I look forward to the Dragon Run every year. You may not believe me if you took a look at the results sheet from the past few years but I actually really enjoy the trip every November. I say this because in terms of results it’s never been fantastic for me. I always seem to battle with what might be an accumulation of travel, time zones and the final push of a lengthy racing year. Fortunately for me, I would never judge a place from my race results. I love Hong Kong.
http://www.thedragonrun.com.hk/results–gallery.html
Which Way?
I think what makes Hong Kong so special and exciting for me cannot just be simply written down in a few words. It takes a full week or 2 of actually living in, paddling in and experiencing the place to really understand what I’m talking about. Hong Kong is so far from what I am used to on a daily basis. It’s the ‘big city’ life you see in the movies. Everything and everyone going full speed 24hrs a day and you’d better keep up if you want to get anywhere. That applies to living in Hong Kong but also to the Dragon Run race itself. I find the lives of the paddlers who live there very interesting. In the middle of all the chaos Surfski paddling is alive and flourishing.
Dock
The race is a very technical 25km route that tests every bit of skill you might have as a paddler. It’s a race that suits some more than others. Much like the movement of people in Hong Kong City the water never seems to settle or be uniform in direction due to all the rebounds off the surrounding islands and cliff faces. This makes for challenging racing conditions at the best of times. To be successful in this race you need to be super strong and be able to adapt to these conditions instantly. There is no rhythm in the water. It’s basically a situation of catch one run, ride it for 2 seconds and then start again. Linking runs is not easy and when you do, it feels like a real treat. I battled in these conditions. I have good confidence in my ability of feeling the water but unfortunately it’s very difficult to find any pattern in the water whatsoever. Without my rhythm I really struggled.
Sean trying to find the groove.
Daryl Remmler of Think placed 33 in the ION(photo Barbara Yendell)
The race started well for me. I spent the first 7km to 9 pins just trying to paddle well within my thresh hold as I have made the mistake of going out too hard too early before. I turned 9 pins just off the main pack. I had confidence that I would be able to grind the guys down in the last 10km where I thought my mileage might kick in, I was sadly mistaken. The only grinding I was going to do for the rest of the race was with my teeth, as I tried my hardest to make any dent in the front packs lead. I made a mistake. I didn’t live by the Hong Kong rule ‘You better keep up if you want to get anywhere’. As soon as I fell off the pace my race was done. I should have tried harder to stay with the front pack. I didn’t blow and I didn’t feel bad on the water. I guess I just didn’t have the gears the other guys had. I paddled into Stanley in 8th position overall. Hank McGregor (SA), Tim Jacobs (Aus) and Michael Booth (Aus) had a fantastic battle up front for 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. Those guys paddled one hell of a race. I just wish I had been there to add some value!
The rest of my week I spent showing Emily, my girlfriend, around Hong Kong. It’s always super fun having her along for some trips. It’s a welcomed addition of energy and enthusiasm for me on these hard tours, as she reminds me to take in the whole experience and to never lose the spirit of adventure. Even though, at times, her adventurous spirit finds her eating really weird local food that she orders just by pointing at squiggly Chinese writing on the menu and hoping for the best, I am happy to go for my tried and tested ‘Flied Lice’ (Fried Rice).
Sean and Emily
A huge THANK YOU must go to the Seymour family who hosted and looked after Emily and I so well. Bruce Seymour is the THINK dealer and has worked tirelessly to build up the Surfski community in Hong Kong. The results of his hard work have been incredible! I stand to be corrected but to my knowledge, there were more THINK Kayaks on the water this year than any other brand! How cool is that! I am honoured to be a part of such a thriving brand.
I’m home again and back into full training mode for the Cape Town World Cup and Cape Point Challenge later this year. My first session home this morning was a banger with the whole ORKA squad giving it horns. I’m looking forward to the next 3 weeks!
HAK SU!
Sean
Photos of the race by Barbara Yendell in second link. Other photos by Barbara in the first link.
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