Stakes high for Dragon boat races at Pride of the Fox RiverFest

The dragon boat competition, held Sunday on the final day of the Pride of the Fox Riverfest, was more than just a race for one team.

As Christine Kao barked commands at her team in their first heat of the day, she knew the speed of their boat reflected the quality of the work they'd put in all summer. Kao and other members of the Lincoln Park Boat Club plan to take the U.S. Nationals next month.

Dragon boat racing features 1,900-pound boats that are about 40 feet long. A crew of 18 paddlers propel the boat to the beat of drum paced by another team member. The 20th team member in the boat acts as a flag-catcher and hangs off the front of the boat in a balancing act aimed at pulling a flag from a buoy as fast as possible as the boat speeds down a 328-yard course.

"Get your heads up!" Kao shouted as the crew dug their paddles into the Fox River. "Reach!"

The result was the fastest time of the day. At 1 minute, 8.7 seconds, the club bested all 10 other teams by nearly three seconds. That included their biggest rival, the St. Charles Canoe Club. The Lincoln Park Boat Club was the defending champion Sunday and expected to take on the St. Charles Canoe Club for a shot at a repeat title in the final heat. Intermittent rain mixed with lightening delayed the results of that match until after press time Sunday. However, Kao said she was feeling confident leading up to the race.

"We're either the favorites or the hated ones here today," Kao said. "Today is somewhat of a fun race. I mean, we're having fun, but we're also here because we're training. It's a totally different purpose. A lot of the other people here, it's a one-time thing. For us, it's part of a plan. The St. Charles Canoe Club, they're a good team. That's what we came here for. They're good paddlers. And they're experienced as well."

With the best time of the day heading into the final race, Kao said her team is right about where they should be if they want to be serious about competing at a higher level in July.

"I don't think we're ready for the U.S. Nationals yet," Kao said. "We have a month and a half to go, but this is our first race together. So, it's baby steps today. We're working on a couple of different things. Overall, I feel pretty good right now. They team, they are really focused. They are really starting to gel together."

Part of the gel comes from some recent inspiration they are pulling from Kao's favorite teams, the Chicago Blackhawks.

"Be like the Hawks," she said. "I'm a big Hawks fan. So when I'm trying to motivate the team, I'm like, 'Let's go get 'em like the Hawks."