Space Coast Dragon Boat Camp

This camp is better known as The Pines (Resort) Dragon Boat Training Camp, none other than Jim Farintosh's camp that he ran for years with GWN and is now running independently after GWN moved to a new location. The Pines has a long history with canoe/kayak/rowing athletes who also share the location due to the protected straight canals and early spring good weather.  

There are more than dragon boats at the Pines!

I'll never forget being at the camp in April 2008 which was just months prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. We paddled in our dragon boats as Canadian Olympians such as Adam van Koeverden and Tom Hall zoomed past. In fact, there were many Olympians there from several other countries, including USA, Germany, Holland, etc.   By the way, today is Adam's birthday!

In subsequent years, after the release of the Up! movie in 2009, we would frequently use the code SQUIRREL! on our boat so we knew when to snap our heads to the side as a sleek hulled canoe or kayak would sprint by powered by a well-muscled male or female paddler. Adam was attending his incredible 18th career Florida training camp that year in 2008 as they worked towards Canadian Olympic selection trials in May.  Go to http://vankayak.com/ to see Adam's site and blog entries.

"Squirrel!!" from the Up! movie (May 2009)

The camp is a week (6 days) in duration and includes twice daily paddles for over an hour per session, as well as daily talks on various important topics, warm-up and stretch sessions, and camp wide BBQ and social events.  It ends with a fun regatta and BBQ on the final Saturday, and usually includes a mid-week 8km round-trip paddle to the causeway to earn our "Causeway Club" bracelets. It's a great opportunity to network with paddlers from all over North America and some from beyond.  Campers may also sign up for optional Coaching certification and Outrigger canoe paddling.

Rusty Dragons Serge and Sal in OC-2 practice at the Pines

We usually get a half-day off after the Causeway paddle, when many of us head together to Cocoa Beach for some sun, surf, and SHOPPING!  While the camp is sold out for 2013, please don't hesitate to contact Jim Farintosh if you have any questions, or check out his Face Book page for the camp called "Space Coast Dragon Boat Camp".  It's a great way to kick start your season and make some new friends for life.

Cocoa Beach side trip from Pines after Causeway paddle

The Rusty Dragons will be there April 7-14, 2013 and are composed of many paddlers from Canada and the USA.  More on that team later!