Paddle for Life brought 46 dragon boat teams to Ridgefield

The Paddle for Life amateur dragon boating competition supporting women in Clark County who have experienced breast cancer brought together 46 teams to the Ridgefield waterfront as they competed on the Lake River on Saturday, Aug. 3.

Ridgefield’s own team, Calapya dragon boat team, entered two teams into each of the two divisions of the 2024 Paddle for Life race. The Calapya-Hummingbird, a mixed team consisting of both men and women, were one of 16 total mixed teams. They finished eighth overall and won one of the three 250-meter heats. Of the 30 women’s teams, Calapya-Wapato also won one of the three 250-meter heats they competed in and took 15th place overall.

Ridgefield’s Calapya team is in their second season and are always welcoming more members, Silvana Tesar stated in an email. The team practices on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. They also host the free Thursday evening Community Dragon Boat Paddle program on Lake River, accessed from the McKuddy Marina in Ridgefield.

The free Thursday evening Community Dragon Boat Paddle is available to everyone 14 and older, connecting those interested in the sport or a fun evening along the shores of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Kaohsiung dragon boats. Gear, including paddles and personal floatation devices, is provided. It is recommended that participants bring a bottle of water and dress in clothing that they would not mind getting wet, Tesar said.

Interested participants can register for Thursday evening paddles on Meetup to secure a spot in one of the boats here by visiting meetup.com/city-of-ridgefield-dragon-boat-pad dles/. Thursday paddles last until Oct. 15.

The Catch-22 dragon boat team, practicing out of Vancouver Lake, had two teams take home wins in both categories out of their seven teams that competed. Catch-22’s mixed team, Catch-22 Thunder, completed their three heats in a total of 4:30.42 while Catch-22’s women’s team, Catch-22 Zephyr, completed their three heats in 4:39.56.