water for the first time this year. Finishing second in their race (and winning the coveted Turtle Light) with everyone alive was a glorious victory. Special thanks to the two honorary Pirates that helped paddle and steer our team to the finish line. A nice lunch and a few beverages followed at The Golden Spike Pub. For those that didn't or couldn't make it check out the Photo section for pictures. Thanks to The Lotus Sports Club for allowing us to participate. A good time was had by all. What a nice way to start the year.
We have a photo gallery. Check it out. A new gallery for a new year. All the info is in the PHOTO section.
What a great question. As our second season draws near, we will be posting up-coming events. The list will include important information regarding regattas, BBQ's, fundraiser's, camping trips, drunkfests and the occasional movie night. Any updates to the web site will be posted here as well. Please check back often.
Ice Breaker Our first bit of news is as follows. The annual Lotus Club Icebreaker is fast approaching (January 21 2006). According to some, this is the best way to start off the paddling year. I myself have taken the plunge (no pun intended). If you haven't received your entry form please contact Ian. The race course will be finalized the day of the event. Good luck to all.
Avast Me Hearties Tis time to shake the timbers and throw the cockroaches out of ya sea boots. Our first team meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday January 18th. It will take place at the Rendezvous Restaurant at 7:15pm. Please try and attend as we begin to set the course for the beginning of our 2006 voyage.
Pirates Den
A new section has been added to our web site this year. It is a members only area with information for Pirates Only. It will be password protected and everyone will be issued a username and password before it is operational. We will be able to keep more personal info there. Things like the minutes to our meetings, strategies and maybe the occasional inappropriate picture.
