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unny but not-too-hot weather, 15 teams, some newcomers, others veterans of the sport and a photo finish were all part of the 2015 Oriental Dragon Boat Festival on August 15 at River Dunes. It was the 6th year of the festival, and its third at Grace Harbor.

Photo finish. Two-one-hundreths of a second was the edge that the Potash Corp’s team had for their win over the Beaufort SC team — in hard-to-miss pink shirts — in a consolation finale.

This year saw what is thought to be the closest dragon-neck-and-dragon-neck finish in the half dozen years of the event. In one of the consolation finals, the team from Potash Corp beat the Beaufort SC team by two-one-hundreths of a second.

The winners of the military division, dubbed the Salty Serpents. While most posed for their victory photo, some of the team prepped a more watery honor for one of their own.

In the finals for the civilian teams – military teams had competed separately – Williamston’s Riverside HS Knights, comprised of members of the school’s baseball team edged out Oriental’s Dragon Masters by less than 2 seconds.

Youth before age.. but just. The Knights of Williamston’s Riverside High took top honors. Finishing less than 2 seconds after the teen-aged team were the Oriental Dragon Masters. The average age of the team in red was 52.

It was a sunny day, and some relief from the rays could be found under the long row of tents arrayed along the edge of Grace Harbor.

Two teams from SC travelled here and competed and within their ranks were many breast cancer survivors. A documentary about the SC teams dragon boat – breast cancer connection was shown at Oriental’s Old Theater the night before the races.

A sporty bra, if not a sports bra. Angie Calhoun, a member of the Beaufort Dragon Boat team, one of two South Carolina teams of breast cancer survivors who competed in the Oriental Dragon Boat races. The sequined brassiere she wore over her team shirt was made, she said, at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Just past the finish line, two teams’ paddles – and arms – get a rest. In foreground, the team made up of the Pamlico and Havelock Chambers of Commerce which had only organized 3 days earlier.

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Dragon boat sportsmanship: on the final heats, teams returning to land walked beneath an arch of paddles held high by other teams.

Faces of the winners of Oriental’s 2015 Dragon Boat Race – the Knights of Riverside HS.

Knights win the day. The drummer for the Riverside HS team. The Knights out of Williamston paddled to first place.

The Oriental Dragon Masters came in 2nd in the civilian division.

More sartorial distinctiveness. On one of the military teams, a t-shirt’s sleeve was re-purposed, likely providing a high SPF.

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The home team. The crew from River Dunes.

The Draggin’ Tails, the team from Deaton’s Boat Yard, took third place. Part of the team was made up of employees from Lenovo in Raleigh; they were getting in some experience for an upcoming dragon boast race in the Triangle.

Water of Grace Harbor and a paddle combine to throw a wake in the final race in the military division.

The final scores.

Muscling in. Marines from the area took part, with four teams competing. The team in blue, dubbed the Salty Serpents, won in the military division.

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A team that was hard to miss. The dragon boaters – and breast cancer survivors from Beaufort, SC – sported neon pink shirts.

Paddlers return, walking up the ramp, beneath the arch formed by other teams. In foreground, drummer Nol Engel’s dragon boat hat, worn the past 6 years.

Dragon Boat Festival organizer Flora Moorman. She told the competitors that if they wanted a real challenge, they should try their hand at the 2nd Annual Indoor Dragon Boat Race in February.

Checking out the competition before a race. In foreground, Warp Speed, a team from schools in Craven County. At next slip, a team of Boy Scouts and Dragons With A Cause.

The Deaton’s team readies for their third race of the day, with a new drummer from the front office, Rita Vorleiter, providing cadence. In the earlier races that day, nonagenarian Fran Deaton sat at the bow drum, as she has since the races began in Oriental, 5 years ago.

A sisters reunion took in the dragon boat races. Cathy McWilliams, second from left with her sisters and sister in law visiting from Virginia. They’ve gotten together every year for more than 30 years.

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Drummer and first line of paddlers from Charleston, SC’s ‘Awakened Dragons’ team. The team and its crew’s survival from breast cancer were the subject of the documentary, ‘Awaken the Dragon’, that was shown at Oriental’s Old Theater the night before.

In past years, the Marines have filled in on other team’s boats when needed. On Saturday, it was the Marines who needed some extra paddlers. Warren Funk was one of those drafted.

The hot – very hot – pink of the Beaufort, SC team made them easy to spot on the water and on land, as here at the awards ceremony. They came in second (to the Potash Corp’s Fossil Floaters), missing first place by 2/100ths of a second.

The Oriental Dragon Masters.

Perennial competitors at the Oriental Dragon Boat Race, Oriental’s Gnarly Dragons.

The very hot pink reflection of the team from Beaufort, SC.

Posted Monday August 31, 2015 by Melinda Penkava